The Chosen Neighbours of Germany according to the Journalist of Der Spiegel

Abstract

The paper presents social problems discussed in the weekly Der Spiegel with respect to the image-formation of the four neighbouring countries: Poland, France, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The author carries out a review of positive and negative social phenomena in the societies in question as they are presented in some selected issues of the weekly from the years 1989-1997. Basing herself on the quantitative and qualitative method of content analysis the authoress builds a tool as her key of categorisation. It follows from the analyses that the journalists of Der Spiegel concentrate on the presentation of negative phenomena in German neighbours. The image of Poland emerges as the most negative; the image of France is somewhat more positive, but still negative. In relation to Poland and France the Czech and Slovakian societies do much better. The principal feature of the presented negative phenomena is the fact that the social similarities here are loose, accidental, asocial, and their members are deprived of common values, ideals, and tendencies. The negative attitude visible in the formation of wrong images of the French and Polish societies is connected, according to the authoress, with historical prejudices and stereotypical views of the inhabitants of Germany's neighbouring countries.