Inglorious glorification and attachment: National and European identities as predictors of anti‐ and pro‐immigrant attitudes

Abstract

Anti-immigrant attitudes are not only widespread among Eurosceptic nationalists, but also among people who feel that immigration threatens European values and identity. We therefore assumed that the connection between nationalism and xenophobia can only partially explain the rise of hostile attitudes in the post-2015 period. In two online surveys (N = 1,160), we compared how (a) glorification versus attachment and (b) national versus European identity can predict anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim attitudes in Hungary. In the first study, national and European glorification predicted higher anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim prejudice. However, attachment with Europe predicted positive, while attachment with Hungary predicted negative attitudes towards immigrants. We replicated this pattern in a second study and found that the different predictions of national versus European identities were mediated by attitudes towards the EU. Eurosceptic attitudes were associated with increased hostility towards both immigrants and Muslim people and reflected a perceived contradiction between the interest of the nation and that of the EU. We conclude that for a better understanding of intergroup hostility towards Muslim immigrants in Europe, we need to simultaneously consider the psychological phenomenon of ingroup glorification and the values and norms of the social categories with which people identify.

Support for collective action against refugees: The role of national, European, and global identifications, and autochthony beliefs

“…In line with our findings, Licata and Klein (2002) found that Belgian participants associated the EU with humanistic values and cultural diversity (assessing these values positively) and that, paradoxically, those who showed higher European identification, and thus acknowledged and adhered to these values, expressed less tolerance towards immigrants. A study from Hungary also showed a negative link between European identification (glorification component) and anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim attitudes (Kende et al, 2019). Klein et al (2003) found a similar negative link among Greek participants.…”

“…On the other hand, although Europe is a more inclusive identity category compared to the nation, it is unlikely that refugees are perceived as part of this more inclusive in-group. Just as national identification is sometimes related to ethnic exclusionism (Pehrson et al, 2009), strong European identification could also be associated with exclusionist reactions towards ethnic out-groups that are not originally from Europe (Kende et al, 2019;Klein et al, 2003;Kohli, 2000;Licata & Klein, 2002). This implies that, in contrast to the earlier argument, European identification could be related to stronger intentions to engage in collective action against refugees.…”

“…Related to the how, based on Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) and Common In-group Identity Model (CIIM; Gaertner, Dovidio, Anastasio, Bachman, & Rust, 1993), we examine whether more inclusive categories reduce the willingness to oppose refugees. There are few studies addressing the question how European identity shapes responses towards minorities (Curtis, 2014;Kende, Hadarics, & Szabo, 2019;Klein, Licata, Azzi, & Durala, 2003;Kohli, 2000;Licata & Klein, 2002) and no research has associated European identification with collective action against a minority group by the dominant majority. Given that the recent so called "refugee crisis" was a European crisis, European identity might be especially relevant in predicting attitudes towards this particular minority group.…”

A Path Toward Inclusive Social Cohesion: The Role of European and National Identity on Contesting vs. Accepting European Migration Policies in Portugal

“…Moreover, the endorsement of humanitarian values can attenuate feelings of threat felt by the national majority, as these values relate to “a sense of concern for the welfare of fellow human beings, and leads to the belief of personal responsibility to help those who are in need” ( Newman et al, 2015 , p.4). Indeed, there is evidence that humanitarian values are negatively associated with anti-immigration attitudes ( Cowan et al, 1997 ; Oyamot et al, 2006 , 2012 ; Newman et al, 2015 ; Verkuyten et al, 2018 ) unless people feel that immigration threatens such values ( Kende et al, 2019 ). The endorsement of values, such as universalism, defined as being the “understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection for the welfare of all people and for nature,” ( Schwartz, 2012 , p.7; see also, Schwartz, 1992 ) has been linked to more favorable attitudes toward immigrants ( Schwartz, 2007 ; Saroglou et al, 2009 ).…”

What Determines Attitudes Toward the Consequences of the Reception of Refugees in Germany? Results from the GESIS Panel 2016

“…Zur Messung der Idealisierung der Eigengruppe verwenden wir in Anlehnung an Schmidt und Heyder daher das Item Nationalstolz, das die positive Haltung zum "Deutschsein" und den Deutschen als relevante Eigengruppe misst. Aus theoretischer Perspektive ist Nationalstolz Teil des übergeordneten Ethnozentrismus, da hier die Eigengruppe definiert wird und die Zugehörigkeit zur Nation gleichzeitig als Abgrenzungskriterium zu anderen Gruppen fungiert (Rosar 2001, S. 30;Kende et al 2018). Im Datensatz sind zwei Items enthalten, die Bezug zu Nationalstolz aufweisen: Zum einen ist dies die Frage ob man "stolz ist Deutscher zu sein".…”