A History Of...// Questionnaire

I decided to start with the British but I might end up returning to this first question to add more answers. I been thinking a lot about this survey and weather of not it will offend anybody. To be honest all my friends will not take any offence to the british stuff, probably because they know me and its an english person writing stuff about their own country. I am worried that some French for example will see that I put 'Smelly' for a stereotype and suggestion and get really really offended. However, I can't let this get in my way. I think I just have to go for it and get this questionnaire out there for people to answer, as when everyone has answered I will have strong research to start deigning from. 

I found this wonderful comment by the Guardian 'The French aren't rude; they just hate you'. I find that funny and this could also be very true! They aren't rude to each other only the billions of tourists that spill into the country each year?

I thought it would be better if I made the survey in to a rating scale as I would like to know not just how much people agree with a stereotype but HOW much they agree with a stereotype. I think that after I have got my results I can then begin with my designing which I think will be the hardest part. 
Things I still need to work out is WHO is my target audience and why they are my audience. Personally this will be something that will appeal to all age groups but I think I need to find a better reason for this.
Below is what I said with my survey attached by email, facebook etc.


'Hello! Here is a survey I have just completed that I would highly appreciate you helping me out on. 
For my summer project I am looking in to Cultural Identities and how Britain stereotypes other countries in Europe. So from all my secondary research I have constructed a survey with all the stereotypes Britain supposedly believe to be true of other countries. I just want to know what you people think to be true and what you believe not to be true. Thank you!'

A History Of...// Drawings

The French

I think out of all my drawings this man makes the most sense. The striped top will always be a massive french stereotype, that and the hat and mustache. The wine and the baguette I think make good sence. Anyway when I go out to france those two things always seem to be quite popular. In conclusion to my French man I think he is very much suitable for my publication. Throughout all my drawings the men don't seem to have trousers. I think that this is something I am just going to run with. As some of them wont have any sort of trouser of bottom half in their stereotype. 

'Let's not throw out the cliches with the bathwater. Apart from the fact that they conceal a fair bit of truth, these stereotypical preconceptions that seem to stick so strongly to our French identity might also help us close ranks.

So, we're supposedly arrogant and chauvinistic – compliments that generally go hand in hand with a suspicion of cowardice. The rude health of this particular stereotype is not unrelated to the current financial and monetary crisis, in which France has been unable to disguise the difficulty it is having in maintaining its role – or what it believes to be its role – on the European stage.

Confronted with the fact of German leadership, we supposedly hit back with thunderous rants and rash behaviour. In fact, of course, this kind of reproach is good for morale in a country worried it may be sinking into a state of morose stagnation...'  www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/26/french-stereotypes-arrogant-good-in-bed

The German 

Now, for the German guy I couldn't really think of a lot but after typing in to google 'The German Stereotype' it came up with loads of people in Lederhosens so I just did a guy in one of them! There still I quite a bit of detail I can give him but for now I think I will just leave him like this. Once I got my work on the computer thats when I will start to add the main detail. But for now I don't think it necessary! 

'...Yes it is true, all the cliches are correct, even the one about the towels and the sunloungers. At least as much was confirmed to me by a reliable friend, who is widely travelled. He also confirmed that only the Germans do it. Mind you, he also confounds the cliche: he once threw all the towels into the pool one early morning, along with two Brits he met in the bar the night before (another cliche).

The third cliche is harder to understand: that Germans are stiff and humourless. It's all relative. Of course, Angela Merkel is a bit more stiff and formal than Silvio Berlusconi but it could be the other way around with Mario Monti. Hardly anyone would claim Christian Wulff [the German president] is more formal than the English queen. This may be the problem: he seems too relaxed with his friends and their generosity for many a German's liking. (Wulff is accused of accepting a large private loan from the wife of a wealthy businessman.)

Seemingly, Germans don't think it is a laughing matter when it comes to their politicians – at least not outside of satirical programmes or Carnival. If Germans do have a sense of humour perhaps it has to be clearly noted in the calendar.

German anger at Wulff's relatively minor misjudgments would make other countries laugh and blush (Berlusconi, anyone?). When it comes to cliches, the Germans are extremely diligent, efficient and disciplined about living up to them...' 

www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/26/german-stereotypes-dont-mention-towels

The Irish 

The biggest stereotype of the Irish is they drink a lot. I decided to attempt at giving this guy a leprechaun outfit and simply a mug or pint of beer. I might put a flower in his cap as ireland is a very green place and the flower will be sybbolic of the country side.

