We like some people, we hate others. The image of the national minorities in poland on the border of the european union

Background: This article describes a study concerning the image of the national and ethnic minorities which exist in the border region of Podlasie in Poland. The main feature of this region, compared with the rest of the country, is its national, ethnic and religious diversity. Based on the theoretical approaches: Image Theory of Intergroup Emotion (Aleksander, Brewer, Herman, 1999); Stereotype Content Model SCM (Fiske, Cuddy, 2002); Behaviors from Intergroup Affect and Stereotypes Map (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick, 2007) and Socio-functional approach (Neuberg, Cottrel, 2005), Aims: The aim was to find out what emotions and threats are attributed to the eight most represented national and ethnic groups. Samples and Method: The study group was composed of 1200 people who filled in research questionnaires concerning the estimation of the presence of the groups in the region and in Poland, indicating which group aroused each of the sixteen emotional feelings and eight threats. The participants were asked the same questions twice: first from their point of view and then from the perspective of the inhabitants of Podlasie. Results and Conclusion: The main results suggest that except for the groups of the high risk of threat and negative feelings, there are also certain groups towards which positive feelings are felt. The situation of these minorities is clearly not the same. Future research could extend these preliminary results.