Models of stereotypizaton of national characteristics, gender roles and behavioral scenarios in series

(on the example of the polish series “The Girls from Lviv” and “The Londoners”)

Abstract

The series as a subject of research is an area for generating and demonstrating stereotypes, especially if it is a serial product filmed for a domestic audience, and not for a wide range of viewers from other countries. When creating such a product, the authors primarily focus on consumer requests, that is, they try to fit into the worldview that these consumers have. Actually, stereotypes are the basis of such a worldview, and the research proves that national and gender stereotypes in this sense are the most revealing, as they are related to the individual’s deep ideas about values. Thus, a closed structure of influence is formed, in which the consumer imposes their vision on the authors, the imprint of which is then received in the form of a serial product, which, in turn, influences them and strengthens or expands their system of worldview stereotypes. The problem of self-vision and the vision of other peoples, self-vision through others are a rather interesting area of cognition and self-cognition, and the relevance of this area of study is more intensified in the periods of mass migrations pushing nations to closer relationships. As a matter of fact, both series under research are a reflection of these processes. The purpose of the research is to analyze the peculiarities of national Polish and Ukrainian images of migrant women and men in the TV series “The Londoners” (Poland, 2008) and “The Girls from Lviv” (2015), to identify stereotypes stimulated by cultural and historical patterns in the formation of these images as those that demonstrate the persistence of national stereotypes, which are based on gender stereotypes. The research is carried out by means of content analysis in certain problem areas.

The results of the study allow proving that national and gender stereotypical roles are not a manifestation of intolerance of one people to another, but instead are a product of mastering the everyday consciousness of direct and informational experience from the whole complex of sources. Serial content is, on the one hand, formed on the basis of such stereotypes, which are key to everyday consciousness, and on the other hand, it is the basis for consolidating or spreading these stereotypes. In the two analyzed series, the scenario of difficult subjugation of a foreign country and culture can be clearly traced, but for Ukrainians that occurs in women’s scenarios, for Poles — in women’s and men’s scenarios. The men in both series play active social roles, they are successful specialists, defenders, rescuers, guarantors of happiness, and both series are about the Polish men. Women consistently fulfill the traditional roles of Cinderella, a mother, a guardian of the house, a wife, a helper, though there are examples of successful female careers in the series “The Londoners”.