Expectation and disconfirmation: dissatisfaction influence on attitude towards immigrants in South Africa

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research has shown that dissatisfaction with government performance negatively influences political system appraisal. Citizens’ view change as they evaluate their government’s economic successes and failures. Economic strains and the perception of the government’s inability to improve citizens’ living standards discourage citizens’ commitment to the political system and trust in governance. However, citizens’ dissatisfaction manifests in tandem with anti-immigrant sentiments. Therefore, this study employs the expectancy-disconfirmation model and uses two nationally representative surveys – Afrobarometer N = 2,390 and South African Social Attitude Survey (SASAS) N = 3,173 – to examine the influence of dissatisfaction on attitudes towards immigrants in South Africa. I explore three dimensions of dissatisfaction to determine their effect on attitudes towards immigrants; government performance, political system, and life dissatisfaction. The results indicate that all three dimensions affect attitudes toward immigrants and are interdependent. They suggest that immigrants are blamed when public service, political system, and life expectations are unmet.