Multi-layer Aspects of Information Manipulation in the Intercultural Area

Abstract

The reflections focus on various aspects of manipulation taking place in the cultural borderland between the majority and the minority. Information manipulation has been subject to exploration from two perspectives. On one hand it concerned activities of the minority trying to take advantage of the majority’s lack of knowledge of the minority culture. Such situation combines lack of intercultural education with issues tackling international laws that provide protection for cultural (and religious) diversity. For this purpose, the analysis embraced results of research carried out within execution of Polish law procedures of dealing with imprisoned foreigners. In such circumstances the prison service staff are obliged to respect cultural (and religious) diversity. Nonetheless, the question to what extent they are familiar with the specificity of the foreigners’ (for instance Muslim) cultures remains open. The second aspect of the analysis considered the opposite, i.e. when public authorities such as media manipulate the social majority in order to shape their opinion on diverse culture, consequently discriminating the minority. Islamophobic content promoted in public discourse often serves as tool of discriminatory practices, generating deformed image of the “other”. Manipulating with islamophobia provides another perspective of this issue, hence the media content concentrated on islamophobic discourse on TV or Internet constituted the second aspect of exploration. The analysis embraced content that – relying on stereotypes and misconceptions – builds up distorted image of a cultural difference exemplified by Muslims.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n22p522