Spiskie emancypantki. Wizerunek kobiety „kontrowersyjnej” w gwarze i kulturze polskiego Spiszu dawniej i dziś .......... 97

SPISZ EMANCIPATED WOMEN. THE IMAGE OF A „CONTROVERSIAL” WOMAN IN THE DIALECT AND CULTURE OF THE POLISH SPISZ IN THE PAST AND TODAY

Dynamic social changes, especially those that took place after the great wars and are still ongoing, have not spared the Polish countryside. Many of the standards used by rural communities, “established” for centuries in a specific political and economic system and a kind of isolation, began to break down as these closed enclaves intensified contacts with the outside world, increased mobility and – perhaps above all – increased access to education. In traditional societies, any changes, especially when it comes to principles, come with difficulty. This process is so slow that its stages are clearly reflected in culture and language. A perfect example of such a process is the linguistic image of a woman. Due to the high degree of ossification of norms regarding women in rural communities, it is an interesting field for observing cultural and linguistic changes and their dynamics against the background of major social processes. We will look at the process of emancipation of the Spisz woman, whom I call “controversial.” Controversial, which means different. One that breaks the “time-honored” rules. It is not only about moral norms, but also about a wide sphere of aspirations, which for centuries were forbidden for women. These included: access to knowledge, work other than on their own farm, and even behavior and appearance that differed from the local pattern. Controversy sparks discussion. People define themselves in the face of change. At the beginning, they formulate unambiguous assessments with zero-one quantification. However, over time, the evaluation becomes less obvious and the change gains supporters. This is the first step towards consolidating it and creating a new norm. The article presents several examples of such a process regarding women in the Spisz region.