Tempers: The history of Ireland is indeed full of violence - as is the history of most countries. Their fight for autonomy from the time of the ancient Celts to the their struggle to become an independent nation may be responsible for the term "fighting Irish." American discrimination against Irish immigrants after the potato famine in 1847 may also have contributed. Irish immigrants were stereotyped as stupid, dirty, and lazy. "Irish Need Not Apply" signs were a common in U.S. shop fronts. Irish Americans had to fight their way through oppression and into main stream society. The average Irish person is no more prone to bad temper than any other nationality.

 Culture: Ireland is credited worldwide for their traditional folk music and dance but Ireland's contribution to visual art including sculpture and stained glass is sadly lesser known. Sculptor Jerome Connor, painter Beatrice Elvery, and and stained glass artist Harry Clarke all hailed from Ireland. Many districts where the government recognizes that traditional Irish is the primary language are referred to as Gaeltachtdistricts. In these districts, traditional Irish is the primary language spoken in homes and schools and all road signs are in traditional Irish.

The Spanish

'...But perhaps, then, to machismo? Not really. "There are countries that are infinitely more sexist," says Valcárcel. "The problem is that Spanish sexism has been crude, not at all subtle: women went about with their faces practically covered until the 18th century. But once the dictator Franco was dead, there was a great feminist movement, which in recent years has produced laws and a certain social sensibility that has permeated institutions.

"France and Italy, not to mention Greece, are more sexist. It's just that in France, for instance, the sexism takes a more gallant form."

The idea of a passionate character, which drives the European conception of Spain, is reflected in politics, too. Europeans acknowledge the "two Spains" when they talk about the breach between Catholics and secularists, nation-statists and regionalists, and left and right. The Spanish civil war, one of the most notorious conflicts of the modern age, did much to help paint this picture, which in some senses bears fresh brush strokes...' www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/26/spanish-stereotypes-we-have-mondays-too

The English

The british have so many stereotypes so I found it hard to draw. I am from britain also so I look at it probably completely different to everyone else. I have given this guy a suit and a hat, I'm not too sure what this means but it certainly isn't a bad thing. You could say that I have made Britain look hard working and intelligent when I seem to actually think that isn't the case at all! I see Britain to be full or people on benefits who wear tracksuits and love football. The wonderful traditional side of england has gone and now we are living in somewhere a lot different to what it once was. I think I need to re-think what this guy is going to wear. I might give him a football but I need to think about what he is going to wear. The umbrella I think is a good idea as britain is known for all its rain!

'...The stereotype is itself a stereotype. The European image of the Brit – either pukingly drunk football fan or snooty City gent, both living off past imperial glories, sullenly resenting being in Europerather than ruling the world – is itself a cliche. Just as Brits know that every good Frenchman wears a striped shirt and beret, and that ruddy-faced Germans subsist on a diet of beer and sausage, so we know precisely what all those Europeans think of us.

And, sure enough, drink, class and the second world war all crop up in the thumbnail sketch of the British (Europeans tend to use "British" as a synonym for "English", rather forgetting the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish)provided by our colleagues across the Channel. It would be nice to say that our neighbours have us all wrong – but, sadly, cliches only become cliches if they are built on a foundation of truth.

Start with the bottle. Sure, we can cling to the statistics that show we are far from Europe's heaviest drinkers. In fact, the last round of OECD figures ranked us 11th in Europe for alcohol consumption, far behind France in first place, followed by Portugal and Austria. But while the French, German, Spanish and Italians are drinking much less than they did in 1980, Britons are drinking 9% more.

Still, it's not the volume of pints (or litres) consumed that has led to our boozy reputation. It's the way we drink that's the problem. The French figure may be high, but that's driven up by a lot of people drinking moderately: the glass or two of red at dinner. The British disease has even entered the French language: le binge drinking is the preferred phrase for vast, rapid consumption aimed solely at getting hammered. It's this falling-over, vomiting brand of drunkenness, visible in most city centres on a Friday night, that has become part of our national image. One study found that 54% of British 15- and 16-year-olds admit to binge drinking, compared to a European average of 43%. In other words, there is more than a little reality behind the image...' www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/26/british-stereotypes-please-mention-war

The Italian 

Not that all Italians wear a overall and hold pizza, but the biggest stereotype I can find is that they make dam good pizza, that and pasta. Overall Italy is known for its good food so I think what this guy is wearing is suitable. Nothing offensive there! 

