Abstract:
The article is based on participatory observation and semi-structured interviews conducted
in 2012 with young Kashubs (aged 16-25). The research carried out has combined
a cultural (anthropological) and a sociolinguistic viewpoints. The language policy
not only concerns important bottom-down acts and laws established by the state and by
minority activists, but is also based on people’s everyday practices, such as their choice
of language. This is why activists responsible for the minority language policy should
make use of the ethnographic methodology which would make the minority members the
subject of the research. Their experiences related with using the minority language, attitudes
toward their language and culture can be an important component and indicator for
policy decision-makers. This article presents the statements of young Kashubs referring
to their culture and language, diffi cult experiences related to the prohibition of speaking
Kashubian, and the language shift which emerged with the coming into force of the Act
on National and Ethnic Minorities and the Regional Language. The teaching of the Kashubian
language in schools is one of the most important achievements of the language
policy – although, in the opinion of young people, it is a challenge. Young Kashubs tell
about the decisions they took concerning their language and what motivated them to use
the language of their ancestors. They speak about their attitude towards the Kashubian
culture and its stereotypical, folkloristic image.
