Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/368911
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 AUGUST 2014 15 Russia: War, girls and oligarchs Perceptions on Russia are conditioned by the current conflict in the Ukraine (20.8%), which dominated the news over the past months. Stereotypical tags range from the obvious climatic association with cold weather (17.3%), vodka (4.4%) and its communist past (13.7%). Some observations on current Russian society included the new class of rich oligarchs who emerged from the ashes of Stalinist Russia (4.4%), but only 2% referred to Russia's strategic role in providing Europe with natural gas. Interestingly, while 8% associate Russia with "beautiful women", only 1% refer to human trafficking. China: Progress or global dominance? China is the only one of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India China and South Africa) associated with progress (10.6%) and economic might (5.3%). Despite the remarkable transformation and the capitalist class co-existing with one party rule, 14% still associate the giant with communism. 11% associate it with economic and technological progress and 6% with trade progress. Despite this awe at China's economic prowess 12% mentioned cheap labour and products and child labour. Only 1% associate China with the iconic Tiananmen revolt. None associate China with military might, an issue creating concern in South East Asia. Instead 9.3% associated the country with its food, reflecting the proliferation of Chinese restaurants in Malta over the past two decades. India: curry and poverty Perceptions on India remain crystallised in the past, with most respondents ignoring the economic prowess of the emerging BRICS nation where extreme poverty (40.4%) coexists with wealth and Bollywood stars. The top two associations were curry (9.3%) while Hinduism and 'lack of hygiene' were chosen by 4.4% of respondents. Dubai: wealth, luxury and artificiality Dubai, one of the emirates constituting the United Arab Emirates, is mostly associated with wealth (24.8%) and luxury (21.3%). In a reflection of Maltese aesthetic taste, 6% associate the emirate with "beauty" even if 4% associate it with "artificiality". Interestingly Maltese perceptions on Dubai also resonate with the current government's planning agenda which foresees more high rise development (3.1%) and land reclamation (3.1%). Nobody associated Dubai with its more controversial side, namely the exploitation of foreign workers and human rights violations. United States of America: vast and mighty The sole remaining global military superpower elicits a variety of impressions ranging from an adversity to its arrogance (3.1%) and interventionism (4.4%) to a reverence towards the American dream (3.1%) and perceived role in furthering the cause of freedom (4.8%). Hollywood (4.4%) and Las Vegas (3.1%) also dominate perceptions along with the iconic and tragic image of the collapsing Twin Towers (3.9%). Completely absent from the Maltese landscape is the US association with counter culture, music and its civil rights movement. The top associations were wealth (13.3%), 'vast spaces' (7.6%), and military might (5.3%). Brazil: Football, Samba and Carnival Brazil is another BRICS nation whose technological and economic prowess escapes the popular imagery of the country, which remains firmly anchored in its association with football (25.7%), carnival (16.7%), coffee (5.8%) and samba (4.8%). Yet with regard to Brazil, probably thanks to the left-wing orientation of the Church in Latin America, the Maltese also display sensitivity towards social inequality (10.6%) and poverty (15.1%). Somalia: war, poverty and disease The Maltese show an awareness of problems like poverty (40%), hunger (5.3%) and war (7.1%), which contribute to the influx of migrants (12.8%) who cross to the Mediterranean. Yet 5% also associate Somalia as a country with "disease" which suggests a latent fear of migration from this war ravaged failed state. Piracy got 2.2% responses. Switzerland: from Heidi to Sant The picture most Maltese have of Switzerland is that of a wealthy (7.1%) idyllic alpine country (17.3%) derived from the tale of Heidi and replete with references to mountains, natural beauty (10.6%), chocolate (4.4%) and cheese (2.2%). But 9% also associate Switzerland with banks (8.8% - money laundering got in at 1.3%). The Maltese also tend to associate this country with discipline (3.6%) and cleanliness (4%), an observation also made in regard of other Northern European countries mentioned in the survey. A few Maltese also associate Switzerland with Alfred Sant (2.2%), who popularised what was originally Mintoff 's vision of Malta as a Switzerland in the Mediterranean, an allusion to its role as a neutral country in Europe. Sweden: blondes and welfare It may well be Europe's leader when it comes to gender equality (2.2%) but in the Maltese psyche Sweden is associated with beautiful, mostly blonde women (9.8%). Sweden also elicits some more sophisticated references to its welfare state (5.8%), environmentally friendly (2.6%) and liberal policies (1.3%). Yet none referred to Sweden's increasingly multicultural identity, having absorbed the largest influx of migrants coming to Europe in the past years. 