Nationalism and Support for Immigrants' Rights Among Adolescents in 25 Countries

Abstract

Adolescents' attitudes toward immigrants develop in tandem with their sense of national identity. In this article we identify factors that influence restrictive views of nationalism and opposition or support for immigrants' rights during young people's formative years, among the generation that comprises today's young adults. Data were analyzed from 77,000 native-born 14-year-olds from 25 countries surveyed in the IEA Civic Education Study of 1999. National indicators of citizenship policies and demographics were incorporated into a multilevel analysis. High levels of protective nationalism were associated with negative attitudes toward immigrants' rights in long-established democracies, but not in newer ones; this relationship was stronger in religiously diverse countries. Adolescents in countries with more restrictive citizenship policies were less supportive of immigrants' rights, although these policies did not moderate the extent to which attitudes to immigrants were correlated with nationalism. The findings illustrate the importance of attention to the national context when studying the development of social attitudes.