'...We are also fashion victims: you can recognise Italians by the way they dress from the head to feet (strictly black Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses; Calvin Klein boxers; Levi's jeans; Gucci handbags; tanned skin all year long; perfect make up). We will dress stylishly for every possible occasion. You won't ever see an Italian wearing sporting short pants combined with long socks: it's simply against our fashion rules (let alone our sense of style)!

We are chaotic. Nothing in Italy is well organized or easy-to-use. You have to fight to get the smallest scrap of information. Don't be surprised to see Italians fighting to get into the buses or jumping the queue to be served first at the coffee bar. Italy’s slow-moving and stressful bureaucracy has made us more pushy and resourceful....' http://www.justlanded.com/english/Italy/Articles/Culture/Being-Italian

The Dutch

1. The Dutch are stoned all the time.

This might be the most common stereotype about the Dutch, or at least something they are infamous for. However, the fact that soft drugs are more or less legalized in the Netherlands actually contributes to the lower numbers of addicts and users compared to the high percentage, almost twice as high, of soft drug users in the USA.

2. All Dutch are tall, have blond hair and blue eyes

This stereotype is indeed true only if you consider the people who are ethnically Dutch. The Dutch are the tallest people in the world with 1.84m on average for men and 1.70 for women. Dying your hair blond and putting on blue contact lenses won’t make you feel any special in the Netherlands. However, with the arrival of immigrants from all over the world, this once-a-fact can be just another stereotype.

3. The Dutch are greedy

There must be a reason why splitting the bill is called ‘Going Dutch’. It’s true that many Dutch keep a tight watch over their money. Men are unlikely to pay for their dates. (Ladies, take a clue. If you like to be dined and wined while in Amsterdam, going Dutch is not going to be a solution.) I am no sociologist, but perhaps this explains why there are not many beggars on the streets in Amsterdam compared to other mega cities in Europe. You will find street artists in other European tourist destinations complain about greedy Dutch who won’t spare changes for their acts.

But as a collective whole, Netherlands is a very generous country with a high percentage of their GDP going to development aid, 0.82%, above the UN target of 0.7 and lower than only their richer neighbor from Luxembourg, Sweden and the oil-loaded Norway.

4. All Dutch speak English

Dutch study English from an early age in a good education system and this combined with the similarities between the two languages ensures that you never have to bring a language guide to the Netherlands. You can ask for pretty much anything in Netherlands. Waitresses on the tourist squares are more likely to approach you in English than in Dutch and even if you try to speak Dutch, the Dutch will almost always switch to English in order to make it easier for you (or to brag their language skills).www.traveljo.com/7-common-stereotypes-about-the-dutch/

The Romanian

haha, this is really quite bad. I couldn't find a lot of information about them apart from a load of rubbish about vampires and Dracula.

The Gypsy population is a difficult social problem that has not been solved satisfactorily yet. They are not exclusive to Romania, but they live in larger numbers in Romania compared to other countries in Europe. In Romania they used to be dependent serfs and were freed only late in the 19th century. They speak their own language and live in their own (often migrant) communities, with insignificant mingling with Romanian society. There is a not insignificant amount of prejudice against them from mainstream Romanian society (some of them engage in criminal activities, which unfortunately has led to the whole Gypsy community being branded as criminal).

Treatment of Children: Romania has unfortunately made a name for itself through its orphanages. While I am sure some very sad cases are true, I would take the recent news in the media with a large pinch of salt. There are political interests and pressure is exerted on the Romanian government to allow international adoptions of Romanian children, so there might be some biases in reporting. Romania is a developing country and is doing what it can afford to do to provide a better life for its orphans. It is unfortunate that neither the society nor the church has a strong tradition of charity. However, accusing the country of systematically mistreating its children is unfair and untrue.

On a related note, since Romanian society is relatively traditional, children tend to be strictly controlled by parents and are not as empowered as their counterparts in the West. britishexpat.com/europe/romania/romania-stereotypes

The Polish

''...These stereotypes of Poles are true but only partly. Poles drink average amounts of alcohol, they are Catholic but not really bothered by what the church says, and they dislike Jews just slightly more than the average European.

According to data from the World Health Organisation, in 2010 the average Pole drank 13.3 litres of alcohol. This puts Poles just above the European average, which is 12 litres per citizen. Poles drink slightly more than Germans (12.8 litres), almost the same as the English (13.4 litres), and less than the Irish (14.4 litres).

