Attitudes toward Immigration as a Sense of Group Position

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research on prejudice has historically employed Blumer’s group position as a theoretical alternative to Allport’s group conflict in understanding prejudice against members of minority groups. Our purpose in this study is to extend the theoretical parameters of group position into the domain of immigration by defining prejudice in terms of non-immigrant Americans versus immigrants. We find cultural identity threat and subjective economic threat are more significant in informing attitudes toward immigration than objective economic threat. This finding is consistent with and confirms Blumer’s argument that prejudice as a sense of group position is primarily derived from feelings, and is therefore subjective in nature.