Jokes about Germans, Americans, and the French not funny any more

Generalizations about countries, cultures, and people give rise to pride, national identity, and, of course, jokes. But scientists found that for 49 cultures, although there were cultural trends, they were not what the stereotype suggested.

The international study, published in Science magazine, questioned almost 4000 people and compared their answers to perceived national stereotypes. Their conclusions sum it up nicely:

National character ratings were reliable but did not converge with assessed traits. Perceptions of national character thus appear to be unfounded stereotypes that may serve the function of maintaining a national identity.

Amusing commentaries at MSNBC and The Times.

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