4.2: Negotiated Reality
Contemporary social reality is shaped by processes that determine how narratives describing the social world emerge and function. Changing ways of information circulation foster the construction of alternative versions of events and the challenging of existing interpretive frameworks. Simultaneously, political and economic crises influence the dynamics of migration, leading to transformations in the directions, forms, and meanings of mobility. Both these areas reveal the mechanisms of social change occurring today on local, regional, and global scales.
Ongoing research analyzes the processes of the social production of the “reality effect” in two key areas. The first encompasses the activities of revisionist groups that construct alternative narratives and historical “facts.” The second concerns journalistic practices aimed at maintaining the credibility of news media under conditions of eroding public trust. The aim of the research is to recognize whether, and to what extent, the question of truth still constitutes a foundation for constructing social reality, and to identify new paradigms, practices, and technologies through which they gain social legitimacy.
The full-scale Russo-Ukrainian war, although geographically distant, caused a significant shock to the international order in Central Asia. The accompanying rapid economic processes – rising inflation and the deepening pauperization of societies – became a strong impulse for migration, particularly in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Simultaneously, Russia, previously the key destination for labor migration from the region, has lost its appeal and is no longer perceived as a safe destination.
The research focuses on the analysis of socio-political changes and their migratory consequences in the countries of Central Asia. Particular attention is paid to the formation of new routes and directions of migration, both within the region and beyond, including migration to Poland and other European Union member states. Scientific analyses allow for a better understanding of the dynamics of contemporary migration processes and their significance for Central and Eastern Europe.
Kyrgyz at the Forefront
Polish horse racing has been almost completely dominated by jockeys from Kyrgyzstan. Although the Kyrgyz community in Poland remains small, they are extremely visible on the racetracks – such as Służewiec in Warsaw. In many races, they take every spot on the podium, and at the end of the season, it is they who are granted the prestigious awards. This confirms the popular saying that “the Kyrgyz has not yet dismounted his horse.”
↑ FROM THE TOP. 1 Tintoretto, Allegory of Truth, c. 1564, Scuola Grande di San Rocco (Venice) – an allegorical figure from the decoration cycle of the Sala dell’Albergo (source: Wikimedia Commons) 2 A billboard on a central street in Bishkek advertising the services of a job placement agency for work in Poland and EU countries (photo: K. Wielecki)
↓ Residents on the streets of Uzbekistan (source: pexels.com)