The Greek Stereotypes After the Financial Crisis
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 4
2. Stereotypes 9
2.1 The Most Important Aspects of the Stereotypes 10
2.2 Main Characteristics 10 2.3 Prejudice 13 2.4 The Kernel of Truth 15 2.5 Nationalism and Ethnocentrism 16
2.6 Education 17 2.7 Scapegoats 19 2.8 The most significant parts of stereotypes 21
3. Greek God of Debt 23
3.1 Introduction to the Caricature 23
3.2 "Then" and "Now": a Story Through Two Cartoons 25
3.3 A Product of Prejudice Which has its Roots in the Past 27
3.4 The Victim that the Anger Needed 32
4. I am Hellene 33
4.1 The Story Behind the Word "Hellene" 33 4.2 An Attempt to Reduce the Stereotypes 35
4.3 Negating the Greek Stereotypes 39
4.4 Defend Yourself in the Right Way 47
5. Alex: A Story About Greece’s International Image Crisis 48
5.1 The Purpose of Alex’s Video 48
5.3 Greece: The Perfect Scapegoat? 54
5.4 Emotions: A Way to Decline 57
6. Conclusion 59
1. Introduction
Since 2009, Greece has been in the international public eye because of its difficult economic situation, itself the product of the general economic crisis. The world's opinions and perceptions of Greece and Greeks citizens started to change while the country was in economic difficulties. The main purpose of this thesis is to explore how the economic crisis has made the entire world see Greece differently, to investigate the ways in which the stereotypes about Greeks were born, and if those stereotypes have been based on reasonable facts following the ‘big explosion' of the economic crisis. In addition, defenses employed against stereotypes will be researched and analyzed. While reading, researching and thinking about my thesis, the questions that have provoked me are: Can Greece escape its ancient legacy, or it is trapped in it? Does the remembrance of ancient Greece's culture, which has inspired a big part of human civilization, play a central role in the stereotypes that were attached to the Greeks after the economic crisis? Additionally, why is Greece the only country that has received so much blame for the financial crisis? Did Greeks try to defend
themselves against the stereotypes, and if so, how? And finally, what is the best way to prove the stereotypes wrong, and to support yourself in the face of them?
I am a Greek who was born and raised in Athens. I have lived, studied and worked in two different European countries, first the United Kingdom and later the Netherlands. While living abroad, mainly after 2011, I have been encountered innumerable stereotypes about my native country. Among the most frequently heard phrases I have met with have been: "You owe us money", "we pay for you", and, "you are lazy". If I look at these phrases from my own personal perspective, they make me
wonder how I owe money to people or how they pay for me, when I live abroad, paying for my own education in foreign European universities. How am I lazy while I am studying and working? Isn't it an overgeneralization to stereotype someone just because they belong to a specific ethnicity? I moved to London before the economic crisis began, which was about one year before the stereotypes started to be created. This enables me to know the differences between being stereotyped and not being.
Mainly because of my native identity, I fly to Greece very often, and I
associate with a lot of Greeks who live there, as well as with Greeks who live abroad. Perhaps it is true that some Greeks are in fact lazy, that they do not like to pay tax, and that a lot of them have economic difficulties. But this has not triggered the worldwide economic crisis. I do have friends that are in their late twenties and do not work, because they feel secure by the fact that their parents can pay for them. I also have friends that are in their late twenties who are doing a Ph.D. or working two jobs so they can afford to pay their bills. I have friends who do not have money to buy lunch, but I also have friends that can afford to travel for one month around Europe without working. Even if stereotypes are true for, let us say, 70% percent of the people of the group they represent, as far as the stereotypes about the Greek crisis are concerned, I believe that the ideas I describe above are actually true for 60-70% of the Greek population. Nevertheless, they still do not reflect every single person who belongs to this group. This is the reason why they are stereotypes; they are too
general, failing to represent everyone, so they cannot be accurate. Therefore, I support the idea that stereotypes need to be based on a kernel of truth, as we will see in the following chapter.
Stereotyping is something that can be not only hurtful, annoying and psychologically penetrating, but that can also affect your mood in an uncontrollable
and negative way. Stereotypes can give you the feeling of guilt without being guilty. It is remarkable that since the end of the 20th century, and particularly after the beginning of the 21st, many different campaigns have taken place against stereotypes. International communities try to work in a globalized environment in which people can coexist peacefully without distinctions due their race, ethnicity or background. In the second decade of the 21st century, following a constant fight against stereotypes, it seems that a need for stereotypes has arisen again. But where is this need is coming from?
Another reason this research is particularly interesting for me is because growing up in Greece and being raised by a Greek family, I found xenophobia and stereotypes towards specific other ethnicities. It is a fact that this happened not only in my family, but more generally that has been happening across Greece. There is a personal story that happened to me while I was in the high school, which has
stigmatized me. One day, I was in the school, and the school director downgraded and humiliated a fellow student in front of everyone because he was a foreigner. When a person in such a distinguished position in the school acts like this, students,
themselves too young to understand and evaluate things, can be inspired to act in similar ways. Such an act can, I believe it plays a significant negative role in the future development of their characters.
I wish to argue that education plays a very important role in reducing and avoiding stereotypes. A school director in a modern society has a very highly respected educational profile (or at least this is what most people think!), and his behavior should set a good example. This is especially the case because he has to be a good role model for youngsters and adolescents. With the term education, I do not particularly mean higher education (my parents are both doctors but they still raised
me with hostile stereotypes towards different nationalities!), but more the mental ability to open your mind towards different views. What I am considering here is how international society, which has a higher educational level than ever before, has become more prone to creating stereotypes than to reducing them? In the book The Greek Crisis in the Media: Stereotyping in the International Press (2016), George Tzogopoulos asks "Why Greece?" He explainins that Spain, Ireland, and Portugal have been in much the same economic situation. He ascribes the birth of the Greek crisis's stereotypes to media exposition (131-132). What is so important in the 21st century about money that can change people's perspectives so easily, and stereotype entire nations?
For my thesis' research, I will analyze three objects. The first object is a caricature which was posted online on May 11th 2012, in a blog which is called "Dabs
& Jabs". The caricature's title is: "Greek God of Debt!" The post was made by Shreyas Navare, an Indian professional cartoonist, whose work mainly draws on political themes. The caricature shows two juxtaposed images, comparing the ancient Greece of the past with the Greece of today.
My second object is a video which was posted online during roughly the same period, on April 22 of 2012. The video is in English, and has the title "I am Hellene". It was scripted and performed by the Greek actress Katerina Moutsatsou, who is currently living abroad, in Los Angeles. Moutsatsou is involved in cultural identity and politics, and the video she created is a defense against the stereotypes that the economic crisis has created about Greeks. Moutsatsou points out the importance of Greek history, and talks about how much the world owes to Greeks.
The third object of my thesis is a video created as part of the "Omikron project". The "Omikron project", as we read on its website, is "a group of girls and
guys trying to show the untold side of Greece's current crisis". The project works against stereotypes of the Greek crisis, and it includes videos, supportive social media pages, advertisements and grassroots maps in Greece. The video I am using came out on the 9th of November 2012, and its title is "Alex: A story about Greece's
international image crisis". The protagonist of the video is Alex, who operates as a metaphor for the Greek people. The video's main purpose is to unveil all the stereotypes that have been created about Greeks during the economic crisis, and to give a different interpretation of them. In addition to that, the video tries to explain why people from outside feel the need to stereotype Greece.
I believe that there is both a connection but also a contrast between the caricature and Moutsatsou’s video. Both objects compare ancient Greece with the Greece of today. The creators of both objects have a political consciousness, as well as an artistic side. The first contrast between these objects is that the video is against the stereotypes, while the caricature assists in their creation. The second contrast is that the video is created by a Greek who is living abroad, and therefore has had to face stereotypes, while the caricature has been created by an Indian cartoonist, who has never been affected by them.
The theoretical work in which I will base my thesis is a combination of elements which can both be found in the stereotypes and in my objects of analysis. I will start the following chapter with general characteristics of stereotypes. I believe a general idea of what a stereotype is and how it works is needed for my analysis. Next, I will focus on the different aspects of stereotypes, such as, prejudice,
overgeneralization, and the kernel of truth. In addition, I will write about nationalism, ethnocentrism and education. Lastly, I will discuss the theory of scapegoating and the connection that it has with both the stereotypes and my objects.
2. STEREOTYPES
2.1 The Most Important Aspects of Stereotypes
Stereotypes seem to be built on specific ideas; but which of these ideas can be useful for my analysis? The concept of stereotypes is "as old as Western civilization" (Chew 4). The earliest description of stereotypes as a concept, William Chew says, is found in Herodotus' descriptions of different ethnic groups, such as the Egyptians (4).
Prejudice seems to be the most important aspect of stereotypes. Prejudice, I believe it cannot be born if it is not based on a kernel of truth, or on an
overgeneralization. People come into this world without opinions or prejudice about others. Between birth and adulthood, things occur which build people’s personality. Something which plays an important role in this process is education. The educational background that one has shapes an individual’s character. It gives them some of their first experiences of receiving and exchanging ideas with others. Hence education is important for people’s understanding, as it can prevent them from being "victims" of prejudice. However, as we shall see in my theory and later in my analysis, education is not always the most important element in broadening your horizons against stereotypes. In addition, it seems that the parental and ethnic environmental
background in which someone has been raised, play equally significant role in their perceptions of others.
Another feature of stereotypes that I am going to talk about in this chapter is the scapegoating. As we will see, scapegoats can only arise or exist under certain circumstances. Scapegoating, involves not only stereotyping people, but also
and scapegoats can only be found in specific cases. For my thesis, I regard that the combination of stereotypes and scapegoats is of significant importance.
Before I move forward to my analysis, I would like to mention the literal meaning of the word "stereotype". It was found in a book that played a crucial role in my research. The book is called Declining the Stereotype (1998), and was written by Mireille Rossello. Although the book is focused on racial stereotypes in France, its introduction offers a general theory of stereotypes. According to Rosselo, the word "stereotype" has its roots in a tool that is used for professional printing. Stereotyping is a typographic technique which transforms the pages that are composed of mobile type into a shale mould of iron (21). In my view, this is something that seems to make sense, if we consider the transformation of the word into its final meaning. It seems that similar to the technique, in our everyday life, people use "stereotyping" to transfer the uniqueness which every human being has (mobile type) into a very specific limited but also general categorization (shale mould of iron).
2.2 Main Characteristics
The first person who coined the word stereotype with the meaning as we know it today was Walter Lippmann, in his book Public Opinion, published in 1922. Lippmann describes stereotypes as products of illogical reasoning, which are factually incorrect (Brigham 15). John Brigham agrees with this, but he also offers an
alternative formulation, arguing that the "person's basis of acquisition" is what "falls below acceptable standards". Brigham expands on this by saying that a person "falls" a victim to hearsay and believes in "sources that should not be employed" (18). Additionally, Brigham writes that researchers following Lippmann found his definition of stereotypes adequately broad, and believed that only one of the
characteristics that Lippmann describes is enough to work as a "hallmark of an ethnic stereotype" (15).
Lippmann writes about how the way in which we receive things is dependent on how we are placed, and on "the habits of our eyes" (54). He emphasizes that we, as humans, first define others and then we see them, while it should be the vice versa (55). Similarly, Lippmann explains, the main problem with stereotypes is that "we are told about the world before we see it. We imagine most things before we experience them" (59). In my opinion, Lippmann also gives a very reasonable description of the functioning of the stereotypes:
If we cannot fully understand the acts of other people, until we know what they think they know, then in order to do justice we have to appraise not only the information which has been at their disposal but the minds through which they have filtered it. For the accepted types, the current patterns, the standard
versions, intercept information on its way to consciousness. (57) These lines seem logically correct, and I agree with them. If we try seriously and deeply to get inside the thoughts of an individual who views the world using stereotypes (from here onwards referred to as 'the stereotyper'), we will realize that understanding the sterotypers' mind is not something simple and easy. We need to take into account their motivations, cultural and personal background, educational level and even public status in society.
Stereotypes seem to be a part of the social reality (Vinacke 241) which started to be very "successful" in the second half of the 19th century (Rossello 22).
Stereotypes are not always harmful1 (Rossello 26), but they always have a political,
1 Gordon Allport believes that people tend to receive signs that will confirm the stereotypes that they already hold (252).
commercial, or various other ideological use.2 (Rossello 22). Additionally, they arise
through moments of weakness (Chew 16), and only change when "real changes in political, economic, social conditions" take place (Fishman 29)3.
Edgar Vinacke believes that familiarity is also important in the formation of stereotypes, arguing that the more information one group knows about another, the fewer chances there are for it to be stereotyped (231). In my own experience, Vinackes' opinion is not supported. From my own time living abroad, even the countries which are familiar with their immigrants or neighboring nations, are still capable of holding strong stereotypes against them.
Something important for my thesis, as we will see in the analysis of the objects that follows, is Rossello’s belief that "declining the stereotypes" is "a difficult art" in which "invitations become formidable"4 (12). Moreover, Rossello mentions
two main reasons behind why people feel the need to stereotype. The first one is that they want to prove "loyalty to the speaker", and the second is that they see
stereotyping "as an opportunity to be accepted as part of a group"5 (11). Additionally,
2 In addition to this, Rossello says that "social practices, governmental policies and relationships between communities" are all victims of stereotypes (14-15). Similarly, psychologists admit that stereotypes "are to an extent necessary as a simplified classification scheme of an extremely complex reality" (Chew 12). However,
Constantina Safilios-Rothschild argues that social classes play a role in stereotyping, and that negative stereotypes are usually attached to people who come from the lower classes (375).
3 What Chew and Fishman support here, I regard as having happened in Greece’s case.
4 If I evaluate this line from my personal experience, it rings true. It took me many years of university education, of being stereotyped, living abroad, as well as plenty of reading of both, books and articles about stereotypes, in order to realize how hard the art of refusing them is. By mentioning this, I want to demonstrate how difficult refusal can be, and the power that stereotype can still hold complicated. It seems that
changing and standing against the beliefs that you grew up with is the hardest part. 5 In my view, Rosselo's reasons are valid. From my personal experience, prior to beginning this research, I often caught myself stereotyping whilst in groups of people. However, it is important to mention here that this only happened when I was visiting my home country, or when I was included in groups of people that were from my native country. It is true that stereotyping others made me feel conveniently attached
part of the difficulty in reduction is that "stereotypes are constructed as effecting a pleasurable form of togetherness" (11).
2.3 Prejudice
In my view, the most important foundation of all stereotypes is prejudice. In the book The nature of prejudice (1954), Allport writes about the combination of stereotypes with prejudice, concluding that ethnic prejudice is "mostly negative" (7). He gives the following definition for prejudice: "an aversive or hostile attitude toward a person who belongs to a group, simply because he belongs to that group, and is therefore presumed to have objectionable qualities ascribed to the group" (8). Allport explains that hostility and generalization are common as natural "capacities of a human mind" (17). He claims that the most common trick of the human mind is overcategorization; hence not every generalization is a prejudice (9). With the word overcategorization, I regard Allport as meaning that the human mind tends to categorize everything; it has the need to label. Following this, Allport argues that ethnic prejudice is a faulty product of this process, an "inflexible generalization", which can be expressed either for whole groups or individuals that belong to these groups (10). Allport also supports the view that scholars who write about stereotypes cannot themselves be unprejudiced in their research, as it is virtually impossible to achieve "strict objectivity" (83).
Brigham has also shared his opinion on the idea of stereotypes as
overgeneralizations. He refers to them as "incorrect generalizations". An example of an "error" that he gives concerns "directionality", which, as he explains, is the belief that most people who are a part of a group share the same attitude. Brigham's addition to groups - an attachment that I probably needed sometimes, as I have been living abroad for years. This is what Rossello described as "a benevolent signal to join in" (11).
to understanding stereotyped generalizations is that sometimes it is nevertheless possible to use them to describe real situations (17).
While researching stereotypes, I found many references throughout different books and articles to a piece of research titled "Racial stereotypes of one hundred college students". This was the first empirical study into stereotypes (Brigham 16). It is based on "the pattern of social prejudice", and on both public and private attitudes which apply in the case of racial prejudice. "The cultural pattern of prejudice is a part of a public attitude" (Katz and Braly 280-281). Following this, many researchers based themselves on same pattern to orientate their work. (Brigham 15). The research took place in 1932, at the University of Princeton in the US, the under the lead of Katz and Braly6.
I decided to include this research in my thesis both because it seems a very important study, on which many others have been based, but also because when I read it I found myself in disagreement. Brigham seems to believe that Katz and Braly's research data has "little direct bearing" on the definition of stereotypes (15), an assessment with which I agree. I would add that forcing people to pick through a list of adjectives is an inaccurate procedure, unlikely to lead to objective results. If we have to pick from a list, or even add words to a list, to help us describe something, we will eventually do it because we have no alternative. However, does that mean that we are stereotyping?
6 As is obvious from its title, Katz and Braly used one hundred undergraduate students to participate in the study. They gave the students two lists. The first was of different ethnicities: Jews, English, Germans, Irish, Chinese, Turks, Italians,
Americans, ‘Negroes’, and Japanese; the second list included different adjectives. The students had to pick adjectives from the second list which, according to them,
represented any of the first list's ethnicities. Beyond this, the students had the option to add any adjectives that they thought represented any of those nationalities if they were not included on the list (Katz and Braly 280-290).
My own position here is that we already stereotype, even when not being forcing. For instance, we stereotype in our everyday life. Therefore, this research seems to work theoretically, but it does not practically. It cannot be very accurate, and can only be used as an example. I think that face-to-face, oral and spontaneous research could help us do a study on stereotypes. Only in this way, and without forcing the participants to pick, do I believe it is possible to carry out an accurate investigation.
2.4 The Kernel of Truth
After prejudice, what I regard as the most significant feature of stereotypes is the kernel of truth. Almost all the writers that I have used for my thesis’ research have referred to the kernel of truth, including Brigham, Allport, Fishman, Jennifer and Bender et all. Allport states that stereotypes do indeed have a kernel of truth, but there are some exceptions (185). Furthermore, Brigham writes that stereotypes have
"kernels" of truth "at least in a convergent validity sense, that is, agreement between several groups as to the traits that characterize a particular object group" (26). But he adds that some stereotypes lack validity, and that raises the question as to whether stereotypes have a kernel of truth after all. Fishman writes that certain stereotypes do not correspond to realistic characteristics of groups, and that therefor a kernel of truth is not always a necessity for them to exist. Bender et al support that stereotypes are seen as "oversimplified judgments" which contain a kernel of truth (336). My own guess is that there is always a kernel of truth behind each stereotype. Otherwise, how are they provoked? They can not be born from one’s head.
As we have seen above, it seems that stereotypes have to do with ethnic hallmarks. For Donald Campbell, stereotypes are one of the symptoms of
ethnocentrism (817). He agrees that stereotypes reflect not only the person who has been stereotyped, but that they also give a lot of information about the stereotyper's character (821).
In the essay "National Stereotypes in Tourist Guidebooks" (2013), Bender et al refer to and concur with Leerssen's belief that national stereotypes do not see cultural identity, but instead cultural differences between nations (336). Allport agrees with this, as he believes that the visible differences between people aid the
development of ethnocentrism is (136). With regards to this, I would like to add my opinion that cultural differences are equally important to exterior characteristics in such a development. Moreover, Allport also points out that nationalism has been on the upsurge across the world, and that it "has grown up a corresponding definiteness of images that one nation has of another" (115). Considering that Allport wrote his book, The Nature of Prejudice, in 1954, I believe that this has changed through the years, and that nowadays nationalism has spread even more.
National stereotypes are beliefs that define the supposed typical characteristics of members of a culture, such as mental, social, physical as well as personality traits. In a similar vein, this imputed unique characteristic can be conveyed by history, education, media and jokes (Terracciano et all 96). Chew argues that the origin of stereotypes comes from national consciousness, which provides the motivation for the distinction between "compatriots and foreigners". Chew also believes that national character is invoked by differences based on religion, language, common myths, manners and symbols (13). Allport seems to agree with this, as he says that "ethnic is a looser word" which shows the differences in language, culture, and tradition but that
"apply[s] badly to sex, occupation and interest groups" (88). Moreover, in the research which was made by Gardner and Taylor with the title "Ethnic Stereotypes: Their effects on person perception" we read that "subject's perceptions of an ethnic group member are influenced by their stereotypes, but that when provided with information they tend to utilize it" (273).
Something very interesting about ethnic stereotypes is the way that people see themselves through them. Vinacke writes that as well as holding stereotypes for others, group members also hold stereotypes about the group that they belong to (231). In my view, not all ethnic stereotypes affect the members of the stereotyped group in the same way. In addition, I find it interesting about that people which stereotypes purport to represent do not feel guilt as a result. When I call my Greek friends "lazy", the ones who are lazy do not get offended. It is those that the stereotype misrepresents that feel the guilt.