So where does the stereotype of the heavy-drinking Pole come from? Half of the alcohol drunk in Poland is consumed by just 7% of drinkers. Research from the mid-90s showed that poorly educated men, mostly farmers and unskilled labourers, drink the most...' - www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/26/polish-stereotypes-hard-drinking-catholics

Time to make some surveys!

A History Of...// Inside the Publication (Research)

I will be using a sort of pictogram idea, very similar to the signs you get on a tolit door to tell the male and female apart. So I will start off will just an ordinary man, then I am going to add stuff to the body that will remind people of a counrtry. For example, I will have a one of the men holding a baguette and that will tell the audience that he is from France, obviously this man will have other objects to determine  where he is from but that was just a rough example. 

This picture ins't very good quality but you get a very good idea to the sort of thing I want to do. In the bottom left hand corner you have just the ordinary picogram, Then to rhe left you have the pictogram with different clothing and that tells us something about what the man is. A very bad but in some cases true stereotype I can see up there is the man with the long beard and head band thinking about a bomb. Another one which is pretty funny is the basketball player with the massive knob. Then you have the man who loves cars with the tiny knob...'big engine, small penis...'

A History Of...// Cultural Identities// How Britain Stereotypes Europe

Cultural identity is the identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as one is influenced by one's belonging to a group or culture. Cultural identity is similar to and has overlaps with, but is not synonymous with, identity politics. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_identity

HOW BRITAIN STEREOTYPES EUROPE 

'...Various modern cultural studies and social theories have investigated cultural identity. In recent decades, a new form of identification has emerged which breaks down the understanding of the individual as a coherent whole subject into a collection of various cultural identifiers. These cultural identifiers may be the result of various conditions including: location, gender, race, history, nationality, language, sexuality, religious beliefs, ethnicity and aesthetics. The divisions between cultures can be very fine in some parts of the world, especially places such as Canada or the United States, where the population is ethnically diverse and social unity is based primarily on common social values and beliefs.

As a "historical reservoir", culture is an important factor in shaping identity. Some critics of cultural identity argue that the preservation of cultural identity, being based upon difference, is a divisive force in society, and that cosmopolitanism gives individuals a greater sense of shared citizenship. When considering practical association in international society, states may share an inherent part of their 'make up' that gives common ground, and alternate means of identifying with each other.

Also of interest is the interplay between cultural identity and new media

In the current era, cultural identity does not necessarily mean an individual's interaction within a certain group but a social network of people imitating and following the social norms presented by the media.Instead of learning behaviour and knowledge from cultural/religious groups, individuals from the present era are learning these social norms from the media to build on their cultural identity....'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_identity1

Cultural Intenties  I found this randomly on Google images and I find it very interesting, I believe it is an american design manly because when you look at where America is it says 'Civilised People' which I think is quite a one sided look at their culture and their people. However, this design is made up of stereotypes and companies etc that relate to a country. I think that where ever you go in the world this map would change and I believe that to be a starting point in many ways. If I can take this map as a key bit of  secondary refrence I think I will be able to make something that relates to world stereotypes. The research that I will be able to get out of this I think we be vast as there are many countries in the world and many stereotypes! Just to make myself very clear I will not be looking into stereotypes within a country. Just the country as a whole. If I take the Americans for example, we think of them to be a fat, highly patriotic country. 

"...Interestingly enough it looks like both sexes say that a majority of arguments begin outside the car and are just carried over into the trip; stereotypes would lead us to believe that navigation issues and comments on driving abilities would come in first, and by a long-shot.  But it looks like that’s just not the case.  It’s been my experience, though, that men require way more pit stops than women...." - theblindleadingtheblonde

Even though this is looking at the difference between Male and Female driving I like looking at how its been put together and also how its been designed. I feel the design is alright bit I don't like it as a whole. I guess what is important about is it is that is is quite clearly communicating results of a questionnaire to the audience. Its amazing how we run very strongly with stereotypes but they are never actually that true. Thats another reason why I think looking into cutlural intenties will be intresting. How people will assume straight away that 'you are a bad driver' when in actual fact you could be a very good driver. Your stereotype is giving you a bad name and theres nothing you can do about it! Thats is very much why being stereotyped is mostly always offensive and it makes sense to create something about stereotypes as it will be interesting.  

I think what I like amount this is the amount of detail that has gone into it. If you look at the arrows I think its suggesting what each country or indeed state thinks of one another. For example, Europe has an arrow pointing at the United States of America, within this arrow is written 'Fat'. A very common sterotype of the Americans. The USA then has an arrow pointing into europe saying 'Never Fat'. This is something I'm not too familiar with as I honestly have no idea what the americas think of Europe.

