LOL, who said anything about stereotypes?
I want to know how do Polish people believe they are perceived by other europeans.
If its too complex for ye to handle, here are some examples to get the ball rolling:
A) A malasian nurse I was listening to on the radio this morning said he expected Ireland to be a place of advanced technology and systematic practises. When he arrived he saw anything but this.
He is a transvestite and organizes street carnivals, he expected extreme hostility in Ireland against cross-dressers, but said he actually experienced more hostility back home.
B) As an Irish person, I imagine non-Irish people perceive us to be hard workers, rich, well educated and a proud people with international achievements in literature, music and poetry - the contradiction being that we don't speak our native tongue.
We are assumed to be a peaceful people, a neutral country.
We used to have a reputation for friendlyness and hospitality, now we have a reputation for hostility, racisim and greed.
A stereotype would be - All Irish people are alcoholics. I drink twice per year on average so obviously thats a fallacy.
C) My sisters partner who is German imagined that Ireland was a land of fields with highly religious people. When he came to Ireland first, he expected to see old men sitting outside thatched cottages smoking a pipe and drinking whiskey and for the pace of life in general to be very slow.
All of his expectations were shattered
D) My girlfriend believed that Polish people were perceived to be poorly educated, old fashioned and backward. (Her assumptions were correct though we all know Poland has among the best education system in Europe). She assumed people didn't know how patriotic the Polish are (again correct - Polish are insanely patriotic bordering on psychosis in my experience)
Even though I was born in Poland and my opinions are a bit scewed :)
Poland has been around for ages, rumor has it that God was born in Poland :D
HAHAHA.
Indeed Poland has been around for a long time. There was an Irish army sent to fight for a Catholic Polish King a few hundred years ago.
My point is that Poland has been absent from the consciousness of the world for over 50 years because of the Iron Curtain, its has only re-emerged in the consciousness of people in recent years, like a long forgotten part of Europe has been refound.
Also, an answer to the sub-question please.
Here is an example if you don't understand.
Irish people have an awareness/pay attention to the UK, the USA, Australia and lesser attention to other countries which speak English.
In general they have no notion of what happens in Asia e.g Mongolia, Kazhakstan, most of Africa, South America except for a major event of course.
I know Polish people pay attention to Germany and Russia, but I'm wondering since Polish is only spoken in Poland, perhaps the horizons are broader due to former communisim effects, or perhaps they are more narrow because people simply don't care.
