Social experiment

[kace1991]

I've always been fascinated with estereotypes. It's really interesting how the very same kind of people can be considered at the same time egocentric, lazy, hard working, smart, fools, etc. depending on where you ask.

As this goes related to common knowledge and it's not something you can normally look on books, I'm making an investigation about it myself.

The experiment consist on making people answer some questions about other countries. Then I'll have people from said countries to "review" the answers and tell which parts they consider to be true, and which are just myths.

There is not a conclussion I'm willing to reach, I just think I can find some interesting facts about the matter, just for fun.

So far I have voluntaries from Iceland, South Africa, Mexico, and some other countries, but its getting hard to find new people, so... Does any of you want to collaborate?

I need two different kinds of help, as I said: Answers for the survey, and people who can give me an "insider view" of their country. Come on, it's for science!

[Microscopic cog]

Sure, I'm from the Netherlands.

[kace1991]

Good!, would you like to collaborate by answering, the survey, as an insider, or both?

Anyway, I'll put here the questions for everybody. If any of you is curious about some other question, I can add them to the survey too!

(The questions have to be answered for any (or all) of the countries there are voluntaries in. So far, that includes Spain, Mexico, Iceland, South Africa, and the US.)


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- Which esterotypes do you think are usually linked to people from this country?

- If you picture an average person from this country, how do you think his/her life will be? (childhood, studies, type of work, relationships... whatever comes to your mind).

- How would you describe an average person's physical appearance? (this includes also the clothing, hairstyle and so on)

- Which aspects do you think you would like and dislike about living in this country? (compared to your actual country)

[rajonmestra]

Sure, I'm from the Netherlands.

I believe stereo types are normally smart just like my three year old son, who in his age is trying to learn some sort of guitar chords even without knowing it. However, there were some noted cases of negative stereotyping such as sexual abuse pain and exploitation.

[Menacing Spike]

rajon, are you some surrealist bot?

French, toward US

- Which esterotypes do you think are usually linked to people from this country?
Fat, agressive, ignorant, domineering, attached to displays of wealth, bigots, rude tourists - or nerdy, hunched, very computer-savvy - or stoner hippie - or black gangster.

- If you picture an average person from this country, how do you think his/her life will be? (childhood, studies, type of work, relationships... whatever comes to your mind).
Little Jo is born in a middle class family. His parents put a lot of pressure on him to be better than others. He is bullied as he desperately tries to fit in, and worries a lot about popularity and prom.
He majors in liberal arts, and gets a job flipping burgers. He gets fatter and more depressed as time goes on, despite ascending to Flipping Burger Manager. He eventually borks his wife into having two kids, and tries to live vicariously through them.

- How would you describe an average person's physical appearance? (this includes also the clothing, hairstyle and so on)
Jeans, T-shirt, short black hair, stocky.

- Which aspects do you think you would like and dislike about living in this country? (compared to your actual country)
There seems to be a lot of bullshit social customs (tipping), lot of religious craziness (see abortion and gay marriage "debates"), the whole society seems to be engineered on domination

[SquareRootofBlue]

Count me in, I'm from England. Surprised there haven't been more volunteers.

[Zarq]

Belgian here. I'll try to fill in the questions about France and The Netherlands when I get home.

[GoodRudeFun]

Being from america, I think of every other country as hardworking by comparison. I also am inclined to think of every other European country as more intelligent as well.

That may or may not help.

[kace1991]

Hi again! I'm sorry I haven't replied until now, I've been ill

To Zarq, SquareRootofBlue and Menacing Spike (I don't quote your posts to make this more readable): Thanks to all of you for your help! Can I count with you to give the "insider view" from your country, then?

Being from america, I think of every other country as hardworking by comparison. I also am inclined to think of every other European country as more intelligent as well.

That may or may not help.

Yeah, everything you tell me helps, of course!

Its interesting how almost every american who has answered me tends to be very critical to his own country and remark positive aspects of foreign countries... At least until now, I've only received one answer explaining negative stereotypes, and it was specified that it wasn't the author's point of view, but the one he thought most american have. So if you think about it, what he was actually doing was being critical with his own country for having negative stereotypes, which confirms the tendency I guess

The problem is, I don't know whether americans really have those negative stereotypes of theirselves and positive stereotypes of foreing countries, or is just that they "hide" their negative stereotypes of foreign countries ( perhaps fearing that they'll be considered racist, intolerant pr if they're honest?).

Of course, I'm not talking about you specifically, GoodRudeFun. I guess I'm just divagating about the experiment results...

[PerchloricAcid]

I'm in. I'm from Serbia.
[kinda busy atm, but I'll write to you asap ]

[lucrezaborgia]

I wouldn't even know how to respond to most of the questions, but I could try. I'm American, tho I lived all my life in Miami, Florida...which might as well be a foreign country as far as America is concerned. Being a non-Western history major who also watches a ton of foreign documentaries would probably skew results...

[Menacing Spike]

Thanks to all of you for your help! Can I count with you to give the "insider view" from your country, then?

Am lazy. Only up for short answers.

[Joren]

Talking about the Netherlands, there is a foreigner who keeps a block to tell about weird stuff dutch people like.
http://stuffdutchpeoplelike.com/complete-list/ That is his perspective, and down below are the comments that can give slightly more detailed information.

I'm not really sure if that helps at all for your research, but it is cool non the less.

[Steax]

I'm Indonesian, probably good for both.