Microaggressions and discriminatory behaviour towards religious education teachers in polish schools

ABSTRACT

The article presents the results of a qualitative survey conducted in 2019, in which 2.558 catholic religious education (RE) teachers working in state schools participated. The results indicate the existence of various forms of microaggressions towards religion teachers at school. First, the article analyses the relation between RE teachers and the management within the school environment – therein parents, other teachers and students – concerning possible cases of discrimination activities, taking into account relevant variables (as professional experience, workplace). Then, it introduces examples of prejudices against this group and the institutional support suggested by the respondents on part of the state and the Church.

KEYWORDS:

• Religious freedom
• religious education
• discrimination
• microaggression

Acknowledgments

The article presents data collected as part of the project realized at Faculty of Theology NCU, with support of ecclesiastical (Polish Bishop’s Conference) and state institutions (Institute of Justice). The authors would like to thank Rev. Bishop Dr Marek Mendyk, who as chairman of the Committee on Catholic Education significantly assisted the research team in conducting the Polish National Catechist Research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. For more about the academic system, please look at: ankiety.umk.pl. The programme used for the survey was LimeSurvey (https://www.limesurvey.org/) version 3.21.3.

2. In understanding this concept, we embrace a wide definition by Dr Derald Wing Sue (2010, 3), who claims that microaggressions are ‘everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons (…) In many cases, these hidden messages may invalidate the group identity or experiential reality of target persons, demean them on a personal or group level, communicate they are lesser human beings, suggest they do not belong with the majority group, threaten and intimidate, or relegate them to inferior status and treatment.’

3. According to Hanes et al (2007, 20–40), bias is a personal judgement, often unreasoned and prejudiced outlook. Discrimination is an unfair treatment based on arbitrary standards or criteria. Being a highly complex and historically old phenomena, prejudice is a negative attitude, emotion, or behaviour towards individuals based on a prejudgement about those individuals with no prior knowledge or experience. Stereotyping is an oversimplified prejudgement of others using physical or behavioural characteristics, usually exaggerated, that supposedly apply to every member of that group (Hanes, Hanes, and Rudd 2007, 20–40).

4. Persecution is defined as ‘the act or practice of persecuting especially those who differ in origin, religion, or social outlook’ (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). When speaking about operational definitions for religious persecution Grim and Finke define it ‘as physical abuse or physical displacement due to one’s religious practices, profession, or affiliation. Thus, religious persecution is more than religious opposition or a denial of personal rights; it occurs when individuals are either physically harmed or forced to relocate due to their religious affiliation, beliefs, or practices’ (Grim and Finke 2007, 643; see also2010, XII).

5. It is worth referring to the research carried out in 2015 by the Educational Research Institute – http://www.ibe.edu.pl/pl/aktualnosci/525-przemoc-w-polskiej-szkole (accessed 5 May 2020). On this topic see also Kulesza (2007). Importantly, research has shown that teacher reciprocal references translate into student relationships.

6. For example, see project about religious freedom: https://wolnoscodreligii.pl/.

7. On current debates on the role of religion lessons in the Polish school see Stępkowski (2015) and Pilarz (2014).

8. ‘Equal treatment at work due to religion – analysis and recommendations of the Ombudsman of 1 February 2019ʹ. https://www.rpo.gov.pl/pl/content/rowne-traktowanie-w-pracy-ze-wzgledu-na-confession-analysis-and-recommendations-rpo (access 25 April 2020). For the manifestation of discrimination based on religion in the workplace, the Defender indicates, inter alia no possibility of giving a break for prayer, and religion teachers pointed to difficulties on part of the management in organising prayers for willing children and young people during breaks.

9. Initially, the scale concerns microaggression in relation to persons declaring themselves as atheists, but it concerns generally the relation to religion or its lack. In a sense, our research is symmetrical in relation to those.

10. Microaggression studies in the school environment show that the experience of microaggression translates not only into increased stress, negative perception of the work environment, loss of motivation, but also the quality of scientific and didactic work and cognitive skills (Sue et al. 2007).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Piotr Roszak

Piotr Roszak is professor of fundamental theology at Faculty of Theology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland

Sasa Horvat

Sasa Horvat is professor of philosophy at Theology in Rijeka, Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Croatia

Jan Wółkowski

Jan Wółkowski is research assistant at Faculty of Theology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland