How Is Austria Seen from Outside?

ARBEITSGEMEINSCHAFT WIRTSCHAFT UND SCHULE KTUELLE UNTERLAGEN ENGLISCH a Wirtschaft im Unterricht: Ideen, die Schule machen STEREOTYPES OR REALISTIC VIEWS? HOW IS AUSTRIA SEEN FROM OUTSIDE? E1 | APRIL | 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction 1 2 What is a Stereotype? 1 3 Existing Stereotypes of Austria 3 3.1 Positive Stereotypes 4 3.1.1 The Sound of Austria 4 3.1.2 Austria, the Country of Cultural Wealth 6 3.1.3 Skiing Austria 8 3.1.4 Culinary Austria 9 3.2 Negative Stereotypes 10 4. The Realistic View: Facts about the Austrian Economy 11 4.1 Historical Facts 11 4.2 Venturing into Eastern and Central Europe 12 4.3 From state-owned Industry to Privatisation 13 4.4 Agriculture, Industry and Services 13 4.5 Trade Position 14 4.6 An optimistic Outlook? 14 5 Suggestions for Classroom Use 15 5.1 Warming-up 15 5.2 Mini Research Projects and Project Work 17 5.3 Working with the Text 19 5.4. Issues for discussion 25 5.5. Working with the Newspaper Articles Bibliography 27 Glossary 28 Appendix 29 Auswahl und Zusammenstellung der Texte sowie didaktische Anregungen: Mag. Kathrin Kordon und Mag. Bärbel Uitz 1 Stereotypes or Realistic Views? How is Austria seen from outside? 1 Introduction In the introductory words to his book which seek to answer this question as it would analyses Austria’s image in the world1, require thorough scientific investigation. Schweiger (an Austrian scientist researching What the following pages attempt to do, into the image of Austria) claims that however, is to view a number of classical prejudices against other countries, peoples stereotypes of Austria against their and cultures are as old as mankind. Images economic background. Thus, we will ask of a nation influence peoples’ behaviour ourselves if national or cultural stereotypes with regard to the buying of its products and arise because they are promoted for services. Thus, whether a person buys a car economic purposes. or a watch, books a flight with a particular In the following chapter some terminological airline, chooses his or her holiday clarifications are provided. In chapter three, destination, etc. highly depends on the some well-established positive and negative image of the product’s country of origin. stereotypes of Austria are treated. We will Over the last years this so-called “country also briefly touch upon afew negative of origin effect” has been thoroughly images. To conclude with a “realistic” view, examined. It has an important impact on the paper finishes with a brief overview of marketing strategies, such as the successful facts about the Austrian economy. naming of brands and the choice of the right topics for advertisements. Marketing experts in economy, industry and service companies, 2 What is a Stereotype? therefore, strongly rely on information about the country’s image. In order to treat the topic of existing stereotypes of Austria effectively, one might find it useful to look at the term “stereotype” more closely. Thus, this chapter will try to define the word “stereotype”, trace back the original meaning of the word and consider its meaning in different contexts. The origins of the word “stereotype” can be outlined as follows2: The word “stereotype” Snow-covered mountains, people skiing or was invented by Firmin Didot in the world hiking, folks in “Lederhosen” and “Dirndln”, of printing; it was originally a duplicate people drinking wine at the “Heurigen” and impression of an original typographical eating “Apfelstrudel” etc. are classical element, used for printing instead of the stereotypical images of Austria. They would original. Over time, this became a metaphor most likely to be accompanied by the for any set of ideas repeated identically, en Viennese Waltz or yodelling. Due to the fact masse, with minor changes. In fact, “cliché” that Austria has assumed the presidency of and “stereotype” were both originally the European Union at the beginning of 2006 printers' words, and in their literal printers' and that the country is currently celebrating meanings were synonymous. Specifically, the “Year of Mozart”, Austria is well “cliché” was an onomatopoetic word for the represented in the world’s press. It seems sound that was made during the that some of the above mentioned stereotyping process when the matrix hit stereotypes are omnipresent in articles molten metal. dealing with the Austrian culture. Stereotypes can be defined as “structured Do stereotypes of this kind give an authentic sets of beliefs about the characteristics of picture of the Austrian culture or do they members of social categories” and the merely represent fixed ideas about a “influence how people attend to, encode, national identity which have nothing to do represent, and retrieve information about with reality? This paper certainly does not others, and how they judge and respond to 1 Schweiger, G. (1992). Österreichs Image in der Welt. Wien: Service Fachverlag. p.7 2 see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotype 1 Stereotypes or Realistic Views? How is Austria seen from outside? them”3 This definition is taken from a