National identity and anti-immigrant attitudes

Abstract

This study reveals the structure of national identity among Russians, and tests the effects of different components of national identity on attitudes to immigrants. We hypothesize that there are three distinct components of national identity that effect anti-immigrant attitudes differently: nationalism (positive), cultural patriotism (no effect), and political patriotism (negative). Sample (N = 856) includes representatives of Russian host population, aged from 16 to 71 (Me = 36), 51.2% female. Using measures of national identity and anti-immigrant attitudes from International Social Survey Programme, I tested and confirmed the hypothesized structure of national identity through exploratory (Study 1) and confirmatory (Study 2) factor analysis. Then I tested the effects of three components of national identity on attitudes to immigrants using structural equation modeling (Study 3), and found all the expected associations. In Study 4 I explore the underlying mechanism of the positive effect of political patriotism on attitudes to immigrants, and found that only among people with higher subjective material wellbeing this component of national identity leads to more positive attitudes to immigrants. The study sheds light on the structure of national identity among Russians and explains the controversy in the evidence from the earlier studies regarding the role of patriotism in attitudes towards immigrants.