Bulgaria: Beyond the Stereotyping, Prejudices and Clichés ‘Pride and Prejudice- overcoming stereotypes’, Vocational High School of Veterinary Medicine, Dobrich, Bulgaria
A lot of people think about Bulgaria like it is a land, far away from the civilization, maybe somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, or maybe it's an African village with some clans, which lives in misery and which are stupid. Some people also say: “Ah! Bulgaria! Yes, BUCAREST” or "Ah! Bolivia! Yes, yes!". Such kind of lack of information about our country, or stereotyping opinion, prejudices and clichés, of course, make us Bulgarians to feel uncomfortable and to be a bit mistrustful to the “others”- our foreign friends. First stereotypes were born …
Introduction Stereotyping Stereotype: Working definition: Generalized beliefs about all members of a cultural group Ø These stereotypes are learned early in life, reinforced by messages all around us. Ø Frequently based on false assumptions, anecdotal evidence or impressions without direct experience with a group. Ø Can be positive or negative. Prejudice / Discrimination Prejudice: Working definition: Negative attitudes toward members of specific social groups Discrimination: Working definition: Negative behaviors directed toward members of social groups who are the object of prejudice
The danger of stereotypes & prejudice Ø They’re not only simple and efficient Ø In their simplicity, they insist that “others” are different from “us” in fundamental and even dangerous ways Ø Other groups’ differences are portrayed as threats to “us” Ø Generalizations about cultures or nationalities can be a source of pride, but more often a source of anger, simply bad jokes, even hate & racism.
Roots of some Bulgarian stereotypes & prejudice National Identity. Bulgarian national identity is premised on the understanding that the Bulgarian nation (people) was formed with a distinctive ethnic identity during the Middle Ages (from a mix of Slavic, Bulgar, and other ethnicities). This identity, preserved throughout Ottoman rule, formed the basis for an independent nation-state. The history of the struggle for a Bulgarian state provides key symbols of national identity. Another premise is that ethnic and territorial boundaries should overlap. This has led at times to territorial conflicts with neighboring states. Moreover, this renders ambivalent the status of minorities, since they do not share the same ethnic and historical ties to the Bulgarian lands and state. Stereotype & Prejudice distribution in Bulgaria 1. Myths (beliefs, history, norms, “folk wisdom” about social reality) 2. Proverbs (family organization, customs, education) 3. Politics (daily lives) 4. Art (cartoons) 5. Various forms of media (news, newspapers movies, television).
Ø Bulgaria lies at a crossroad of peoples and civilizations, where different customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and cultural stereotypes coexist in a turbulent mixture. Ø Some examples of Bulgarian character: Positive auto-stereotypes features warm, friendly tolerant hardworking Bulgarians Some negative features poor open -minded pessimism corrupt Bulgarians nice self-critical clever mistrustful patient sly envious
Three types of stereotyping & prejudice Old-fashioned / Modern / Implicit I. Old-fashioned (These stereotypes originated from the Communistic history of Eastern European countries) 1. Bulgaria/Eastern Europe is a boring, uninteresting place 2. “Wild East“ stereotype of Bulgaria and the Balkans 3. Cold War - minded people 4. “Bulgarian umbrella” - was an umbrella with a hidden pneumatic mechanism in it which shot out a small poisonous pellet containing ricin. II. Modern (These stereotypes originated during from the transition period) 1. The corruption level is high in Bulgaria 2. “Bulgarian transition” (poverty, deeply divided society, social confusion, lack of prospects, political crisis, mass immigration, demographic crisis) 3. 3. “Bulgarian ethnic model”- a factor of stability in the Balkans III. Implicit 1. Bulgaria / Eastern Europe are stern 2. Bulgaria is unknown country for the most of Europeans 3. “Dark Balkan fellow”
Primary & Secondary Dimensions of Stereotyping: members of specific social groups share certain traits or characteristics based on: Work Background Income Parental Status Education Geographic Location Way of life Race Ethnicity Gender Age Physical Qualities Religious Beliefs Marital Status Military Experience
Some Bulgarian negative stereotyping: Parental Status These stereotypes originated both from Bulgarian traditions and the long Communistic history of Bulgaria. Beliefs: “Mother must stay at home and take care of her baby” “Mother and father sacrifice for their children” Jokes: “Your mom tells you not to sit on cement or your ovaries will freeze. ” “Your grandmother will not accept the fact that you're not hungry Bulgarians stay at their parents' home until they have saved up enough money to pay for a flat. This can take a while, which is why many Bulgarians leave their homes when they’re already 30 years old, even several generations may still all be found under the same roof. The Role of the Family ØThe family is the fundamental social unit in Bulgaria and much of society is based around it. ØThe family is generally very close and forms large networks of mutual assistance and support. “Listen to old to get older”
