Europeans among themselves: Geographical and linguistic stereotypes

Stereotypes can be studied from the perspective of political geography and critical geopolitics as part of geographical imaginations, in other words those geopolitical representations that help us make sense of the world around us. They necessarily frame our perception of ongoing events, and inform our behaviour in our attempts to influence them. Europeans produce and reproduce images of each other, regardless of the specific nature of their relationships – violent or peaceful – and political changes. “Othering” is part and parcel of
identification processes, and the stereotyping of other Europeans has not disappeared with European integration. This chapter discusses territorial and linguistic stereotypes, i.e. stereotyping based on place and/or language. It will pay specific attention to the use of stereotypes in popular culture, especially the comical use of stereotypes, as humour is a way to question images of the self and the other that are taken for granted, and to foster efforts to overcome group prejudice. Three cultural projects using stereotypes for European identity politics are considered in more detail.