Original_To:  BITNET%"politics@ohstvma"
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.politics
Date:         Sat, 3 Oct 1992 12:43:00 EDT
From:         CMORRISO@SNYESCVA.BITNET
Subject: Anybody find this interesting, feelings on nationalities? Chris.

From:   BITNET%"HUNGARY@UCSBVM.BITNET"      "Hungarian Discussion List"  3-OCT-1
992 08:27:50.50
To:     Christopher Hobe Morrison <CMORRISO@SNYESCVA.BITNET>
CC:
Subj:   Re: Hungarian minorities in the neiighboring countries

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Date:         Sat, 3 Oct 1992 05:27:49 -0700
Reply-To:     Hungarian Discussion List <HUNGARY@UCSBVM.BITNET>
From:         MACEYTAY@ARIZVMS.BITNET
Subject:      Re: Hungarian minorities in the neiighboring countries
To:           Christopher Hobe Morrison <CMORRISO@SNYESCVA.BITNET>

Re hating one's neighbors:

This summer, when I was teaching in Bratislava (to teachers of English
from many countries), I had an enlightening experience.

There was an article in a newspaper form the UK about a survey of
attitudes towards people from other countries which had found that
most of the respondents put their neighbors on the top of the list
of people they most disliked.  I decided to use this article as the
basis for a communicative activity of the "values clarification"
type, so I designed a little activity around it.  After my teacher/students
got over their shock that we were going to discuss hatred/prejudice
in a course, right out in the open, they did the activity and immediately
confirmed the results of the survey, even with the limitation that, in
this group, we would eliminate from consideration any country represented
in the group (which would not be necessary in their own classrooms since
they generally had all students from their local areas).

My shock when teacher after teacher named Hungarians was evident!  I have
been treated so well by Hungarians that it is well-known that Hungary is
my favorite place to go in Europe, and I was acting like a travel agent/
promoter on behalf of Hungary during this 4-week institute, providing
maps, restaurant recommendations, etc. to all interested in taking the
short trip to Budapest etc.

But most of the teachers came from the countries you all are citing.

The second thing of interest to me in this activity also was related to Hungary.
The second part of the activity was to put people in small groups in which
there were macthes beween most-liked country and most-disliked country
(peoples, not the lands).  In some groups, the likers of X were able to
cause the dislikers to modify their views to some extent.  This didn't
work with Hungary.  Obviously, there weren't many to speak in favor of
Hungary, but I doubt that it would have turned out differently if there
had been, for all the historical reasons you all have cited.  I THINK
this situation among the teachers is a case of collective point of view,
not one of each individual having formed an opinion on the basis of his
own experiences with the neighbors, as it clearly was in the reasons
others gave for disliking or liking the Germans, Brits, etc.

Macey Taylor  maceytay@ccit.arizona.edu
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU