I have collected the following documents over the years. To me, they are good examples of what leads to intercultural “miscommunication”, or alterisation of the world. Most of these documents are taken from the Finnish context.

To be fair, let us not forget that the entire world is full of these.

1. « musée du quai Branly, là où dialoguent les cultures » + Algarveshopping

Intercultural communication is reduced to meeting of CULTURES (not individuals)

Dialogue?

2. Ad for new T-shirts (University of Turku). Extreme multiculturalism…

3. Auto-stereotype: Finnair and punctuality

4. Finnish chickens… Marketing and ethnocentrism…

5. Interculturally incorrect (white and black)? “Innocent” and essentialist Iitala, Finland

6. The Finnish Red Cross and clichés on Finns. What Finnish “culture” will they be introducing?

7. Thank you Stockmann (Department store) for the French feeling!

8. FCUK and banal nationalism (England 2001)

9. IKEA is inviting us to celebrate Midsummer with all the Swedes!

10. French Telerama compares “multiculturalism” to a Rubix cube!