A survey of ethnocentrism in australia

Beswick, David; Hills, M. D.

doi:10.1080/00049537208255799

Cited by 32 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…Australians have reportedly held overwhelmingly negative attitudes towards minority groups since their first contact with Chinese labourers (McKay & Pittam, 1993). For example, Beswick and Hills (1972) found that 53% of white Australians expressed negative attitudes towards immigrants when measured on the Australian ethnocentrism scale. Similarly, contemporary research such as that done by Walker (1994), who examined attitudes towards Aboriginal and Asian people and women, and Pedersen and Walker (1997), who examined attitudes towards Aboriginal people, has also confirmed the prevalence of prejudicial attitudes towards these groups in Australia.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitudes towards refugees: The dark side of prejudice in Australia

Schweitzer

Perkoulidis

Krome

et al. 2005

Australian Journal of Psychology

155

105

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Australia has a significant intake of refugees each year. The majority enter through the humanitarian entrants program and a small percentage arrive seeking asylum. These processes have resulted in considerable debate, which has sometimes been associated with negative attitudes within the mainstream community. Research has indicated that realistic threat and symbolic threat are important components of the integrated threat theory for understanding opposition towards immigrants and refugees. Social desirability has also been indicated as potentially influential in the expression of negative attitudes. The current study examined the prevalence and correlates of negative attitudes towards refugees in an Australian sample. Participants consisted of 261 volunteer university students (119 men and 142 women). Participants were assessed on a prejudicial attitude measure, measures of symbolic and realistic threat and the Marlowe -Crowne Social Desirability Scale. The results indicated that more than half of the participants (59.8%) scored above the mid-point on prejudicial attitudes. Male participants reported less favourable attitudes towards refugees than female participants. Analysis revealed that both realistic and symbolic threats were influential in predicting prejudicial attitudes and, of these, realistic threat was the better predictor. The results are discussed in relation to the integrated threat theory of prejudice and in the context of addressing prejudice towards refugees in Australia.

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confidence: 99%

Attitudes towards refugees: The dark side of prejudice in Australia

Schweitzer

Perkoulidis

Krome

et al. 2005

Australian Journal of Psychology

155

105

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The questionnaire employed consisted of four sections. Section one consisted of 32 items representing the Australian Ethnocentrism Scale (Beswick & Hills, 1969, 1972. This scale was derived from a pool of items set up to comply with various facets of ethnocentrism as defined by Levinson (Adorno et al, 1950) and illustrated in the California E scale and the British Ethnocentrism scale.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another line of inquiry has focused on the concept of ethnocentrism. Past research has strongly suggested that this concept is important in ascertaining attitudes toward ethnic groups (Adorno, Frenkel-Brunswick, Levinson, & Sanford, 1950;Beswick & Hills, 1969, 1972Gallois, Callan, & Parslow, 1982). Ethnocentrism refers to the tendency to evaluate all outgroups negatively, regardless of race, culture, or politics; and it includes a positive component of idealism of the ingroup (Beswick & Hills, 1969).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Such evaluations often serve to accentuate the ingroup-outgroup differences encountered in intergroup contact, facilitating the development of ingroup favouritism and outgroup hostility. The present study employed the Australian Ethnocentrism Scale (Beswick & Hills, 1969, 1972 to tap the respondents' level of ethnocentrism. While similar to the original E-scale (Adorno et al, 1950), the Australian Ethnocentrism Scale was developed specifically for Australian conditions, and assumes that ethnocentrism constitutes a general rejection of all outgroups and an overevaluation of one's ingroup.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Immigrants and immigration: A survey of attitudes

1987

Australian Psychologist

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This study has been designed to clarify some of the issues raised in the recent immigration debate. Specifically, the study focuses on three research questions: (a) What are the criteria deemed important by Australian‐born residents as the yardstick for migrant selection and assessment?; (b) what are their attitudes toward the present level of immigration, and to the suggestion that the present level of immigration has exacerbated the current unemployment situation?; and (c) what are the correlates of these attitudes? In the first part of the study. 56 Australian‐born respondents (both males and females) wrote down the criteria they thought that immigrants in general have to meet before being allowed into Australia. Content analysis of these responses resulted in 15 selection and assessment factors which closely parallel those listed in the government's migration points system. In the second part of the study, 143 respondents (71 males, 72 females) were surveyed as to their attitudes toward these 15 assessment factors, immigrants in general, and the present level of immigration. Endorsement of the 15 assessment variables indicated a preference for an assessment and selection procedure that is humanitarian‐based, but which also takes into account the economic viability of the potential migrant. While the results offered little support for the statement that migrants had exacerbated the unemployment situation, there was some support for the belief that the level of immigration into Australia should remain the same or be decreased. With regard to the correlates of these attitudes, the concept of ethnocentrism was found to be the best predictor, while the weak relationships obtained for the demographic variables suggest that their explanatory power is minimal. The implications of these findings for the issues raised in the recent immigration debate are discussed.

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“…The Australian Ethnocentrism Scale (Beswick & Hills, 1969, 1972, used by Gallois et al (1982), stresses the importance of colour prejudice and anti-communist feelings to the rejection of ethnic minority groups by Anglo-Australians. Both concepts may be relevant to the Vietnamese.…”

Section: Potential For Daily Conandct Ethnocentrism and Gendermentioning

confidence: 99%