National Stereotypes,
We know most foreign cultures, and much of our own culture, by reputation only. Actually, we have an "image" of the English, Scottish and Irish, Belgian, French or Spanish national character. Even though we personally may know a handful of people from those countries, we cannot evaluate how "typical" these persons are as representatives of their nation. But many people have no problems in recognizing certain temperamental attributes as being "typical" for certain nations: the Scottish reputation for stinginess, the Belgian reputation for stupidity, the Spanish reputation for pride are well known for us from jokes and stories which rely on a knowledge of those attributes. As a result we consider all the Scottish to be tight-fisted, the Belgian to be foolish etc. I judge most of the national stereotypes to be concocted. Once perceived
Thus an image can shift along with changing political circumstances. reality is not reality itself, but is a mixture of fact and fiction, if not total fiction. Stereotypes can be positive or negative, depending on the political circumstances. We should also take the attitude of the "author" into account. The most important conclusion that can be drawn from the above is this: that nobody is in a position to describe a cultural identity. A representation of Britain by a Frenchman or by a Dutchman or by a German may differ because of the nationality of the respective authors. Unfortunately, stereotypic beliefs form the basis for feelings of disdain and disparagement. But countries, which do not pose any threat, are represented in "cute" terms. There are some differences between nations and we could make some generalization, but I think we should be more accurate and take into account many facts. And vice versa, when Germany developed in the nineteenth century into an industrial, imperialist power, its image changed from romantic poets and musicians (Schubert) to Prussian officers and mad scientists. When tied to prejudiced attitudes, stereotypes help create a number of behaviours ranging from avoidance to violence. This idea goes from one to another through generations, though in reality it is just illusion and such representation shows nothing but somebody's desires to see the nation from his/her own point of view. Countries, which present a threat in political and economic rivalry, are usually described in negative terms. You see, the image changes not because the alleged Spanish national character changes, but because the attitude towards Spain changes.
Common topics in this essay:
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Inquisition Carmen,
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french spanish,
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