2.6 Education
As we discussed in the previous section on ethnocentrism, it seems that nationalism and ethnocentrism do have an overlap with education. Some cultures attempt to maintain a chosen ethnocentric creed as a virtual part of the culture,
making a focus of child training (Allport 275-276). Allport argues that for every rebel who modified the second-hand ethnocentrism taken from their parents in their
adulthood, there are "several conformists who merely modify slightly the parental teaching" (280). Hence, according to Allport, parental education of their children plays a significant role in the creation of the ethnocentric component stereotypes. Lippman writes that stereotypes are transmitted across generations from parents to children; a phenomenon that he describes as "biological fact" (61). In this
vein, Allport specified a law which, according to him, exists in all human societies without exceptions:
In every society on earth the child is regarded as a member of his parents' groups. He belongs to the same race, stock, family tradition, religion, caste and occupational status. To be sure, in our society, he may when he grows older escape certain of these memberships, but not all. The child is ordinarily expected to acquire his parents' loyalties and prejudices; and if the parents because of his group-membership is an object of prejudice the child too is automatically victimized. (30) Allport's unexceptional law is more than reasonable. Parents are, except on some rare occasions, the first human beings that a child has interactions with. Kids come into this world without an opinion or judgmental abilities. They learn about the world firstly through their parents’ eyes. To Allport’s words, I would like to add that a child's prejudiced parents are not the only things that can twist their mind. Teachers, as well as the surroundings, can, in my view, also play a central role in children’s development.
Education can also be incorporated with perception according to Lippmann. Lippmann has a specific idea about perception. He writes about the connection between education and perception, pointing out that only education can make us "acutely aware", changing the way we perceive and see things (59). He also emphasizes the rigidity that stereotypes have, and their resistance to education (Brigham 16). The younger generations seem to have higher chances of avoiding stereotypes, as they are receiving a more "intercultural" education (Allport 196). Regarding this, I wish to suggest that degree-certified education is definitely not the only key against stereotypes; if we take into consideration the personal story that I
included in my introduction above, it is clear stereotypes are also prevalent in universities. Education may make us "acutely aware" of stereotypes, but refusing them, I believe is a result of a combination of factors.
2.7 Scapegoats
In the book The Nature of Prejudice (1954), Allport dedicates an entire chapter to "why some minorities become physiological minorities" (235). In other words, Allport talks about scapegoats and their relationship to stereotypes. It seems that scapegoats can be found in some stereotypes. Guilt, as I mentioned in my introduction, can be transferred to a specific person, group or race by means of scapegoating. This can give a feeling of relief to the stereotypers' group, as they blame others for mistakes which they probably should have blamed on their selves. The term "scapegoat", according to Allport, first originated in a ritual of the Hebrews, in the third book of the Jewish Bible. Allport describes the story:
The high priest, robed in linen garments, laid both his hands on the goat's head, and confessed over it the iniquities of the children of Israel. The sin of the people thus symbolically transferred to the beast, it was taken out into the wilderness and let go. The people felt purged, and for the time being guiltless. (Allport 236)
As we see here, people seem to have the need to blame others for their "sins" and mistakes. Thus, they can get rid off the guilt that they feel. Moreover, it seems that different kinds of scapegoats "take away different kinds of guilt" (Allport 238).
Scapegoats usually arose in times of "rapid social change, wherein both economic and political future seemed unpredictable" (Allport 244). Allport supports the same thing that I have written above - the reason for the rise of a scapegoat is the
need that people feel to pass the responsibility for failure on to someone else. The reflection of anger and fear that someone feels can be seen in the other person, thus the blame for the misfortune goes to them (Allport 237).
As it is easier to stereotype someone as part of a group, racial, religious and ethnic groups are the nearest to "all-duty" scapegoats (Allport 238). Groups of scapegoats are victims of hostility, and usually they are "occasional". "Occasional" scapegoats can be seen in the media such as daily newspapers7 (Allport 239). The
main reason for the rise of the scapegoats is anger. "Anger wants a personal victim, and wants it now," writes Allport (247).
Nowadays, the media play a central role in our lives, and in shaping the viewpoints that we have about most things. Therefore, the media have their own role in our perception about ethnic stereotypes. Joke Hermes argues that stereotypes are used by the media as "shorthand". When stereotypes arise through media, it is their own responsibility, as media are collective, as to what to expose (62). Similarly, Vinacke supports the idea that stereotypes are learned through other people's beliefs, through personal contact, but also through what the "television set expresses" (239). Tzogopoulos wrote about the representation of the Greek crisis in the media, calling it an "ongoing process" (68). He admits that Greece only represents
approximately 2.5 per cent of the economy of the Eurozone. Therefore, the country has been used as a "test case" for "how the EU could better deal with the debt crisis"8
(2). As Tzogopoulos dedicates his book to the stereotypes of the Greek crisis in the international press, he writes that the journalists created a negative drama by making up stories about in order to attract an audience. He tries to prove that Greece was a 7 Bender et all also agree that the media plays a very central role in the rise of scapegoats, and therefore of stereotypes, (335).
8 Tzogopoulos uses the word "watchdogs" to describe the media in Western
democracies, saying that journalists are the first who can "closely monitor and cover developments" (5-7).
victim of scapegoating; Ireland and Portugal had also asked for the "activation of the bailout mechanism" while Spain and Italy had strong economic problems
(Tzogopoulos 131-132). However, for these countries stereotypes were not produced, while "original stories on the impact of austerity measures have been comparatively limited" (Tzogopoulos 133).
2.8 The most significant parts of stereotypes
In this chapter, I discuss the choice of the most important elements of the stereotypes which I am going to use for my thesis. All the theories above have their own role in my analysis. In my subchapter entitled "Main Characteristics", I aimed to demonstrate the ways in which my objects inevitably remain tied to stereotypical thought. In this section, we also read about the difficulty of the "art of declining" stereotypes (Rossello 12), something that will work as a key for my second and third object. Additionally, the sections "Prejudice" and "The kernel of truth" will show us what fundamental elements my objects were based on. The section "Nationalism and Ethnocentrism" also has a significant role, as my first two objects are related to it in a different but interesting way. In my evaluation, the least important element for my analysis, from the theory above, is education. The reason for this is that it can only be seen as a background support aspect with regards to my first two objects.
Additionally, I regard scapegoating as the most significant theory for my case as it seems that my objects are based in different ways, on this idea.
3. Greek God of Debt
fig.1 Navare, Shreyas "Greek God of Dept!" Dabs & Jabs Photograph. 12 January 2017.
3.1 Introducing to the Caricature
As I have mentioned in my introduction, this caricature's title is: "Greek God of Debt!" (fig.1). It was created by Shreyas Navare, an Indian professional cartoonist, and posted in the online blog "Dabs & Jabs" on May 11th, 2012. The caricature looks
like it was posted online as a form of a joke. I am sure that some people find this caricature "funny", but that is not the case for me. This object not only makes me angry, but it also gives me the feeling of guilt and shame about my country's situation.