Some Bulgarian negative stereotyping: Marital status Bulgarians typically marry by individual choice, although families may exert pressure on the choice of spouse. Some groups, such as Pomaks and Gypsies, previously arranged marriages and may occasionally do so now. Bulgarians tends to support marriage. According to them “matching is good”. This tendency has a deep historical root coming from the long-lasting patriarchal tradition. Although a lot of couples live without a certificate of marriage “Unmarried women have a bad personality” “Empty man-sharp knife, empty woman herself ill” Jokes: “You live with your mom and dad until you are married. ” Bulgarians tend to invite a lot of relatives & family friends on the wedding day of their child. “At your wedding you know only about a third of the guests. ” Laughs & proverbs “When you're married with kids and your mother still insists on cooking for you. ” “Up until the age of 25, you can get married under your own steam. Over 25, your relatives try and find you a match Over 30, the whole village tries to find you a match Over 35, and even the devil can't find you a match. ”
Some Bulgarian negative stereotyping: Gender The social stereotypes concerning gender roles in Bulgaria are also highly influenced by the patriarchal tradition. There’re some remnants of a patriarchal (men rule) model among the Turks, Armenians, Jews, and Gypsies. “Real men are in control of the situation”, “Real men don’t cry”, “ Act like a man”, “Men don’t listen”, “Women talk to much” Negative stereotypes towards professional skills of Bulgarian women “Women are too emotional and soft to be real leaders” “Women are bad drivers” At the same time the female character does not always have negative connotations. Very often the feminine beauty, mind, positive housewife image and patience are in focus. Usually, Bulgarian men never made any major decision concerning the family’s well-being without asking the opinion of their wives. In most families, women were (and often still are) the treasurers of the family’s wealth.
Some Bulgarian negative stereotyping: about way of life /pessimist/ Without being at war and without suffering a natural disaster Bulgarians see themselves as one of the poorest nations with a late start for everything that is believed to be “good” and “popular”. The reasons relate to economy and politics. Although many Bulgarian are clever and resourceful and manage somehow to make a decent living in a very tough environment. They often makes jokes based on their own tragedy. It is their only chance to survive … “Hope dies hard”, “We’re to be blamed, and not the others. ” / Collective guilt / “All the others are better than us”, “Bulgarians tend to hide their native place” “We are bound to fail because we are Bulgarians…” work background / Bulgarian women are “white slaves” / Women are bad-paid than men. They frequently employed as teachers, nurses, pharmacists, sales clerks, and laborers, and less often involved in management, administration, and technical sciences. Women are also largely responsible for household tasks - child care, cooking, cleaning, and shopping. “Women tend to do more hand labor”. about education Bulgarians are people who value and care for their children’ education “If you’re highly educated, you can do much for your life” “No education, no success”
Some Bulgarian negative stereotyping: Religious Beliefs The strongest religious values among Bulgarians are rooted in Orthodox Christianity, although some vague reminiscences of the ancient pagan tradition are adding some nuances. The common Bulgarian folk have not been famous for their religiousness. As a rule, the religious doctrine is subject to rather down-to-earth interpretations, and fanaticism or fundamentalism is not prized at all. The restrictive attitude toward sexuality has vanished with the patriarchal morality. Most Orthodox Bulgarians and Muslims are not observant, and many are atheists, partly a result of the state socialist government's attempts to discredit religion. Despite some resurgence of interest in religious observance since the fall of state socialism, religious practices have become largely markers of cultural identity. “Bulgarians are atheist” “No one can help you, even God if you don’t help by yourself” Envious, Egoist “It's not so important that I am well, but that my neighbour is worse off than me. ” “Bulgarians as a nation do not have the habit of helping each other” ”In foreign dish do not put salt”. Military Experience According to Bulgarians a man must be able to use the weapon, to be physically rough, disciplined. Nowadays military service is a voluntary one. “A man who has no military experience is not a real man, otherwise, when the boys will be man?
