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ABSTRACT: In the context of globalization, the initial impact of a foreign cultural environment is often shocking on account of the conflict between self-stereotypes (how we see ourselves) and hetero-stereotypes (how we see the others and how the others see us). Therefore, the paper relies on representations of the Romanians in foreign literature and media as concrete examples of stereotypical perceptions of diversity. Ultimately, the study points out that global integration is a matter of cultural awareness, which is a permanent reconciliation of pre-conceived 'images '.
KEY-WORDS: globalization, global integration, diversity, self-stereotypes, heterostereotypes, cultural awareness.
JEL CLASSIFICATION: Z13.
1.CULTURAL STEREOTYPES AND THEIR ROLE IN DEALING WITH DIVERSITY
1.1.Definition and classification of stereotypes
Based on the etymology of the word (Gk. stereos - 'solid' + typos - 'character, type'), the stereotype is defined as "image perpetuated without change" or "preconceived and oversimplified notion of characteristics typical of a person or group"1. The stereotype is the motor of virtually any human interaction, at least in its initial stage, since labelling and classification are part of our instinctive drive to order our experience so that we could make sense of it more easily. As a social and cultural adjustment mechanism, stereotyping operates both as an inward and outward projection of perceptions and expectations, hence its spitting into self-stereotypes, which represent "how we believe ourselves to be", and heterosterotypes "how we believe others to be"; "how others believe us to be" (David 2015, p.53).
Stereotypes are probably the most stable determining factors of cultural interaction. This means that they are historically inherited and so deeply rooted in the collective consciousness that they keep functioning as basic communication cues well after their validity has been challenged by new realities, which often reduce them to mere myths, supported by limited direct experience or the need to justify certain attitudes or actions. This is the reason why Professor David draws attention to the necessity of discerning between representative stereotypes and cliches, the latter being obsolete, isolate perceptions, no longer supported historically, socially or culturally (p. 54).
Finally, it is important to notice that stereotypes can have "positive or negative consequences on a group and an individual level" (David 2015, p. 54), depending on the attributes they set forth to make a...