Abstract

The present research aims at exploring how the terms West-East are perceived by Greek University students. The research attempts to elucidate the students’ perceptions about and attitudes towards the different semantic description of the specific terms in History as well as everyday life. The sample consists of 138 written texts produced by students attending Greek Universities. The content analysis of the texts under research reveals the stereotypical confusion about the historical, topological and cultural meaning of the terms in a Eurocentric view. The semiotic analysis highlights specific choice and use of notions and paradigms about the states that belong in the West-East. The results of the analysis demonstrate that national history teaching as well as the discourse of the media construct stereotypical perceptions about people and life in the West-East.