Looking at this map I need to find a way of gathering information about what we as a nation (England) think of the countries surrounding Europe. I don't want to get my information from the internet as that will be easier and will be secondary research. I think its time I look into some primary research and make a online survey. One thing I have to be carful of is offending people so I am going to have to be very sneaky with what I right, that or just very careful.
In terms of the design, again I can not find a designer but I definantly bealive it to be an american who peiced this together considering that America is taking more than 50% of the design its self. I found it on this blog.


Blog: http://www.amykett.com/


What Europeans Think of Each Otherhttp://dailycandor.com/what-europeans-think-of-each-other/

The French — Disliked by some Spanish (particularly the Catalonians), for being arrogant. One woman from Barcelona told me, “Come on¦who really likes the French? Nobody!” The Swiss don’t like the fact that they have contempt for authority and are lazy. The Brits, of course, have the most mixed feelings about the French, though. One half the country hates them, the other half loves them. Those that hate the French tend to like the Americans, and vice versa. In the UK, they’re considered stinky, rude (they never line/queue up like decent people), and a bit yellow, based on their tendency to not fend off invaders like the Nazis.The French, in turn, dislike the British, look down on Belgians for being stupid, and don’t have much to say, in my experience, about Spaniards or Germans (oddly).

The Italians — Most of the stereotypes are positive, but mostly because of the food. Northern Europeans consider them lazy and flaky, and maybe incapable of managing anything right (mostly because of the 50+ governments they’ve had since WW2). One Dutch professor I had dismissed another Italian one, saying, “All the Italians care about are pasta and mamma.”Italians, in turn, don’t have strong feelings about other Europeans, but within Italy, the north-south divide is pretty strong. Northern Italians continuously complain that Southerners are lazy and unproductive, while Southerners complain that Northerners are devoid of culture or joie de vivre.

The Germans — Germans are considered industrious but uptight and humorless, by just about all the other Europeans. They know WW2 is a sore spot for them, so other Europeans will often mercilessly tease them about it. As much as Germany is considered an economic powerhouse, the vast majority of Europeans don’t really want to learn German or study there (or send their kids there to study). The food is considered uninspired, too, and only Berlin has some cachet among younger Europeans for its vibrant underground club scene. The most anti-German sentiments are among the Dutch and Danish, who just hate them from invading their countries too often. When German ask for directions in Holland, they’re usually given directions to the shortest way out of the country, or told “Give us back our bikes!”, a reference to the fact that Germans confiscated Dutch bicycles during WW2.Danes hate it when you pronounce their capital as “ko-pen-HAH-gen”, because this is the German pronunciation. Either pronounce it the English way (with “HAY” instead), or the Danish way, which is literally impossible to put down here.Germans tend to like their Western neighbors far more than they are liked by them, but they look down on their Eastern neighbors, particularly Poles. They, oddly, have some mixed respect for the Czechs, who have resisted German aggression.

The Scandinavians — Widely respected by most other Europeans, because of their high standard of living …and blond hair and blue eyes. However, within Scandinavia there are some persistent stereotypes. The Norwegians, Danes and Finns all think the Swedes are stupid and uptight. Norwegians are considered racist. Danes are considered more blunt than the others, maybe a bit more cranky, and the Finns are oddly introverted, even by Scandinavian standards. Except for the Danes really disliking Germans, and Finns really disliking Russians, they don’t really have anything against other Europeans.

The Belgians — Considered idiots by both the Dutch and the French. Belgians, in turn, consider the Dutch to be a bunch of cranky assholes, and French stuck-up.

The Dutch — The Dutch, like the Scandinavians, have an enviable economy and social order that’s admired by southern European countries. However, they do have a reputation of being self-righteous “know-it-alls” and very similar to their German cousins in terms of their rigidity. But they do not like any comparisons to Germans, and if you remind them that the Dutch national anthem makes a reference to the Dutch being “van Duitse bloed” (from German blood), you might quickly get the silent treatment. The Dutch are also disliked for being the biggest misers in Europe, and because of this they incur the wrath of the tourist industry wherever they travel. The Dutch have been known to stock up on water before they take their campers down to the south of France.The Dutch, in turn, kind of look down on just about everyone. Yes, there’s a bit of a reason for the “know-it-all” smart-ass reputation they have.