book or prejudicial sense and are frequently used named Stereotypes & Stereotyping which to justify certain discriminatory behaviours. treats the issue of stereotypes scientifically. This allows powerful social groups to Indeed, the phenomenon of stereotypes legitimize and protect their dominant has attracted the interest of scholars from a position. Often a stereotype is a negative wide range of disciplines, such as caricature or inversion of some positive psychology, ethnology, sociology etc. characteristic possessed by members of a However, one does not necessarily have to group, exaggerated to the point where it approach this topic scientifically. In the first becomes repulsive or ridiculous. Stereotype chapter of the above mentioned book, the production is often marked by authors invite the reader to do the simplification, exaggeration, generalization following: “Stop for a moment and think or the presentation of cultural attributes as about one of the many social groups that being 'natural'. Common stereotypes make up a diverse geographic area such as include a variety of allegations about groups Europe or the United States. You’ll easily based around: race, ethnicity, sexuality, (perhaps you think too easily!) conjure up a nationality, and religious belief, and also portrait of what the people in the group are profession, social status and wealth. When like. You may generate an oversimplified unjustified stereotypes are applied to impression of the characteristics of the groups, often the result is negative. group as a whole – that Greeks are fun- Negative stereotyping is a key feature in loving, that Irish drink much, or that African prejudice, as racism, sexism, ageism, et Americans are boisterous. Or perhaps you cetera. Advocates for public policy changes will retrieve particular instances of people often have to overcome social stereotypes, from the group – maybe an image of while opponents of public policy changes Marcello Mastroianni appears, reminding you often seek to reinforce them. For instance, that Italian men are good looking.”4 The in the field of civil rights, Martin Luther authors claim that every individual King, Jr. acted decisively against the social automatically tends to produce such pictures stereotypes of negative characteristics of in his or her mind. African Americans, while his arch foe, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, sought to gather information to reinforce social stereotypes of African Americans. Social stereotypes take the negative characteristics of some and apply it to all in a given, often arbitrary, category. They are a tool of propaganda and divisive politics. A variety of stereotypes usually exists within major social groups, and relate to the variety of identified sub-groups that exist within their own group. A 19th century children's book informs its readers that the Dutch are a very industrious race, and that As an example for a negative image of a Chinese children are very obedient to their parents. country Schweiger refers to the predominantly derogative picture of Italy presented in reports about the Mafia or The word “stereotype” is often used in a thievery in touristy areas. However, this negative way. The online encyclopaedia “public” opinion obviously differs from the Wikipedia, for example, gives the following “real” perception, as surveys show that the explanation of the term “stereotype”5: majority of Italy’s neighbouring populations Stereotypes are considered to be a group have a positive image of the country6. concept, held by one social group about another. They are often used in a negative 3 Maccrae C.N., Stangor C., Hewstone M (1996). Stereotypes & Stereotyping. New York: The Guilford Press. Book cover. 4 Ibid. p.3 6 Schweiger, G. (1992). Österreichs Image in der Welt. Wien: 5 see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotype Service Fachverlag. p.15 2 Stereotypes or Realistic Views? How is Austria seen from outside? Austrian political scientist, summarises how Austria is often seen in the world8. “That is the Austria propagated by advertisements: ski pistes and the Spanish Riding School, and – for the really knowledgeable – a hint of Sigmund Freud, preferably without too much mentioning of anti-Semitism as described by Arthur Schnitzler in Professor Bernardi”, Pelinka goes on to describe the Austrian image. An African-American man drinks out of the "colored only" water cooler at a racially segregated streetcar terminal in It is important to note that for Pelinka, the the United States in 1939. terms stereotype and cliché are obviously http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ColoredDrinking.jpg interchangeable. “In principle clichés cannot url: http://en.wikipedia.org/ be avoided – that mixture of prejudice and However, stereotypes must not necessarily partial truth, of subjective experience and be confined to negative characterizations self-fulfilling fantasy”, he writes. According about individuals or groups, but they also to him, ”clichés, however, are not just pure have positive characterizations.

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