Is it possible to transfer the basics about another culture in 724 words? Or if not, what else can be gained?
This shall be an essay to explore in which way different cultures present each other in modern times, illustrated on the basis of a German homepage presenting several information about Finland. The very popular german radio station EINS LIVE publishes this page. The choice was made because it’s so popular, it applies one of the most modern information ways and present an interesting composition of the information. Furthermore one can assume that these information are relative important for the future image of Finland in Germany, because the target group of this radiostation is the generation between 14-30 and therefore the future generation of a more and more accreting Europe.
First of all there will be given some more necessary information about the analysed homepage and its publisher. Afterwards, every topic will be analysed which and in which way information is given. Finally it should be tried to reflect why this choice was made. That means the way in which the performing culture influences the choice and how far this gives information about the illustrated culture. The final aim here is to draw conclusions how transfer of a culture works or is practiced in modern Media and times.
Content:
A Introduction
B Main part
The object of analysis
Analysis
First conclusions
C Summary
A Introduction
Is it possible to transfer the basics about another culture in 724 words? Or if not, what else can be gained?
This shall be an essay to explore in which way different cultures present each other in modern times, illustrated on the basis of a German homepage presenting several information about Finland.
The very popular german radio station EINS LIVE publishes this page. The choice was made because it’s so popular, it applies one of the most modern information ways and present an interesting composition of the information. Furthermore one can assume that these information are relative important for the future image of Finland in Germany, because the target group of this radio-station is the generation between 14-30 and therefore the future generation of a more and more accreting Europe.
First of all there will be given some more necessary information about the analysed homepage and its publisher. Afterwards, every topic will be analysed which and in which way information is given. Finally it should be tried to reflect why this choice was made. That means the way in which the performing culture influences the choice and how far this gives information about the illustrated culture.
The final aim here is to draw conclusions how transfer of a culture works or is practiced in modern Media and times.
B Main part
The object of analysis
The core target group of the radio station EINS LIVE are people between 14 and 30 in the federal state NRW and it reaches up to 2.9 Million listeners each day. Every second person under 30years in NRW listen EINS LIVE every day in it’s target group the radio station reigns supreme[1]. Other reasons to choose their page are that it’s such a modern way of information sourcing. It isn’t only popular for it’s radio programme, it as well organises several parties, concerts, a very famous radio price for musicians, author-readings, even something like an apprenticeship[2] and couple exchange and added to all this one can find additional information on their homepage which is always mentioned during the radio-programme.
Unfortunately one can find no indices when this the homepage was first published, if it’s updated regularly and who has written it.
The page about Finland is pretty hidden under the category „Das Wort ® Der Service ® Politik ® Die EU-Länder“. It’s announced aim is:
„Was du schon immer mal über die EU-Staaten wissen wolltest ... Klick dich durch die verschiedenen Länder und erfahre so mehr über Besonderheiten, Klischees und Spezialitäten der jeweiligen EU-Mitglieder.“[3]
There you can find the following categories: Einwohner; Hauptstadt; Typische Vornamen; Besonderheiten des Alltags; Das sagt man ihnen nach; Platte Klischees; Das solltet ihr euch dort verkneifen; Das sollte man gegessen haben, Beliebtes Sprichwort; Schimpfwort, das ihr euch verkneifen solltet; Image der Deutschen; Spitznamen für Deutsche; Typische Feste und Bräuche; Superlative und wichtiges Wissen; Darauf kann das Land stolz sein; Schmerzhaft für das Land; Bekannte Finnen; Musik Export.
Analysis
First of all the page shows the some of the most important facts: number of Einwohner and the Hauptstadt. To make the given number more demonstrative they relate it to the targets group surroundings. It’s said that Finland’s inhabitants are as much as the inhabitants of the Ruhrgebiet. Perhaps this is a first clue that they try to transport new information through familiarity, so they offer the reader something known where he can directly tie up to. Perhaps he didn’t know how many people live in the Ruhrgebiet before but after reading he know that his familiar environment has something in common with first the alterity-like appearing Finland.
It’s interesting what Typische Vornamen is to be supposed as useful to know about a country. It leads to the question if the aim here is more information or entertainment. The own announcement about the purpose, as quoted before, sounds more like information. However one can perhaps say that the knowledge of typical names can as well carry a feeling of familiarity. E.g. if you get to know some finish people you are not that irritated about their names if you have heard of them before. Noticeable also that they list so many first names like in no other EU-country but so consequently it becomes after a few names confusing and boring to study them. To get familiar with them, it would be more useful to offer only a few names, so one can have a short view. The risk of over-information is decreasing interest and finally nothing is memorized. One can’t guess why they have chosen this names or where they have this information from.
The Besonderheiten des Alltags listed here one can summarize in some information about: Sauna, Tango, birthdays are not big celebrated, missing one and two cent coins, great temperature difference between north and south, winter and summer, sunlight in Lapland, occasions where they take their shoes off. Those are mostly some kind of typical facts about Finland and matching the part of stereotype that is not that interpretable. They’re only added with some ‚nice’ information so it’s more entertaining.
[...]
[1] Einslive Steckbrief, (http://www.messetreff.com/mg-nrw/01sender/sender06d.htm found at the 25.11.06)
[2] Companies can make a short job discription and also searching people can advertise for themselves.
[3] Der Service, Politik (http://www.einslive.de/daswort/derservice/politik/ found at the 20.11.06)
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