ETHNOGRAPHIC 'QUI PRO QUO' OR THE PROBLEMS WITH TIME

This article discusses the problem of ethnographical narratives' constructions in accordance to historical time they refer to. The issue of non-historical treatment of the research objects arise both in works of academic staff and workers of ethnographic museums. Ethnological community in Poland still has, described already by authors such as Wojciech Burszta, Antoni Kroh or Piotr Kowalski, the problem with time in the constructions of ethnological descriptions - a phenomenon of 'praesens etnographicum'. The difficulties in dealing with time appear also in educational works conducted mostly in ethnographic museums, where it is being treated rather freely. It causes flexible diffusion of particular elements of one culture into another over time. It often occurs during so-called folk festivities, where old traditional artifacts are presented right next to contemporary artists, their activities and products. The author believes it's allowed to educate through such forms of entertainment, but it's also unacceptable to misinform people or create false realities and contexts. The category of time is being treated confusingly also in works which present traditional folk culture (from the XIX/XX century, or before the WW II) on the maps of contemporary Poland. Such practice leads to not-considering the territories that used to constitute significant parts of former Poland. The author emphasizes that they were indeed multi-ethnic, but included the considerable percentage of Poles. At the same time they had an extremely strong influence on the development of Polish ethnography and on the reflection on ethnic issues and folk culture. He concludes that mixing historical realities leads to the misuse and abuse of time as well as to the appearance of dangerous stereotypes of folk culture, ethnology and ethnologists themselves.