Stereotypical Images of Ukrainians and Russians in a HumanitarianCrisis: Multicultural Perspectives

Abstract

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: This article aims to map the stereotypical image of Ukrainians and Russians from a cross-cultural perspective in the context of the ongoing armed conflict. RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The research problem concerns the cultural differences that are revealed in the perception of representatives of the two nationalities that are involved in the armed conflict. Since stereotypical judgements are most often revealed in language, an adjective check list was used for the study. A sample of 92 Polish and Slovenian students took part in the study. The collected linguistic material was used to analyse and compare cross-cultural stereotypical judgements about Ukrainian and Russian citizens. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The argument begins with theoretical perspectives on the concept of stereotyping and the process of stereotyping. The role of language in the stereotyping process is analysed. An analysis of the results and conclusions is presented. RESEARCHRESULTS: In general, Polish students attribute fewer positive adjectives than Slovenian students to both Ukrainians and Russians. The analysis revealed significant statistical differences as well as similarities between the researched groups of Polish and Slovenian students in terms of the stereotypical image of Ukrainians and Russians. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS: Empirical evidence shows that Polish and Slovenian students have more in common in their perception of Russians, while they perceive Ukrainians quite differently. The linguistic characteristics obtained in this study provide a general insight into the perceptions of the two nationalities involved in the war. It should also be noted that these characteristics of Ukrainians and Russians may constitute socially important knowledge on the negative stereotypes about these nationalities. This knowledge may be useful in challenging counteracting or disseminating such judgements, which may be harmful and lead to prejudice or discrimination against people from the nationalities studied.