Abstract: | The text is devoted to the events that took place in the Polish cities between 2 and 8 April 2005 —
in the period of the national mourning after the death of John Paul II. It seems that it was during this
period that a national‑religious
community and collective identity connected with it manifested their
existence at the streets. The actions jointly undertaken by social actors, such as white marches, joint
prayers, singing and numerous references to national and religious symbols, had visible features of the
transitional period that is why the author of the article, analyzing the very socio‑cultural
behaviours,
refers to the theory of Arnold van Gennep and Turner’s conception connected to it. The phenomenon
of this event cannot be considered without taking into account the means of mass media, their role in
the contemporary world and power of their influences. Thus, the references were made to the theory
of Jean Boudrillard and the qualitative analysis of the contents of press texts in the period under
investigation was conducted. |