Some Bulgarian negative stereotyping: Jealousy Why Bulgarian men are jealous? - Because Bulgarian women are very attractive and beautiful. Why Bulgarian women are jealous? - Because Bulgarian men are handsome.
Some Bulgarian negative stereotyping: Corruption Big problem, big losses Corruption in Bulgaria has become the country’s biggest problem, leading to billion- euro losses each year and posing a threat to expected funding from the European Union to Bulgaria
ØBureaucratic corruption ØPolitical corruption “ Dog drags - no tracks “ “ Appetite comes with eating “ “ If you want to know man, give him power “
Some Bulgarian negative stereotyping: “Bulgarians are Smokers” Bulgarians are heavy smokers. A great percentage of young people smoke. As a result: ØSmoking kills about 11, 000 people a year in Bulgaria ØAbout 8, 000 die in middle age from smoking ØMany of those killed in middle age would have lived on for 10, 20, 30 or more good years ØAbout 20 years of life are lost, on average, by those killed in middle age by smoking “When you're hungry, go and buy a pack of smokes. ”
Case Studies of Ethnic Stereotyping & Prejudice Building up their state, Bulgarians perceived the others in the following triad: non-Bulgarian, non-Christian, non-Orthodox. This determined their negative stereotypes of Roma, Catholics, Jews, Turks and Pomaks, which were quite prominent in the second half of 19 th c. The stereotype of Roma: thieves, bruisers, speculators, liars, frauds, criminals, dirty, ignorant, primitive, lazy, undisciplined, musical, ØThe negative attitude is an outcome of the modern society ØThe inability of Roma to adapt to the changes / features of nomads, parasites / ØLow educational, professional and qualification level ØNatural criminals ØUncivilized liars /from the view- point of the European Christian culture/. High birth rate Ø ØAs a result there’re negative stereotypes among employers with respect to Roma workers. ØBecause of these significant social boundaries many Roma are forced to avoid self-identification and “be Turks” or “be Bulgarians” to survive or hopefully stay occupied
Case Studies of Ethnic Stereotyping & Prejudice The stereotype of Turks Bulgarians tend to strongly dramatize the cultural differences with Turks and in critical situations their stereotype of deep fear, animosity and suspicion gets activated. It’s based on Turkish physical presence in the role of the “other” and on the typical of the Balkans folkloric thinking, expressed in the literature and humanitarian studies of the 19 c. - the focus point was on their brutality and outrage. In the Cold War period new characteristic features were added to the image of the Turk as an enemy - Turkey is a NATO member state, “fifth column”, an instrument of foreign policies and propaganda. Bulgarian territories might be cut off in favour of Turkey /following the Cyprus model Nowadays, the “others” are characterized, they are described as united, skillful, diligent, clever but at the same time hostile, suspicious, cruel, likely to get into conflicts. Only in regions with mixed population, there exist ambivalent opinions based on personal experience in communication.
Case Studies of Ethnic Stereotyping & Prejudice The stereotype of “British expat” British Expats in Bulgaria: We Came Here "Just To Live Our Dream“ Many expats spread right across Bulgaria last decade. For Bulgarians “Brit expat” (the variety of Britons who have made Bulgaria their home, tend to be from UK inner-city areas, with the majority moving to areas in rural Bulgaria) is old, retired, cannot speak Bulgarian, and doesn’t integrate well. There is a general two-tier Bulgarian attitude towards the “new neighbors”. -Negative: regarded the class of local immigrants as “scum, rubbish – the decent ones are not coming here [to Bulgaria]”. -Neutral, even Positive: It seems there’s an admiration for expats’ correct business ethics and conduct, for hard work and persistence, for the fact that the Brit will “muck in” with work to be done; and, most important, there is a widespread appreciation of the humanity of expats- not so much for caring for the plight of stray cats – but for considerate, warmhearted human interaction. Several Bulgarians mentioned that their new neighbors were intensely interested in local crafts, music and other traditions.