According to Navare's Linkedin profile9, he lives and works in India. This
immediately makes us understand that the object is created by an outsider, someone who is not directly, if at all, affected by the Greek economic crisis.
9 Nevare’s Linkedin profile page can be found in this link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shreyasnavare/
Navare’s creation criticizes the current situation of Greece. He seems to use the ancient "utopian face" of Greece in his "Then" caricature. Navare glorifies and even cherishes Greece's past, and yet humiliates Greece's present. I believe that if you ask anyone around the world to describe or draw an ancient Greek figure it will look like the man on the left of Navare's caricature. A man who wears a white chiton, sandals and an olive wreath on his head is the typical image of an ancient Greek man. Hence, Navare took it a little bit further, and used this stereotypical ancient Greek figure to create and support the new up-to-date stereotypical image of Greek people. Thus, he presents the current Greek as an old fat man who only cares about eating food without any other worries.
Writing about my first object, I can confirm that Allport (83) was right when he wrote that it is hard for someone who does research on stereotypes to decline their own prejudices. This is exactly the problem I had to face when analyzing this object. I am trying to write in an objective way, so that my research can be fruitful and
productive for my thesis, while at the same time I have to fight with my own feelings. Hence, when it comes to a topic as sensitive as writing about stereotypes of your own country, it is harder than I thought to keep the analysis objective.
3.2 "Then" and "Now": A Story Through Two Cartoons
Looking into my first object, two images can be seen in the caricature. The images have some massive contrasts: On the left, there is a gray image which says on it "Then". On the right, there is a colorful image with lively colors that says "Now!". The title that each caricature has, "Then", "Now!", puts the viewer directly into a
comparative position. Whereas the exclamation point next to the word "now" is a way to show surprise towards the situation that Greece is currently in. The word "Then" refers to the past, while now refers to the present, so it seems that by the first look someone is "invited" by the caricature to start to compare the past with the present. Even the different colors of the two images works as a comparison between the "Then" and "Now!". Usually, gray color is used to show that something is old, when lively colors are more often used to represent the present.
On the left caricature, we see a middle-aged man wearing a traditional ancient Greek chiton, with his right leg touching the ground while he is kneeling. His figure and face is a reminder of ancient Greek sculptures. The man looks very tired and even wise, while he is holding a miniature of the earth with his muscular hands. He looks like he is sacrificing himself for the needs that the earth has. Opposed to that, on the right caricature, there is a fat old man who sits on the earth, wearing an old chiton full of different color patches. The fat old man does not seem to particularly care about the earth and its needs.
In the right caricature, the earth has eyes and a face on it, both of which are wide open. This makes the earth looks desperate, like it has an immediate need for help and saving. The earth is depicted as a balloon which is losing air due to the fat old man who sits on top of it. The word Phooos! is written next to the balloon's nozzle. The size of the man who sits on the top of the earth is about two times bigger than the earth while in the left image the earth is presented slightly bigger than the man who is holding it. On the fat man’s belly, we can see in black big and keenly letters the word "debt" written.
On the floor, on the fat old man's left side, food waste can be seen while he is still eating a big sandwich and making loud noises. Chomp! Chomp! He looks very
hungry, as if the food he has already eaten (and thrown the leftovers of on the floor) was not enough to stop his hunger. His face looks indifferent to the whole situation. The fat old man looks like he is living in his own world, all that he cares about is his food, and certainly not the earth balloon, which will run out of air soon. He is starkly juxtaposed to the caring man of the "Then" photo, who cares more about the world than he does about himself. In the "Now!" image, the old guy has an olive wreath on his head, which used to be worn by the ancient Greeks; however, the olive wreath is the only thing, except the nozzle chiton, that is left from his previous identity. It seems that the olive wreath is the only connection that he has with his past.
Under the "Now!" image there is a sentence with an ironic pun: "From Atlas to Alas!". This sentence compares "Atlas", which represents the past, with the "Alas" which represents the now. The position that the middle-aged man has on the left image is a representation of Atlas. From the art of the ancient Greek era up until today, Atlas has always been presented as a mature man who is holding the earth in his hands. In ancient Greek mythology, Atlas was the strongest titan, son of Clymene and Lapatus, who, after the defeat in the Titanomachy by the Olympians, was
condemned by Zeus to stand on the western edge of Gaia (the Earth) and hold up the sky on his shoulders (Taragan 4). The word "alas", according to the Cambridge dictionary, has its origins in Latin, and a part of its roots is a mix of old French and Middle English. "Alas" is a word that is used as an expression of sadness, pity and concern towards something.
Navare, by making the comparison "From Atlas to Alas!" is again comparing the ancient Greek culture with the difficult situation that the country is now under. The Earth seems to be used as an allegory for the human nation, while "eating" is used as an allegory for money. According to what the caricature shows, Greeks cared
about the earth back then, but now they only care for themselves and how to eat more and more, without concern for the consequences that this behavior has for the rest of the world.
Even the title of the caricature hides a comparison in it, "Greek God of debt!" Using the words "Greek God" and the word "debt" clearly compares the past and the present. Greek Gods only existed in ancient Greek mythology, while debt is
something that only exists under Greece’s current situation. Navare uses two different sides of Greece, comparing how people remember Greeks in the past and how they think of them now.
3.3 A Product of Prejudice Which has its Roots in the Past
Different aspects from the theory of stereotypes can be seen in this object. Likewise, cultural differences play a central role in the caricature. This object is mainly based on the prejudice and generalization that all Greeks are the same without any exception. As I will discuss below, the object has also been based on the theory of scapegoating and its combination with the media. Moreover, another important aspect of stereotypes that can be seen in this object is the kernels of truth theory. Both Navare’s "Then" and "Now" caricatures are based on different kernels of truth. In my view, the last theory of stereotypes that can be seen in this objects, is education; and its combination with the stereotyper’s background.
As we have seen already, the caricature was posted in 2012 on an online blog which everyone could access. The year 2012 was one in which publicity about the Greek economic crisis was blazing. In my opinion, (following the explanations offered by Tzogopoulos), I think that Greece was used by journalists to attract an audience by using negative drama and making up stories (Tzogopoulos 131). Navare
seems to create this caricature so he could attract more viewers for his online blog. Probably, his motivation for using a "blazing" up to date subject was that it would provide a way for Navare to promote his work as a political cartoonist. Furthermore, according to Vinacke, one way to spread stereotypes is through the media (239)10. I
think that this also can be seen and confirmed in this object. From the research that I have done online on Linkedin to find personal information about Navare, I noticed that he has neither lived in Greece, nor worked alongside Greek people. Therefore, what he knows about the Greek situation when he created this caricature, is only what he had learned through the media.
In my theory, we have seen that media have a "close relationship" with scapegoats; through media occasional scapegoats can be found (Allport 239).
