Obraz Stanów Zjednoczonych i ich mieszkańców konstruowany przez polskie dzieci (na podstawie badań ankietowych w szkole podstawowej w Ełku)

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present the notion of Americanization and the perception of America in Poland by one specific group, that is very young Poles. While the role of the American culture keeps changing, the mirror of these changes can be observed in Polish children’s perception of the United States and its inhabitants. This article attempts to measure the impact and the level of Americanization of Polish students, based on surveys conducted in an elementary school in Ełk. The study involved two questionnaires, one focusing on how well students know America and how they construct its meaning based on the sources from which they learn about the United States, and the second concerned the young Poles’ fascination with McDonald’s restaurants. The conclusion of the study is that the construction of America is largely distorted, even though the students have correct basic knowledge about this country, while at the same time there is definitely an ongoing process of Americanization in Poland.