How Indians see the world: communication and perceptions of national groups

Abstract

Indians are thought of as “poor,” Germans as “industrious,” British as “stiff” and Americans as “brash” and “materialistic.” Many of the commonly held stereotypes are created and reinforced by the mass media which bring life in distant lands to everyday experience and Indians’ perception of America as the land of golden opportunity has resulted in the emigration of many to the U.S.A. What are the factors which contribute to the creation and reinforcement of these stereotypes? Indeed, what is the relationship between awareness, contact, income, religion, media exposure, close and open-mindedness and a stereotype a person holds of other countries? This article by Reddi examines such relationships. More important than the results, which went on to disprove many hypotheses, was the observation of the overwhelming importance of education of good quality and income in moulding stereotypes. Media role is less significant than expected.