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Running head: STEREOTYPES ABOUT IMMIGRANTS

Critical discussion and evaluation of the dominant stereotypes about immigrants in Greece

using psychodynamic and sociocultural approach

University Of Gloucestershire (Athens M.C.)

Subject: PY 318 – Stereotypes

Tutor: Dr. V. Giotsidi Word count:

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Introduction

Living in Greece during a deep socioeconomic crisis, the idea of conducting a study about the

dominant stereotypes against immigrants appears as inevitable in a sense. The everyday interaction

with messages and images that carry inside them latent, or even obvious, stereotypical ideas about

immigrants, became the cause of the present study. But it is something more than that; it is the

rising of the discrimination against cultural and ethnic minorities, refugees and immigrants and any

other type of social excluded populations like homeless or drug-addicted people, that triggered the

present paper.

Before diving deeper in the topic, it has to be reminded that all these are taking place in the

birthplace of Xenia, the ancient Greek word for hospitality. In the ancient Greek mythology, every

stranger was protected by the god Zeus, and especially Xenios Zeus. For the purpose of this study, it

is hypothesized that stereotypical views against immigrants are present in Greek society. In the

beginning, a brief analysis of what is a stereotype and how it works, will be presented. Then, the

present paper will begin concentrating on the topic of the immigration and the stereotypes that the

Greeks show against immigrants. After this more theoretical analysis, another analysis will take

place. Three pictures from the Press will be presented and analyzed using two different approaches,

the psychodynamic and the sociocultural approaches, in order to see how the stereotypes are

coming into sight by the Press.

What is a stereotype

For Schneider (2004), stereotypes are liken to colds. They are irritating and infectious, thing

that makes them very hard to be distinguished. A linguistic analysis of the term would provide a

better understanding. Stereotype derives from the synthesis of two Greek words, stereo and typos.

Stereo is referred to something solid, concrete or in Schneider’s words “hard to get rid off” (p 1).

On the other hand, typos is referred to a pattern which in this case is a repetitive one, in other words

a model. Therefore, stereotypes are dealt as a concrete type of thinking, some specific

generalizations that are relatively solid and unchangeable (Schneider, 2004). Furthermore, in order

to strengthen this idea, it can be argued that its definition has to do also with a typing tool. In

typography, a metal plate called stereotype was in use for many years. It is also suggested that the

stereotyping process is quite primitive activity that has to do with cognition (Schneider, 2004).

Adorno et al (1950) studying about the authoritarian personality, suggested that the old-school

scientific thought about stereotypes was away from its real process, arguing that stereotypes are not

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just an innate tense of an individual but a social and cultural product. In other words, Adorno et al

(1950) brought to light a different perspective which attached a greater role into history, culture,

interaction and society. This idea, some years later, got enriched by Foucault (1976) with the

concept of bio-power and bio-politics.

Psychodynamic and sociocultural approaches

Freud (1930) suggested that humans have some universal innate instincts and urges. Because,

as he believed, civilization is the repression of these instincts, human’s death instinct becomes

repressed too. In order to avoid the death instinct, humans redirect it to other activities like political

activities or sports. Freud’s opinion was that this redirection occurs because these types of activities

are socially acceptable (Freud S., 1930). Despite this, these activities are considered as aggressive

for Freud who connects them with the idea of control. According to Freud’s psychosexual stages of

development, the anal stage is related with control. It is when the little child starts controlling its

rectal secretions and starts having sense of limits. These limits provide the child with the idea of self

which, more specifically, appears enhanced. In a more abstract way, the idea of self is related with

the Freudian Ego more than with Id or Surepego (Freud S., 1905, 1908; Jones and Elcock, 2001). At

this point it has to be mentioned that the ideas of control and prediction are crucial for the present

analysis, as it will be presented later in the present paper.

Going a step forward, it has to be mentioned that for Freud stereotypes are unconscious

mental processes in relation to the idea of self, the idea of control. These processes defend and

control the idea of self against “the other” providing the sense of limits and the ability to predict.

