MODERN STEREOTYPE OF THE GERMAN NEIGHBOR AND ITS DETERMINANTS
Abstract
In connection with a long history of Polish-German relations in both countries there functions the stereotype of the neighbor which is associated with the national characteristics. The main objective of the study is to define the modern stereotype of the Germans among the Poles. Such studies have been repeatedly applied, but their priority aspect is to observe the relationship between the attitude of the respondents towards the European Union and the stereotype of the Germans. The relationship between these variables has not been described yet on the basis of psychological research. In this study population comprised a group of one hundred fifty residents of Szczecin divided into three age groups. For the purposes of the research two separate questionnaires were created. The first one measures the attitude of the respondents towards the European Union. The second one explores the relationship between individual determinants and the stereotype of the Germans.
The results of the study are quite surprising and include innovative features. The results show that today there exists a positive stereotype of the Germans. This is a consequence of Polish presence in the European Union for ten years, which is reflected in the study. The stereotype of the Germans is strongly related to the attitude of the respondents towards the European Union, which is the first such a conclusion based on Polish research. As far as the analysis and interpretation of the results are concerned, the main determinants of the image of the Germans are: age, frequency of visits to Germany, the number of social contacts with the Germans, a negative attitude of the family of the person tested towards western neighbors, as well as historical experience.
Keywords: national stereotypes, prejudices, views about the European Union, Polish-German relations, mutual perception of Germans and Poles
Accepted: 27.05.2014
Reviewed: 11.06.2014
Published: 24.07.2014
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2014 Marta Szymańska Шиманська Марта
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons Copyright Notice
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
