Research in Poland
Photo by suszec.pl
Why the commune of Suszec?
Our fieldwork in Poland will be conducted in the commune of Suszec, located in the Silesian Voivodeship, between the towns of Żory and Pszczyna.
The Suszec commune consists of the following villages: Suszec, Kobielice, Kryry, Mizerów, Radostowice and Rudziczka, was selected as one of the study sites due to its location, history, and social structure, that align closely with the analytical lens and objectives of the LINLOSS project.
The area blends rural characteristics with infrastructure that enables daily commuting to nearby cities. These characteristics foster both in-migration and reconfiguration of local support networks and genealogical ties.
A significant rupture in Suszec’s local lineage occurred with the closure of the Krupiński coal mine. For over three decades, the mine was not only the main site of employment but also an anchor for community life, sponsoring local culture and sports. Its closure represents a critical moment in the history of the village.
In recent years, Suszec has seen an influx of new residents. The growing number of people from outside the region – often from other provinces – has introduced new values, lifestyles, and expectations, which intersect with long-standing local norms. This dynamic between “long-term” and “new” residents creates a rich context for studying changes in intergenerational relationships, collective memory, and systems of social support.
Photo by suszec.pl
Photo by suszec.pl
Research Plan
The first phase of fieldwork – from December 2024 expected to end in June 2025 – will involve interviews with key contacts: local leaders, decision-makers, and individuals with expert or long-term knowledge of Suszec community and history. These participants will contribute to our initial mapping of the social space and help identify potential participants for the next stage of the study.
The second phase – scheduled to begin in the summer of 2025 – will consist of biographical interviews with local residents of Suszec. Each participant will take part in two sessions, each lasting approximately 90 minutes. The first interview will take the form of a free flowing life history narrative, focused on the own life and memories of family, community and local change. The second session will give a chance to reflect upon and discuss the story people have told, and to explore their connection to local places.
All interviews will be conducted only after obtaining ethical approval for the study from the two universities of Maynooth in Ireland and of Silesia in Katowice. We expect this phase to run from summer of 2025 to summer of 2026.
Community Archive
From the collected materials made available by the participants, such as photos, chronicles, fragments of interviews, we will create a publicly accessible Community Archive, which will be a database of the social memory and cultural wealth of the communities.
Interview Process
Each interview will be audio-recorded, transcribed, and anonymized to protect participants’ identities. Audio files and transcripts will be stored securely: recordings will be deleted from recording devices after transcription and transferred to an encrypted, password-protected storage system accessible only to the research team.
Following the conclusion of the project, and subject to participant agreement, anonymised data will be deposited in designated qualitative research repositories in both Ireland and Poland, in accordance with FAIR data principles and participant consent.
Photo by suszec.pl
If you are unsure whether the person contacting you is a member of our research team, please refer to the Research Team section of our website.
For any questions or concerns about the study, you can contact the researcher who reached out to you or email us at linloss@mu.ie