Scapegoats and media’s combination can be seen in this object, as this caricature was posted through the Internet, and blamed Greece for the worldwide economic crisis. Therefore, for scapegoats to arise through the media, unpredictable economic, political and social changes have to be occurring (Allport 244). Something that happened in Greece’s case. I observe here that Greece is used as a scapegoat to wash away the guilt of the economic crisis. Greece made an easier victim than other countries, such as Ireland or Portugal. In my opinion, the reason for this is Greece’s ancient history. That history's comparisons between the past and the present cannot be avoided. Greece has one of the most important ancient histories in the world, and definitely the most important ancient history in Europe. Navare uses Greece’s history to base his artwork on, comparing the past and the present. Even the title that he uses for the caricature, "From Atlas to Alas" is a comparison towards the two opposite images of Greece. The contrast between Greece’s past and present makes the present 10 As we have seen in my theory chapter, Vinacke argues that stereotypes can be spread in three ways: through media, personal contact or through other people’s beliefs.
all the worse. Hence, Greece was a perfect scapegoat, precisely because of this extreme contrast. The crisis must be someone's fault, and someone needed to be blamed.
I believe that the kernel of truth is the seed that allowed this caricature to bloom. The two-in-one caricature is clearly built on true features. Navare’s left image is based on ancient Greek history, and on how caring Greeks were about the world back then. While Navare’s right caricature is based on the financial debt that Greece has now. In my view, what is problematic in the cartoon is the way that Navare uses these real facts. He supports a "perfect" image of the ancient Greece and, in contrast to that, he promotes a "bad" stereotypical image of the present Greece. Something that is based on generalizations. Navare overgeneralizes Greeks through the way he depicts them. The main generalization that this object reflects is that every Greek is careless about everything else, except where it is in their own benefit. As we are discussing generalizations, I would like to refer to Brigham’s claim that stereotypes are "incorrect generalizations" (17). As Navare's caricature is based on a kernel of truth, the stereotypes which arise from both images are not completely "incorrect", but are still generalizations. Thus, Brigham’s theory does not fit in the case of every stereotype. In my opinion, this caricature can be considered as a "product" of prejudice towards the Greek nation. According to Navare, the earth is suffocated because of the Greek old man who sits on it; in other words, Greece’s economy. Navare tries to make the claim that the only problem that this world has is the financial depth of the crisis in Greece, something which is completely untrue. The overgeneralization that this caricature depicts of Greeks can lead to a negative prejudice towards everyone who has seen it.
The cultural differences that can be seen in the caricature, I believe, can be seen through two perspectives. When I look at this object, I can see that Navare points out the cultural differences between the Greece of "Then" and the Greece of "Now". He makes it clear that the Greece of the past has nothing to do with the Greece of the present. The other viewpoint in which cultural differences can be seen, is between the native country of the caricature's creator and Greece. In this case the cultural
differences cannot be seen directly. Therefore, I believe that they exist in an invisible way. Clearly, an Indian has a lot of cultural differences from a Greek. Something that cannot have been neglected when this piece of art was created. In my opinion, the cultural differences are what made Navare to create this piece, and a form of ethnocentrism is hidden behind it.
As I have referred to ethnocentrism, I do not think that Navare's purpose was to create stereotypes about Greece. I have already mentioned that the caricature was probably created as a joke. Terracciano et al wrote about national stereotypes, arguing that they could be used as a form of jokes which point out social characteristics (96), which seems to be the case here. I understand that, as Navare is a political cartoonist, he should work with what is up-to-date. Probably here we can refer to what Rosselo wrote about the feeling of "togetherness" and the opportunity "to be accepted as a part of a group" (11). Everyone was stereotyping Greece in the media during this period. Navare probably did not want to feel like an outsider; especially as he works as a cartoonist in the Hindustan Times, the only English newspaper in India.11 However,
creating something that is based on the stereotypical image of ancient Greece while comparing this image with the stereotypical current image of the country, seems like Navare is trying to humiliate Greece. Using the word "Alas" shows the pity he feels for Greece. This is mainly obvious when he compares this word with "Atlas", the 11 This information was found on Navare's Linkedin profile.
strongest ancient Titan. My own guess is that perhaps Navare wants to blame someone, so he can feel better for his country's economy. Blaming others always makes you feel better about yourself. He probably has the need to do so, as India does not have a strong economic system. By seeing an EU country in such a chaotic situation, I believe that his ethnocentrism emerges.
I have already talked about the characteristics of the stereotypes which can be seen in this object. I argue that there is another characteristic from those that I
described in my theory section, which have a strange connection to the caricature. This characteristic is education. From what we have seen in my theory section, Allport supports the idea that parental education is significant for the creation of the ethnocentric stereotypes (280). He also argues that younger generations have more chances to avoid stereotypes, as a result of the higher educational level that the world has today (196). Similarly, I have also referred to Lippmann’s opinion about the important role of education, how it makes us "acutely aware", as well as how it changes the perceptions that we have about things (59). I believe that this is not the case here. India is geographically far from Greece, and, as a result, those two
countries have only weak cultural, historical or other connections between them. This means that Navare did not grow up in a stereotypical environment from his parents or from his school against Greece. Moreover, Navare is well educated. His Linkedin profile information includes a Bachelor's degree in engineering, a Master's degree in management, and a year's course at Harvard University. Here we can go back to my opinion that higher education is not always the key to opening someone’s mind; the most important is the mental ability that a person has to see through different views.
In this object we see the Greek financial crisis through the eyes of a complete outsider. The caricature raises negative stereotypes through the media which are based on prejudice and overgeneralization about Greeks. Greece was the victim that was needed urgently, because of the desperate position that a lot of people had to face as a result of the economic crisis. The reason that Greece is used as the perfect scapegoat for the financial crisis is because of its history; as the comparison between the past and the current situation cannot be avoided. The last thing that we see through this object is that education does not play an important role in the avoidance of
stereotypes, as Navare is a very educated person, who still yet still feels the need to create an art work which stereotypes Greece.
4. I am Hellene
4.1 The Story Behind the Word "Hellene"
My next object is a video which was created by Katerina Moutsatsou. The video’s title is ''I am Hellene''. It was uploaded on YouTube on the 22nd of April 2012. In contrast to my previous object, this object has not been made by an outsider of the Greek economic situation, but from a Greek who lives abroad and has to face stereotypes. Moutsatsou is a Greek who was born in the United States. She moved with her family to Greece when she was still a child. She was educated in a Greek-French school. After graduating high school, she moved to Paris to study. There, she gained two Bachelors, one in archeology and the history of art and one in theatre studies. She also obtained a Master in theatre studies. Moutsatsou is very famous in Greece, as she has been performing as an actor in many television series. She currently lives in the US.
Moutsasou seems to have created this video because she was fed up with facing stereotypes about her native country. The year 2012 was one in which all Greeks who were living abroad had to face negative stereotypes about their country. I can confirm this, as I was leaving in London at that time.
Before I move to my object’s description, I would like to start from the
video’s title which is ''I am Hellene''. There is an entire story behind that. The name of Greece in the Greek language is Ελλάδα, which, if we use Latin characters, sounds in English as Hellas. In my ID card and passport, my nationality is written as Hellenic. My country is called the Hellenic Republic. ''Greece'' is not how ''Greeks'' call their country. Likewise, ''Greeks'' is not how we call ourselves. We call ourselves Έλληνες, Hellenes.
