Czy ktoś nie został (spost)kolonizowany? Czyli o pożytku z szerokich pojęć

Abstract

This paper discusses phenomenon of the postcolonial studies proliferation. Concepts once created to describe experiences of colonized nations and societies are nowadays applied to former colonial powers and other European countries. The examples that relate primarily to the works on the Polish postcolonial experience indicate the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach. On the one hand postcolonial theory provides an interesting fresh perspective and sheds a new light on the history and the present day of many European countries, but this new view comes with the price of blurring the subject of postcolonial studies. Any attempt to avoid such a situation is difficult since postcolonial studies by their very nature are open to the multiplicity of discourses and appreciation of the importance of minorities identity.