Stereotypes about Poland

Natalia BielTomasz SzydłoKatarzyna Wąż

Introduction

The aim of this presentation is to make the audience acquainted with the very term and, using the example of our own culture, show them how differently it is seen by its natives and immigrants.

What are stereotypes?

Stereotypes are grossly oversimplified and overgeneralized abstractions about groups of people and are usually highly inaccurate although they may contain a grain of truth.(Pennington 1986: 90)

A stereotype refers to those folk beliefs about the attributes characterising a social category on which there is substantial agreement.(Mackie 1973: 435; cited by Schneider 2004: 16)

Stereotypes are qualities perceived to be associated with particular groups or categories of people.(Schneider 2004: 24)

Stereotypes can be conceived of as processes which have the function of simplifying judgement and which occur in situations characterised by littleinformation, high complexity and pressure of time. [...] They are thus tools for the management of one’s environment with more or less distortingeffects.(Schäfer 1994: 461; translated by Franklin)

Common stereotypes about Poland

Historical background

- First opinions about Poles: late Middle Ages

- After the defeat of the Teutonic Order in the battle of Grunwald

- Poles viewed as valiant

- A very numerous social stratum of aristocratic knights emerges, the so-called nobility

- They were characterised mainly by great patriotism, fighting for the motherland

- associations: freedom, equality, democracy of nobility, honour, courage, manhood, loyalty, hospitality

- But also: quarrelsomeness, litigiousness, religious intolerance, dissipated lifestyle, rowdiness

- The proclamation of the Martial Law in December 1981: large emigration of Poles in the 1980’s

- Then, after the decay of Communism: borders lifted, more emigrants from Poland

- The beginning of jokes about the Poles being notorious for stealing cars

The latest great wave of emigration occurred after the Polish accession to the European Union in 2004

And so the story begins…

Poles do not speakforeign languages.

Watch the video here:

http://youtu.be/_JIoyj6JrKc

Polish paradox: A Pole complains that most Poles complain.

Poles are intolerant and full of anti-Semitism

You slob,You Romanian,

You…You Jew!!

The Poles abuse alcohol.

Drunk as a Pole (French: Ivre comme un Polonais) – a typical French saying

Organised crime and car theftare part of everyday life in Poland.

A German on vacation

A Russian on vacation

A Pole on vacation

What does Google suggest?

Let’s make fun of Poles!

Polish roads

A man walked into a bar and asked the bartender, "Hey, have you heard the latest Polack joke?" The bartender replied coldly, "No. And I'm Polish." That's O.K.," said the man, "I'll talk slow."

How do you sink a Polish battleship?Put it in water.

- How many Polacks does it take to kidnap a child?- Twelve. One to kidnap the child and the remaining eleven to write a ransom letter.

- Why wasn't Christ born in Poland?- Because they couldn't find three wisemen and a virgin.

The first prize in a certain contest was a week in Poland. The second prize was two weeks in Poland.

How do we perceive Polishness???

Readability of Polish signs…

When I realised I was the symbol of Poland, I broke down.

- Who are you?- I’m your little Polish friend, socks and sandals

I always keep at hand!

Jesus turned water into wine.Mr Józek turned 30 decagrams of meat

into one kilo of ham!

UEFA has finally decided what to do with our National Stadium: it’s ready for rice cultivation

1. Try to see your own country with the eyes of a foreigner. What stereotypes are they likely to create?

2. What are the ways to change a negative image of one’s country? What should be done to eliminate stereotypes? What can you do?

Discussion