From what I learned in school, ''Hellas'' is a name which first appeared in Homer’s poetry. It started to be used more generally from the era of the Alexander the Great and onwards. The root of the words ''Greece'' and ''Greek'' comes from the Roman ''Graeci'', which was used to refer to the people who were living in Greece. The term ''Greek'' seems to be used as a more recognizable term while Greece was under the Ottoman occupation for 400 years. The term was used by western visitors while they were travelling to Greece during that period. It was a term which was used to show pity towards the situation they were under, as well a way to verbally
downgrade them. The reason that the western visitors felt pity is because Greeks during that period were living under miserable and inhuman circumstances as a result of Greece’s occupation by the Ottoman empire.
After the Greek liberation from the Ottoman empire in 1821, the ''new'' Greeks decided to recall themselves Hellenes. There were two reasons for that. The first reason was that they were trying to get away from the stigma that the word ''Greek'' had; as the word was mainly referring to uneducated people. The second reason was because they wanted to go back and be reunited with the greatness of ancient Hellas. I believe that Moutsatsou felt the need to highlight the differences between these two words because the supposedly neutral word ''Greeks'' already contains a history of stereotyping, which as I have already mentioned above, takes us back to Greece’s occupation by the Ottoman Empire. She deliberately uses the title ''I am Hellene'' and, as we will see, she refers to the era of the Alexander the Great, so that she can elucidate the importance and the continuation of Greek history.
4.2 An Attempt to Reduce the Stereotypes
The opening scene of the video includes a microphone and a Greek flag in the background. Moutsatsou walks into the scene as if she walks on a stage. The first word she says is ''Hi'', and straight after that, while looking upset, she starts defending herself against some of the most common Greek stereotypes. ''I am not a public worker nor a thief'', ''I do not drink ouzo, break plates and say ''opa'' in my everyday life'' while in the background of the video we see photos of public workers sleeping, a policeman, some broken plates, as well as a note which says Opa! (fig. 2)
fig. 2 ''I am Hellene.'' YouTube, 2012. Author’s screenshot.
Moutsatsou continues her speech using some of the most common Greek names: ''I do not know Giorgo, Gianni, or Niko from Greece, even though I am sure they are really nice''; in the background a photo of men dancing traditional Greek dance and wearing traditional costumes can be seen.
When Moutsatsou completes her talk about general Greek stereotypes, she moves on to the Greek ancient history, and what it has offered to the world. The next photo in the background of the video is the Acropolis. The Acropolis is the most famous Greek temple, and one of the oldest heritage sites in the world. ''My country is a democracy, actually it invented the concept'', she says, and continues talking about
her educational background including the five foreign languages that she speaks. Similarly, she endorses the view that most people from Greece speak ''many foreign languages''.
As the sequence continues, we see on the left side of the video again a Greek flag, while on the right side there is a black and white map of Greece. Moutsatsou talks about Greece’s heritage which ''goes far beyond geographical borders''. Greece ''invented the west'' Moutsatsou continues, while a black and white map of Europe appears in the same position that the Greek flag was occupying some seconds before (fig. 3).
fig. 3 ''I am Hellene.'' YouTube, 2012. Author’s screenshot.
Moutsatsou continues on by saying, ''I believe in Hellenism; the entire world inspires its ideas''. A photo of Alexander the Great appears in the background, and straight after the photo of him is replaced by a photo of the earth with different flags on it.
Moutsatsou start to look very upset, and she raises her voice while she says in a sarcastic way, ''and if I owe any money to anybody today, and by the way I am not the only one, it’s because I invited the idea of a free market''. In the background of the video, various Euro notes can be seen when she talks about the money. The Euro notes are then replaced by a photo which shows pigs as she says, ''I am not the only
one''. Straight after, we see a photo of an ancient Greek market with the name ''Agora'' (which is the Greek word for market) on it (fig. 4).
fig. 4 ''I am Hellene.'' YouTube, 2012. Author’s screenshot.
Moutsatsou, raising her voice even more, continues, ''and if you critique me today it is because I invented the idea of a critic'', as photos of Socrates and Aristophanes appear in the video.
''I believe in freedom'' she continues, as the word ''Eleutheria'', the Greek word for freedom, shows on the top of a photo. The photo depicts the Greek liberation from Turkish rule in the 19th century. ''So if I need to, I protest'', she continues. ''I believe in
the joy of life, I have the right to, there is nothing wrong with that'', ''I can swim in the waters of over 6000 islands, my country is of exceptional beauty and tradition, and my family is a sacred institution''. While Moutsatsou says all of this, she raises her voice even more than before. The photos in the background of the video are changing, from a woman who is enjoying life to Greeks dancing a traditional dance next to the sea. After that we see again a woman swimming which is followed by a photo of one of the most famous beaches on Zakynthos island. Next, we see some traditional Greek houses, and straight after a photo of a traditional Greek family.
Moutsatsou makes clear that the reason why people can criticize Greeks today is because Greeks invented the idea of ''critique''. Similarly, she srgues that if the West exists today, it is because the Greeks invented it. What Moutsatsou tries to say, is that without ancient Greek inventions, Western culture would not exist today in the same way as it does.
In the last seconds of the video, Moutsatsou is ''separating'' the word ''Greek'' and the word ''Hellene''. ''You call me Greek but it is Hellene,'' she screams while she looks more upset than before. ''Not Greek, Hellene!'' she repeats. While she says that, we notice on the white background in black letters the words ''Greek'' and ''Hellene'' have appeared. The word ''Greek'' now has a red cross on it, while Moutsatsou points with her hand to the word ''Hellene'' (fig. 5).
fig. 5 ''I am Hellene.'' YouTube, 2012. Author’s screenshot.
In the video’s last scene, we see a Greek flag. The video finishes in the same way as it starts. ''Thank you'' says Moutsatsou twice, before she disappears from the screen. In the last seconds of the video, we hear the national Greek anthem and on a black background we see the following words, ''dedicated to all Hellenes in world''. Following this we read on our screen a quote from one of the most important ancient
Greek philosophers, Socrates, ''Anybody can be a Hellene, by his heart, his mind, his spirit…'' Finally, the following text appears, ''And to those who are self-critiquing on how to make the world more and more equal… Because, Hellenism is still a process and will be until the end of time''.
4.3 Negating the Greek Stereotypes
In my theory we have seen that reducing stereotypes can be a ''difficult art'' (Rossello 12). I believe that with the word ''declining'' Rossello means opposin and negated stereotypes. I argue that the main purpose of Moutsatsou’s video is to reduce two different kinds of stereotypes about Greeks. Firstly, the general stereotypes that exist about them. Secondly, the stereotypes that have arisen about Greeks after the financial crisis. Through the video, we can see some of the main aspects of the stereotypes that I have included in my theory. The video tries to reduce stereotypes which are too general about Greeks. Therefore, all of them are based on a kernel of truth. Moutsatsou’s entire video is an attempt to prove that the economic crisis is not Greece’s fault, but that only Greece was blamed for it. In this way we see that the theory of Scapegoating is present. In addition, the video has a strange combination with the theory of ethnocentrism. Moutsatsou’s video ''campaign'' against the Greek stereotypes, as have seen, has a nationalistic character. Lastly, if we take into consideration Moutsatsou’s educational background, the relationship that education has with the stereotypes can be seen in the video.
According to my theory, most of stereotypes need a kernel of truth to arise. They need to be based ''at least in a convergent validity sense'' (Brigham 26). I believe that kernels of truth element is very important one in this object, so I would like to start with that. Most stereotypes that Moutsatsou tries to dismiss are, to some
extent, based on real facts. While I have been living abroad people always ask me if I drink Ouzo or if I break plates! Indeed, in Greece it used to be a custom between the 70’s and the 80’s to break plates when you go out to celebrate a specific occasion. This custom has stopped and became illegal years before I was born. I never broke a plate in my life, I never even seen this to be happening in front of me. Similarly, Moutsatsou refers to the word ''opa'' that Greeks use often. Even if the word indeed is used frequently in Greece, I can confirm that we do not use this word every day, and for sure we do not use it more than we use other words.
The stereotypes that are mentioned above, are not really negative ones, but they are still generalizations. In my opinion, to distinguish the negative stereotypes from the "neutral" ones. A negative stereotype is when it has a wicked effect to the person who is getting stereotyped. A ''neutral'' stereotype is when it does not cause harm to the stereotyped person, but still leaves a negative upshot. Therefore, both negative and ''neutral'' stereotypes, I believe, can cause feelings of guilt to the person who is getting stereotyped.
Negative stereotypes can be seen when Moutstatsou denies that she is a thief, or when she declares that she does not owe any money to anyone. It its true that Greece owes money to the International Monetary Fund and to European banks, but that does not mean that every individual Greek owes money to them. Here, we can see again both the kernel of truth and the generalization. Similarly, it is true that some Greeks try to avoid paying taxes, which can be considered as stealing. A lot of them, however, do not. And those who do it, they do this in a legal way, as the law allows them. This does not differ from big companies which enjoy less taxation, not only in Greece but around the world. The only difference is that the media discuss some individuals and generalize it, when at the same time never discuss companies. The
only stereotype that I have never had to face is the one of the public worker. I believe that Moutsatsou is referring to this, as behind it is also some element of truth. Indeed, in Greece, we have a very high percentage of population working in the public sector. Moutsatsou makes clear that all of the above are overgeneralizations, and that she, like most Greeks, is represented by any of them.
When Moutsatsou denies that she owes money, we can see another
combination of two of the theories of the stereotypes. When she says, ''and if I owe any money today, and by the way I am not the only one'', it is clear that she refers to the other European countries which have been under the same economic situation as Greece, but have not been blamed by the media in a similar way. In other words, she means the same as Tzogopoulos means (131-132) in his book The Greek Crisis in the Media: Stereotyping in the International Press (2016), that Greece has been a victim of scapegoating. In this part, the theory of the kernel of truth can be combined with the theory of scapegoating.
Considering the above, I believe that a good way to reduce a stereotype which contains an element of truth, is by confronting it in an honest and modest way. To explain this, I believe that someone needs to use reasonable techniques while reducing a stereotype. A reasonable technique could be to explain why a stereotype, even if it is based on some true elements, does not reflect every individual. Moutsatsou, in my opinion, does not reduce stereotypes in the right way. She is not honest enough and she does not explain why the stereotypes are not true. Instead she is individually saying something which sounds like ''I am not this and I am not that'', but in doing so she is missing the actual point. What Moutsatsou does in this video can be considered as a faulty way to reduce a stereotype. She defends herself against Greek stereotypes using a ''defensive Greek nationalism'' in the entire video. She tries to swap the Greek
stereotypes and proves that Greece is better than the rest of the nations. Additionally, she tries to reductive the negative stereotypes about Greeks, but she does not replace them with positive ones. A significant part of the video is when she talks about the free-market. She shifts the blame of the economic crisis to a general ideology, such as the idea of the free market. Nationalism is not the best or the only answer to defend yourself against stereotypes that demote yourself and your country.
As I talked about nationalism, I would like to refer to two things. Firstly, to Chew’s belief that travelling abroad does not have a big impact on the avoidance of stereotypes (19). Moutsatsou has studied in France, and she has lived and worked in Turkey, as an actor in the first Turkish-Greek film co production with the title Kayıkçı (1998), and later in the Turkish television series titled Yılan Hikayesi (2001). As I have already mentioned, she currently lives and works in the United States. Moutsatsou has not only travelled but, most importantly, she has lived in four different countries (considering that she grew up in Greece), and on three different continents. Therefore, she still reflects a very ethnocentric character. It seems then that Chew is right in arguing that travelling has little impact on our perception about stereotypes. On this, I would like to add that even living abroad and being
incorporated in different cultures can have a little impact in the avoidance of
stereotypes. Secondly, I would like to refer to education. In my theory section, we saw that when it comes to stereotypes, only education can make us conscious about them (Lippmann 51). Moutstatsou is very educated. To be a polyglot with two bachelors and one master is not very common. Therefore, her educational background does not stop her from being a victim of nationalism. Here we can refer to what Lippmann supports, that stereotypes have a very strong resistance to education (Brigham 16). In
this video we can see the exact thing that we show in the analysis of my last object. Education is not always the key to open your mind against stereotypical behaviors.
I would like to move to a different point of the video. This is the Greek history, and how Moutsatsou uses it. For Moutsatsou, it seems that Greek history plays an important role, as she uses it for assistance in her attempt of reduce the stereotypes. With the help of the history, she demands that Greeks are judged today for things they invented such as democracy, the idea of critique and the free market. Moutsatsou strongly claims that without ancient Greek civilization the world would be different. I would like to add that the world also would be different without any other civilization, so Moutsatsou’s point is not very accurate here. It seems hard for Moutsatsou to realize that the ancient Greeks have nothing to do with the present Greeks. She mentions that Greeks invented the West. While she refers to Alexander the Great, she says that the Greek heritage ''goes beyond geographical borders''. The truth is, Alexander the Great was not a democrat, but a colonizer, who colonized Egypt and a very big part of Asia, but never the West. Moutsatsou’s argument here is not really coherent, and she uses Greek history very broadly. I do not think that colonies should be mentioned as a part of ''heritage''. I suppose that when Moutsatsou is referring to the West, she means that Greeks invented it, because, the West was based on some ancient Greek ideas.
I believe that Moutsatsou has taken her argument using Greek history a litle bit too far, and so the video ends up as a product of a defensive ethnocentrism. A different kind of ethnocentrism than the one we saw in my last object’s analysis. In both video’s opening and closing scenes, we see a Greek flag. At the end of the video we also hear the Greek national anthem. Unfortunately, Moutsatsou uses ancient Greek history, the tradition and the natural beauty of Greece in a way that makes the
