Browsing by Author "Jaworska, Aldona"

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    Diaspora, Identity and the Canadian Media: The Case of the Second Polish Corps in World War Two and the Re-settlement of its Veterans in Alberta
    (2014-09-30) Jaworska, Aldona; Melnyk, George
    In the few recent decades, the issue of identity formation has spurred major debates among scholars of various academic backgrounds and specializations, who examined the identity formation of individuals and groups. This thesis explores the process of identity formation in Polish ex-servicemen who chose to reside in Calgary after they fulfilled a two-year long farm work contract in Canada during the early post-WWII years. It examines how Canadian immigration policies and Canadian media impacted the treatment and the portrayal of the Polish ex-servicemen, and it compares their treatment with the portrayal of the returning Canadian veterans. This comparison of the two groups highlights the factors that went into the Polish veterans’ identity formation in this period. Based on a sample of newspaper articles printed in Canada and in Calgary, and interviews conducted with the Polish ex-servicemen, who chose to reside in Calgary after they fulfilled their contract of working on farms, the study examines the differences between media portrayal and self-portrayal in this group The study also examines the role of government policies as a factor in media representation of Polish veterans and how these policies influenced their place in Canadian society. The lingering results of this negative treatment and portrayal indicate the power of such factors to influence identity formation in this group right into the 21st century.
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    Remember Me: A Theatrical Examination of the Situation of Polish World War II Veterans
    (2021-09-24) Jaworska, Aldona; Martini, Clement, M.; Finn, Patrick James; Colpitts, George William
    Four WWII Second Polish Army Corps ex-soldiers in the play Remember Me include 19-years-old Jakub, 23-years-old Józef, and 25-years-old Franciszek and Henryk. After the war, these ex-soldiers and former Allies fear severe punishment, even death, if they return to Poland under the pro-Soviet government. They join the Polish Resettlement Corps formed by Great Britain to help tens of thousands of former soldiers find a new place and make it their home. As a penalty for refusing to return, the Polish government deprives them of their citizenship. In November 1946, they meet by chance while boarding Sea Snipe, a ship taking hundreds of displaced Polish veterans from Italy to Canada to work for two years on farms. Each of the four ex-combatants holds a different outlook on life and has different reasons for embarking. Adversities encountered during their travels contribute to the forging of long-lasting ties between them.