The representation of Eastern Europeans in British internet debates
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| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
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| Description | The paper analyses reader comments that accompany recent reports on immigrant-related problems in the UK, contrasting the opinions and evaluations expressed by readers in the UK and in the country from which some of the immigrants come. While the analysis reveals several common sentiments, there are some marked differences between the data. In the UK blogs, references to EU policies are repeatedly voiced and immigration is perceived both as a threat and a benefit to the receiving country. In the Czech data, such topos are entirely missing; what prevails is a group confirmation of existing ethnic stereotypes, since the whole issue of emigration/immigration is framed as affecting only the Roma population. While UK readers’ comments occasionally deal with ethnicity as well, their discussions are not limited to this issue only and address a broader range of issues. |