Case Studies of Stereotyping: “Bulgarians are criminals” The new 'heroes' The new 'heroes 'mutra‘ (Bulgarian Mafioso) In the post-socialist period (1989 -1999), crime is seen to be out of control in Bulgaria, and the police are viewed as ineffective at best and involved in rapidly escalating crime rates at worst. The most common reported crimes are property and car theft, while allegations of corruption are widespread. Another common perception is that certain economic sectors are controlled by so-called mafia groups operating outside the law. Ordinary people often feel helpless to do anything about these situations. In some rural communities, less formal systems of social control continue to operate for addressing problems such as crop damage from livestock trespass, and local authorities may mediate disputes. A typical new Bulgarian entrepreneur is the 'mutra' in Bulgarian, a Mafioso, typically a tough guy with a short haircut, designer sunglasses and gold chains who drives an expensive SUV with tinted glasses. The 'mutra' emerged in the early 90 s from similar circles, in particular sportsmen, therefore they are also called 'wrestlers'. Their area of activity is Bulgaria and its neighbouring countries, and they mainly deal with racketeering, smuggling and drug dealing, as well as people trafficking and prostitution. Their monthly income ranges between tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars, and in late 90 s in some cases reached millions of dollars.
Case Studies of Stereotyping The new 'heroes' 'privatisation man', or 'white collar' The 'privatisation man', or 'white collar', is another offspring of the Bulgarian transition. 'Born' in the period 1993 -94, with a good education and managerial experience, privatisation men easily make millions of dollars. Typically, these are businessmen who build on knowledge and relationships from their previous occupation as a director of a state-owned factory or an officer of the secret police. The privatisation men excel in activities such as tax fraud and money-laundering. 'exchange-man' Shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the so-called 'exchange-man' appeared in Sofia. His main activity was exchanging money, but more often, money scams. Usually, this kind of activity was developed by ex-prisoners, sometimes students or sportsmen left without jobs. The monthly income of such 'exchange agents' in some cases reached several thousand USD per month. Their places of activity were city centres and tourist resorts. Nowadays most of the 'exchange men' have changed occupation and call themselves 'businessmen'.
Case Studies of Stereotyping The new 'heroes' 'yuppie' A category 'imported' from the West is the 'yuppie', a term which normally means young urban professional. The yuppies came to Bulgaria around the year 2000, bringing there knowledge and experience gained in the West. Yuppies often deal with complex issues such as post-privatisation and consultancies, but also tax evasion and money laundering. Often, as many to recent examples illustrated by the Bulgarian press have shown, they also engage in politics.
Steps to Reduce Stereotyping (Action – Proficiency Stage) Ø Personal, informal contact (examine one’s assumptions) Ø Formal education and training Ø Contact / multiple group members to breakdown stereotypes. (seek / check information from members of other identity group to distinguish real inter-group differences from culture, traditions and myths) Ø Request feedback from others about one’s use of stereotypes Ø Challenge other people’s assumptions and statements that involve generalizations. Working on ridding ourselves of stereotypes and preconceived notions about people, is one step closer to becoming a better person.
"Where is Bulgaria? " If they ask me where I saw the dawn for the first time, If they ask me where is the place I love the most. I will tell them it is where the great white Danube flows, Where, from the east, the Black sea rumbles and glows, There, where the Balkan proud stands, Where Maritza in the Tracian plain flows. Oh, dear Bulgaria, Place full of good, Place that nurtured me, I bow to you now!
“The discovery of others is the discovery of a relationship not a barrier”
‘This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. ’
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