“Chamophobia” as an Element of Polish Culture: Outline of a Theme

The notion of “chamophobia” referenced in this article’s title appears, according to Henryk Domański, “as a lack of respect or perhaps even disdain toward those perceived as inferior. This inferiority is tied to their socio-economic status […], which becomes associated, for instance, with a lack of cultural competence or lower level of education.” The term is usually used to describe contemporary aspects of social life tied to symbolic violence, but confined to the context of the so-called “bridge and tunnel”, folk.

Yet another timely example pertaining to this category is Anna Szulc’s now widely known article “The Huns are Coming” (Najazd Hunów), published in Newsweek. The text describes Poles vacationing at the seaside from an elitist perspective of presumed superiority. Szulc makes an explicit link between an alleged lack of culture she observes among the tourists and their lower socio-economic status.