The Swiss — Considered extremely rigid, even by the Germans. Blunt to the point of being rude, the Swiss probably have the least likely reputation for being characterized as “friendly” or “warm”. Note that there is a big cultural divide between French-speaking Swiss, and the German-speaking Swiss. The former are almost exactly like the French, except having a blander cuisine and more respect for authority, the latter being more like the Germans except even more stiff, rigid and cranky. However, everyone knows Switzerland “works” so the fact that foreigners comprise 20% of the population (mostly from EU member states) should make this clear.Note that the German-speaking Swiss also speak their own variant of German, which sounds very strange if you’ve only been exposed to standard “hoch-Deutsch”.

The Spaniards — Honestly, very little antagonism against the Spanish or by the Spanish. No one really seems to dislike them, and they don’t seem to really dislike anyone else. (Yes, some Spaniards near the border to France don’t like the French very much) Not entirely sure why. However, God forbid you speak Spanish with a Latin American accent — there is still a lot of snobbery among Spaniards towards Latin Americans. Spaniards consider themselves white and European, and would be deeply insulted if you suggested they were Latin American of any kind.

The Greeks — Only nominally considered European by other Europeans, but the Greeks fiercely identify as European. Naturally, this is a huge irritant to Greeks.

The Poles — Not much seems to register about Poland and the Poles except that they’re quiet. They are a relatively big country (40 million people) so the supposed scare of being overrun by Eastern Europeans when a bunch of Eastern European countries joined the EU in 2005 focused in on the Poles. The Germans really don’t like Poles, and among Germany’s 9 neighbors, are disliked the most. Poland is considered a country of car thieves by the Germans. Really, the relationship between Germany and Poland is similar to that of the United States and Mexico, and often for many of the same reasons (differences in income, history of war, different languages, etc.).Poles really shore up their hatred for their eastern & southern neighbors, primarily Russia and Ukraine, although they don’t like Czechs, Slovaks or Lithuanians either. Oddly, they don’t really mind the Germans, and probably still fear them a bit — you never, ever hear jokes about Germans in Poland.

The Czechs — Considered a relatively bright spot of Eastern Europe by Western Europeans, but I think primarily because Prague is such a gorgeous city and a popular tourist destination. Czechs are a bit like Germans, though — a bit rude, blunt, and cold. Poles don’t have much good to say about them.

The Austrians — Considered a mix of the best & worst aspects of Germany and the Balkans, Austrians are considered laid-back but very nationalistic and racist. They’re said to be the birthplace of Hitler, but never came around to being fully apologetic about the Holocaust (unlike Germany). Neutral feelings from most ofWestern Europe, negative feelings from Germans (who consider them backwards, and not always the representing the best image of German-speaking people) and admired by Eastern Europeans (a throwback to the Hapsburgs).

The British – About half of the British would be really angry at being called European, so that should provide an apt starting point. The main beef with the Brits is that they’re considered the lapdog of the U.S., and are anti-European because the U.S. tells them to be so. They are considered polite, but maybe a bit two-faced (hence “Janus Britain”) and snobby. The Scots and Welsh are tolerated and liked, inasmuch as that no one really knows too much about them outside the UK, but the English are those that bear the brunt of negative sentiments among other Europeans. After all, London is in England.
The English also have a poor reputation in tourist traps, such as Amsterdam and Ibiza, for being loud-mouthed, obnoxious drunks.
The English, in turn, really seem to hate everyone. This is because it’s pretty hard to find an Englishman that has even, at best, neutral opinions about other Europeans (or Americans, or other nationalities). Europe is full of English expats, and the longer they live abroad, the more they seem to hate their host country. And yet they never seem to want to move home.

The Irish — A very small country, despite its exaggerated importance in Americans’ minds (just over 3 million) but considered polite and humble. They nominally dislike the English, but I have yet to meet an Irishman who really loathes the English. The sentiments towards the Irish and by the Irish seem to be positive, overall.

I’ll leave you with this poster I saw in an Italian office years ago, that helps sum it up in some ways:

In Heaven…

• the mechanics are German
• the chefs are French
• the police are British
• the lovers are Italian
• and everything is organized by the Swiss.

In Hell…

• the mechanics are French
• the police are German
• the chefs are British
• the lovers are Swiss
• and everything is organized by the Italians.

I managed to come across more of these maps about how each country looks upon their neighbours and I have to say I find them so funny, I am far from being offended too as on the whole a lot of it is quite true! I find it funny how some countries the english just think 'cake' like we don't give two shits about the county as all. Very funny. But I want to find bolder statments about what we think of wach other, I think thats what i need to be able to crack on with designing. 

A little chart about what europe thinks of each others work efforts.