Freud named them defense mechanisms (Freud A., 1937). Such defense mechanisms that are related

with stereotyping process are projection, slitting, displacement and identification (Freud A., 1937).

One phenomenon that is crucial for studying stereotypes is the scapegoat theory. This process

involves together splitting and displacement with which the individual places his/her own

insecurities to “the other” (Freud. A, 1937). A group, or an individual, denying to recognize some

“negative” element on its/his/her own behavior, projects them to other and makes them enemies in

order to repress, control or even exterminate them. An example of this process is what happens in

Greece where some people consider that immigrants are responsible for current socio-economic

crisis. This idea was not so popular in Greek society before the outburst of the crisis. According to

Hovland and Sears (1940) it can be explained by the worsening of economic situation. In other

words, scapegoating and prejudices are connected with the socio-economic situation. Furthermore,

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Adorno (1950) suggested that the rigor edification of an individual by his/her family, predisposes

him/her to develop a personality through hierarchical structures, seeking discipline, law and order.

This idea is related to identification defense mechanism (Freud A, 1937).

One factor which determines this edification is culture and socio-economic status. As the

psychodynamic approach were criticized for personalizing the idea of stereotypes and

discrimination, Pettigrew (1958) after a number of studies, suggested that a social environment that

promotes certain stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination, like the USA and South Africa in the

past, play a key role. In contrast to that, it is suggested that a more hospital or tolerant society helps

these behaviors to be diminished (Pettigrew, 1958). These cultural norms describe a moral guideline

which designates an individual behavior (Schwartz, 1999).

Immigrants in Greece

In order to make it more vivid and comprehensive, this present paper will take three

photographs that were published recently in the Greek Press which promotes some stereotypical

views about the immigrants. These photographs will be analyzed in order to show how these

stereotypes are reproduced. But before starting the analysis, some things have to be mentioned in

order to define the framework in which the present analysis will be conducted.

Firstly, there is continuous demarcation happening where the Greek Press (but also

international Press) and dominant political parties are making, suggesting that there are illegal and

legal immigrants. The stereotypical image on an illegal immigrant is that he/she is, and always will

be, illegal and unlawful (Kasimis, 2012; Ulrich, 2012). Some other stereotypes will be seen in

analysis in the next chapter.

Analyzing stereotypes

Starting with the first photograph (Appendix A), it can be seen that there is a distance between

a Greek, possibly, man who walks the street and the foreigners who are gathered across the

pavement which a characteristic density. From a first glance, it’s a rainy afternoon in the center of

Athens where the Greek is holding an umbrella and the foreigners found a shelter under a building,

standing with a sullen face possibly waiting the rain to stop. The Greek man who walks the street is

imaged while he is looking at them, again from a distance, with curiosity, possibly. The stereotype

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here is firstly the distance between the Greek and the foreigners which could show the distance

between the Greeks in general and the immigrants. A distance between two “separate” worlds. On

the other hand, the photograph shows something else and quite interesting. If someone looks at the

photograph from a distance, he/she could notice that the umbrella that the Greek man holds, stands

above the heads of the foreigners giving a sense of protection. This latent message could be

described as the humanely and the compassion to the foreigners which go beyond the distance

between those “two words”, a distance that turns into a plasmatic segregation. In a sense the rain

which caused this distance could be perceived a symbolism of the situation, the crisis (Hoveland

and Sears, 1940), that when it ends, they will be mixed up walk together on the same road.

On the other hand, the other two photographs (Appendix B, C) show police checking

immigrants. The common point of these two photographs is that in both case policemen are treating

them as dirty or infected from virus people. The stereotype of the dirty and smelly immigrant is

present. This can be seen, in the first case (Appendix B), by the surgical mask that the policeman

wears and in the second case (Appendix C) by the policeman’s surgical gloves. This idea is

reinforced by the Greek government.