'Natural beauty' got in at 10.2% of preferences. Italy: Gastronomy and culture While Germany is viewed as Europe's powerhouse, Italy is seen as Europe's more lyrical underbelly, mainly associated with food (24.4%), fashion (2.2%) and culture (11.7%). In contrast to Germany, Italy is associated with economic crises (7.6%) and political instability (4.9%). In a gross generalisation 8% associate Italy with the Mafia. Despite the popularity of Italian football only 2% associate Italy with the game. People also associate Italy with the Vatican seat (7.6%). UK: Royals and shopping In a sign of lingering colonial ties combined with the media circus around it, the royal family (18.6%) dominates the postcard images the Maltese have of the United Kingdom. In a sign of the resilience of Oxford Street in the Maltese psyche, the UK is also seen as a shopping destination (10.2%). The UK is also associated with multiculturalism (5.3%) or more blatantly with black people (1.7%) by a smaller minority. Germany: discipline and strength Although 7% remain trapped in the past, associating modern democratic Germany with Nazism, most Maltese tend to associate Germany with its fiscal and economic discipline or "seriousness." Yet the Maltese image of Germany tends to border on the stereotypical, with most Maltese ignoring the laid-back and bohemian scene in cities like Berlin. In fact the stereotype seems to fulfil German Chancellor Angela Merkel's appeal to the proverbial austerity of the Swabian housewife. Interesting is the association of Germany with cleanliness (5.8%) and references to the "cold character" (3.6%) of Germans. Romania: adoptions, poverty and crime… Most people associate Romania – one of the latest countries to join the EU – with poverty (25.3%). But a substantial 21.7% also associate Romania with adoptions, reflecting the large number of children adopted by Maltese couples in the 1990s following the fall of communism. This positive association tampers more negative images of Romanians as criminals (a view expressed by 3%), which is fuelled by the sensationalist media in neighbouring Italy. Interestingly 3% associate Romanians with the Roma minority, a minority pushed to the margins of Romanian society. A small number of respondents also associate Romanians with pole dancers (1.8%) working in gentlemen's clubs and a smaller number with human trafficking (1.3%). Syria: war and fundamentalism Syria is mostly associated with the civil war (69.7%), which has been ongoing for the past three years. Related terms included dictatorship (3.1%) and chemical weapons (3.1%) and now also fundamentalism (4.4%). A sizeable 4% also associate Syrians with plasterers (4.4%) working in Malta. Despite the arrival of Syrian refugees in the past months only 3.1% associate Syria with immigration. This could reflect the association of migrants with Africa. Libya: war and confusion Oil rich (2.7%) Libya is associated with war (63.5%) and confusion (5.8%) in a reflection of current events, which have seen rival militias battling each other and the erosion of the last remnants of central authority. Only 5% associate Libya with its former dictator Gaddafi. 1.3% mentioned Maltese workers. South Africa: poverty, disease and Mandela Just 7% associate South Africa with the iconic Nelson Mandela who led the struggle against apartheid, just one notch above those who associate South Africa with its wildlife (6.2%). Clearly South Africa is also perceived to include a larger portion of sub-Saharan Africa to the extent that 11% associate it with Ebola, a disease that has not affected this nation. 4% even associate South Africa with immigration (4.4%), even if South Africans do not feature among those seeking protection in Malta. Poverty was the top association, at 17.8%. Azerbaijan: Eurovision and gas Despite its growing importance as a shareholder in the ElectroGas consortium (4.4%), which is set to dominate the local gas market for the next 18 years, Azerbaijan emerges as the least known among the countries surveyed. In fact only 32% could think of something when they were faced with this country. Interestingly half (15.6%) mentioned the Eurovision song festival, controversially held in the country in 2012 amid widespread repression against human rights campaigners in a country ruled by the Aliyev dynasty. Also mentioned were gas (8.8%), the Soviet Union (3.1%) and war (1.3%). comes to development. The survey shows the Maltese split between 42% who find Dubai an undesirable model and 37% who find this model desirable. Juncker unknown to 70% New EU commission president Jean Claude Juncker remains largely un- known in Malta. In fact only 28% could state the name of the present commis- sioner. When asked 2% either men- tioned his predecessor Jose Manuel Barroso or his rival to the post Martin Schulz, while an overwhelming 70% re- plied don't know. Juncker was the first President of the Commission to be indicated by the par- ty winning the relative majority in EU elections following a campaign, which saw both leading candidates for the post visiting Malta. Fear of Ebola and ISIS When asked to state the greatest threat to world peace and security re- spondents reflected global apprehen- sion on the spread of Ebola and the rise of the ISIS caliphate in Iraq. In an indication of a Maltese lingering obsession with immigration 12% con- sider it as the most pressing problem in the world. While as a single issue Ebola tops the list of concerns as a single issue (15%), 16% expressed concern on Islamic fun- damentalism and ISIS. In a clear indica- tion of islamophobic views, a further 7% consider Islam and Arabs as a problem. This suggests that a significant per- centage of Maltese fail to make a distinc- tion between Islam, and the atrocities committed by ISIS against Christians, Yazidi and other fellow Muslims. In another generalisation 5% consid- er religion in general to be a threat to peace and security. MaltaToday survey Palestinians Don't know None Israel Both Ukraine, the EU and the US Don't know Russia and Eastern Ukraine separatists None We asked respondents who they feel was the most justified in the conflicts taking place in the Gaza strip (left table) and in Crimea, in Ukraine. A sizeable fraction feel Palestinians, in the first, and Ukranian national forces in the second conflict are the most justifed. But another chunk are unable to 'pick a side' since they may not enough about the conflicts through Maltese 39.7% 31% 20.4% 6.7% 2.2% 43.5% 38.3% 11.1% 7.1%