Hi folks! I am a Masters student at University of Sheffield, studying Intercultural Communication and currently trying to write my dissertation on intercultural experiences of Polish migrants who come to work and live in the UK. Maybe some of you have any comments on cultural differences between Polish and English people, differences in their values, beliefs, expectations, everyday life, working patterns, etc? What usually cause misunderstanings and miscommunications between those two cultures? If you could give advice to those who are just going to move to England what would it be? Maybe something that caused you a number of problems when you migrated here? Comments from Engish natives are also greatly welcomed.
I have just joined this forum few minutes ago and did not have a chance to read through the earlier posts. However, I am also trying to gather the information in one place so I can analyze it later and discuss it with my supervisor. Jumping from one post to another could be problematic and cause a bit of confusion.
No, wiele różnicy kulturalne jest między Polakami i Amerikanymi, prawdopodobnie jak w Anglii.
Continuing in English (posting rules here at PF), there are numerous differences, such as the tendency to more indirect in the Anglo-Saxon culture regarding disagreements, whereas Polesm like many continental Europeans, tend to be much more direct.
Oh please do not stop:) Apart from our directess, are there any other qualities that are characteristic to Poles but not to English? You can just list them.
Or in other words, do you kow what Poles may see as 'strange/weird' when they first come to England? Something that they cannot get used to? Something that they cannot understand?
If you live in Sheffield surely you would find a polish community as there is a large one like here in Doncaster look in local polish shops in Sheffield there are some as i have seen them post an advert (be productive) many forum members on here are American and you are needing the information based on UK bound polish migrants
so as a student myself i would personally recommend that you head to the shops place an advert asking for members of the polish community to contact you maybe via email or text, look for posters advertising any polish social functions or maybe hang out where the polish community hang out even ask if you can leave some material in the polish restuarant in Sheffield -- pro-activeness achieves alot :)
I'd be glad to 'go on', it's only that the differences are so much greater on the surface from, say, Brits/Yanks vs. Germans or Swedes, f.ex. that it's not a simple answer.
The key differences lie in the sense of humor between the Poles and the Anglo-Saxon/American people. I get most of the jokes, yet they are really untranslatable, i.e. untransferrable into a non-Polish context!
dear telefonitika I see myself as a rather pro-active person but sometimes that is not enough when you want to 'force' someone to cooperation. Polish people are not kind of people that will voluntarily help you, especially when you want to discuss something else than how to claim benefits, how to complete aplication forms, where to find a job, etc. You can tell me that I m wrong but that is my personal expeience and nothing else. And what is more, I do not live in Sheffield. I live in York where the Polish community is definitely not as developed (if it is at all) as it is in Sheffield.
Is english your second language? I only ask because that may excuse your use of the term force....
Polish people are not kind of people that will voluntarily help you, especially when you want to discuss something else than how to claim benefits, how to complete aplication forms, where to find a job, etc.
is this a wind up? If its not,may I suggest you study for your masters in another subject? Maybe one that you can put into safe practice....intercultural communications,lol,more like slag off other cultures :)
You can tell me that I m wrong but that is my personal expeience and nothing else.
eh,if the next is true...
I live in York where the Polish community is definitely not as developed
Polish people are not kind of people that will voluntarily help you, especially when you want to discuss something else than how to claim benefits, how to complete aplication forms, where to find a job, etc
that is utter bollox, me and many other Polish people i know are very helpful and generous. just cos you met a few lousy, greedy individuals doesnt mean you can just stick the same label on all of us. that is not very professional or mature.
dear people as you see yourself none of you really responded to the actual topic but you tried instead to prove that everything I do or say is wrong. How helpful is that? I joined this forum because I wanted to ask people who visit these pages for some help and their opinions and have a normal cultural discussion. Nothing else but it seems I was asking for too much. And saying that I should have chosen York University since I live here....Please...People have different reasons for doing certain things. Maybe I just couldnt leave York but wanted to study in Sheffield because there was a course I was really interested in. Now I have doubts about the real purpose of this forum.
Now I have doubts about the real purpose of this forum.
the real purpose of this forum is quite felxible and it depend son the posters.
If you are doing your masters then perhaps forums in general are not good source of compacted information, as you have noticed. I would do my own in field research, although that requires a different approach. Good luck.
it seems to me, Patrycja, that all you are really interested to know about is how Polish people are supposedly hated by other east-europeans and prove your idiotic theory that they are a bunch of selfish migrants who are only here for jobs and benefits. thought you'd be a bit more open minded and responsible, after all this is such an important thing for you to write. you appear on some forum and expect all the work to be done for you so that all you gotta do is write it down and voila, done. think again, and stop being such a child. this forum is for people interested in Polish culture and community, not for some students who are looking for an easy way to have all their work done for them. all you're after is some drama, you writing your masters or a soap opera script?
You're right, Osiol. 'Anglo-American' would have been a better choice :) After all, most Americans, at least where I'm from, are hardly 'Anglo', much less 'Saxon' LOL
dear telefonitika I see myself as a rather pro-active person but sometimes that is not enough when you want to 'force' someone to cooperation. Polish people are not kind of people that will voluntarily help you, especially when you want to discuss something else than how to claim benefits, how to complete aplication forms, where to find a job, etc. You can tell me that I m wrong but that is my personal expeience and nothing else. And what is more, I do not live in Sheffield. I live in York where the Polish community is definitely not as developed (if it is at all) as it is in Sheffield.
I think this messed up your points. I had not seen this post before and would have liked to have added my thoughts on the matter. It is a very hostile post, why?
Anyway if you are still interested we can discuss this matter further, am sure if you are a little patient it will pay off, all people do not react well to hostility.
I have lived in several countries. I am Irish, born in Dublin and I have worked in several parts of England at different stages and I never felt at home, I would definitely go so far to say I feel much more at home here in Poland (even with the language barrier) than I ever did in England. It is a cultural thing. I do not dislike a majority of English people, there is good and bad everywhere.
This has the potential to be a really useful and interesting topic
I agree too. I think the Op should set out whether it is for recent (post A8 accession) Polish migrants or whether it includes earlier migrants cos the differences are likely to be significant.
You get five Poles together into one room, you'll have six (or if you're lucky, only seven LOL) different opinions.
I've found most Poles, at least from the intelligentsia (hardly an oxymoron any longer :) ), to be contagiously emotional and often get worked up over nationalistic topics. During heated discussions, when Poles feel they are in danger of losing their national identity, it seems the words from the first line of their national anthem 'Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła' or the phrase 'Niech żyjye Rzeczpospolita Polskiej!' practically draw tears from many eyes, in a way ridiculously unimaginable from any present country I can think of.
In brief, Poles seem more in touch with their history than Americans or English people. Maybe I'm wrong.
In brief, Poles seem more in touch with their history than Americans or English people. Maybe I'm wrong.
What I don't get (as someone who is British) is why many Polish people, if the above is true, can't seem to escape their country quickly enough.
I can appreciate that many want to earn some quick cash over here and then go back, but those who come over here to live seem to do it pretty easily. They may go back to visit at Christmas and so on, but other than that they don't seem to miss home all that much.
Having said that, they tend to stick together rather than integrate, so maybe they feel more "at home" that way. It's as though they don't want to make Britain their home, they want to bring their home here.
I would have thought that it must be a rather frustrating situation at times for them living here. Although the money must be better, the types of jobs must be below what they are qualified to do - Immigrants from any culture must find there is a "glass ceiling" when they're in another country.
In brief, Poles seem more in touch with their history than Americans or English people. Maybe I'm wrong.
I would say "stuck in history" rather then "in touch with history", if you ask me. And no, you're not wrong. It's just a sort of a national sport, that's all. In US when two guys hang out, they can spend hours talking about the best way to refinish a deck or a proper way to cut the lawn. In Poland they talk about WWII, Walesa, Pilsudski etc.
"In Poland they talk about WWII, Wałęsa, Piłsudski etc......"
.....that is, more about intellectual rather than the submental stuff which passes for conversation in most of the States, if the people are under thirty!!
One person's 'being stuck in' is another's 'being in touch with'. Hard to say which way is better. Will say this though; need an antidote for insomnia, just turn on US prime time entertainment. It'll put ya out like a light.
Is there really much of a contest as to which is more worthwhile discussing, Brad Pitt's underwear size vs. the merits of Mickiewicz vs. Victor Hugo??
I rest my case. I'm an efite snob, you'd say?? You f_ _ _ _ _ g bet I am, and proud of it. At least one of us $%^&*bastards will stand up and admit it!!
Apologies for the rant, folks. Little meltdown here :) he-he No hard feelings. (Guess I needed to take my medication, just kiddin') LOL
Actually, the rising tide of mediocrity has long since crested. So I guess, the best thing to do in that case would be to just sit back and enjoy the ride (...to Hell in a handbasket...) -:)
I just want to say that if anyone has some time to spare and is willing to participate in my questionnaire about the cultural differences between the Poles and the British I invite you to visit the following link:
