Thursday 7 August 2014

how others see us...

There are plenty of national stereotypes around:
Jay Doubleyou: what is typically english... german... nigerian... brazilian?

Here's a list of things which are 'British':
Jay Doubleyou: the british: a summary

How do the Germans see the British - or, possibly, how do the British see themselves?
Jay Doubleyou: "drunk stupid brits"

How do the Americans see the British?
Americans on Britain | What Americans really think about the British
10 things Americans find inexplicable about the British - Us Vs Th3m



First Impressions Of England - YouTube

And other people around the world?
Jay Doubleyou: what is typically english... german... nigerian... brazilian?

Here's quite a nice overview:




And 'image' can change over time:

Thus an image can shift along with changing political circumstances. As Spain became a smaller power, its image become more positive and exoticist: from Alva and the Inquisition to “Carmen” and serenades, flamenco, bullfights and castanets; conversely, when Germany developed in the nineteenth century into an industrial, imperialist power, its image changed from romantic poets and musicians (Schubert, Eichendorff) to Prussian officers and mad scientists. Of course, flamenco and “romantic” trappings existed in Spain during the 17th century, and Alva found a successor recently in the person of Franco — the image changes, not because the alleged Spanish national character changes, but because the attitude towards Spain changes, and people accordingly note, emphasize and describe different aspects (selected and presented as “typically” or “characteristically” Spanish).

National Identity and National Stereotype

Here are some humourous views:
national stereotypes on Pinterest

Heaven is where the cooks are French, the police are British, the mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian and everything is organized by the Swiss.
Hell is where the cooks are British, the police are German, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, and everything is organized by the Italians.
10 National Stereotypes Debunked: You Are Not Your Country | yoshke.com

We can challenge a few stereotypes...
What is it to be 'Australian', for example?
Jay Doubleyou: what is a 'native speaker' of english? the issue of race...
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