Borders of the image: The image of Spain and collective imagination in French television: a case study of religion and tradition.

Abstract

Collective images about given countries, especially on television, the ultimate information and behaviour medium, are usually characterised by two phenomena: an obvious inertia and a profusion of stereotypes. The imaginary representation of Spain has developed since the 16th century around well-known main characteristics, the country being both festive, sunny and deeply religious, traditional. This depiction is even more common in France, where history and the relationship with religion took a different turn after the 1789 Revolution. In this article, I will try and pinpoint what the principal elements defining the image of Spain are, but also how this unfolds around a series of stereotypes, and how all the coverage aims at presenting Spain as a country rooted in the past and religious tradition. My analysis will be based on two reports taken from a TV journal and a cultural programme from the 1990s. One focuses on the Holy Week in Seville and the other on the “May Crosses” festival. At a time when Spain faces modernisation and deep changes impacting its international image, the resilience of old stereotypes in such TV formats cannot but raise questions on how well the French know their Pyrenean neighbour. Furthermore, I will try and understand through what graphic and verbal devices this image is built, with a particular emphasis on semiotics.