“Describing the problem posed by a burgeoning population of undocumented

immigrants in central Athens as “a ticking time bomb for public health,” Citizens’

Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis and Health Minister Andreas Loverdos

announced on Sunday that all migrants will henceforth need a health certificate

proving that they have no infectious diseases.” (From ekathimerini.com, 2012)

Furthermore, in the second photograph (Appendix B), the distance between policemen and the

immigrants are present for real, not with the symbolic character that was found in the first

photograph (Appendix A). Despite the precautionary measures that policemen took against the

foreigners (the surgical masks), they still keep a distance from them. This could be perceived as an

indication of the stereotype of “the ticking bomb for public health”. In addition to that, the image of

police surrounding the foreigners in a way that reminds a shepherd leading his/her flock of sheeps.

This could be another indication that promotes the stereotype of control; police is taking over and

controls the situation. The stereotype here might be the idea that the role of the police is to control,

to protect the social limits. Another stereotype that is reproduced in the second photograph

(Appendix B) is the idea of the “illegal immigrant” as it was described before in the present paper.

The image of a massive gathering of foreigners and especially women (Appendix B) could be an

indication of the stereotype that wants all immigrants to be “illegal” and unlawful. Grouping all

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these people together gives the idea of a generalization concerning of immigrants. This

generalization expands the idea of “illegal immigrants” to all immigrants; in other words, all

immigrants are “illegal”.

Conclusion

Culturally, Greece is a place that historical was not a receiver of immigration. Traditionally,

Greece was exporting immigrants all over the world, from the USA and Canada to South Africa and

Australia. This phenomenon is new for the Greek historics (Baldwin-Edwards and Apostolatou,

2009). The basic stereotype that exists in Greek society derives from the history of ancient Greece.

Supposedly, that this “glorious” past gives a justification to feeling of superiority. It can be argued

that in this crucial period for Greece, crisis might have created a crisis of identity and especially

national and class identity. Applying the theory of defense mechanisms on the today Greek society,

it could be argued that there is a trend for scapegoating foereigners on which they put the blame for

the crisis. Examples for this were found when analyzing the three photographs (Appendix A, B, C).

Because of limited space for a further analysis on the topic, this present study could trigger

further investigation on the topic which according to the current situation of crisis, whould be very

fruitfull.

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References

Adorno T. W., 1950, The Authoritarian Personality, Harper

Baldwin –Edwards M. & Apostolatou K., 2009, Greece; in Fassmann H, Reeger U. & Seivirs W.,

2012, Statistics and Reality; Concepts and Measurements of migration in Europe, Amsterdam

University Press, pp.233-263

Foucault M., 1976 (2012), The History of Sexuality; vol 2, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Freud A., 1937 (2011), The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense, Kamac Books

Freud S, 1905 (1959), On the sexual theories of children, in The Standard Edition of the Complete

Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Volume IX (1906-1908): Jensen's ‘Gradiva’and Other

Works, pp 205-226

Freud S., 1905 (2011), Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, Martino Fine Books

From ekathimerini.com, 2012, Compulsory Health Checks for Migrants, Retrieved 12 March

2013, from http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_01/04/2012_435856

Hovland, C. I. & Sears, R. R. ,1940, Minor studies of aggression: VI. Correlation of lynchings

with economic indices; Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, vol 9, pp.301–31

Kasimis C., 2012, Greece: Illegal Immigration in the Midst of Crisis; from Migration Information

Source web-site, retrieved 12 March 2013, from

http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=884

Pettigrew, T. F. ,1958, Personality and socio cultural factors in intergroup attitudes: Across –

national comparison. Journal of Conflict Resolution, vol 2, pp.29-42.

Schneider D. J., 2004, The Psychology of Stereotype, Guilford Press

Schwartz S. H., 1999, Cultural values, Work Values; Applied Psychology; An international

review; vol 48, issue 1, pp.23-47

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Ulrich A., 2012, Illegal Immigrants in Greece: At the Mercy of the People Smugglers; Der

Spiegel, issue 21/2012, retrieved 12 March 2013, from

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/thousands-of-illegal-immigrants-enter-europe-

through-greece-a-834415.html

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Appendix A

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Appendix B

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Appendix C