School Matters: The Effects of School Experiences on Youth\u2019s Attitudes toward Immigrants

Katharina Eckstein,Peter Noack,Marta Miklikowska

doi:10.1007/s10964-021-01497-x

Katharina Eckstein, Peter Noack + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01497-x

Copy DOI

Abstract

Although schools have been described as an important socialization context for the development of intergroup attitudes, longitudinal multilevel studies are still rare within this field. This 3-wave study (with annual assessments) of German adolescents (N = 1292; Mage = 13.86; 51.8% female) examined the role of school experiences (perceived multicultural education, supportive peer relations in class, democratic classroom climate) in the development of youth’s negative attitudes toward immigrants. Longitudinal multilevel analyses revealed that a democratic classroom climate predicted youth’s attitudes at the individual level. At the classroom level class-average perceptions of a democratic classroom climate, supportive peer relations in class, and multicultural education (the latter solely among male, higher track students) were associated with less negative attitudes toward immigrants. In addition, age moderated the effect of school experiences on attitudes, showing that perceptions of a democratic climate at the classroom level mattered in particular among older adolescents. The findings suggest that school experiences are related to youth’s negative attitudes toward immigrants and can therefore help to reduce the risk of prejudice development.

Highlights

As societies become increasingly culturally diverse, reports of intolerant attitudes toward immigrants are viewed with concern—a concern that becomes all the more serious when it affects young people
Despite a steep increase of the immigrant population during the last decade (2010–2020), only around 7% of the total population of Thuringia is of immigrant descent
The proportion of people without an educational degree is higher among people of immigrant descent compared with people without immigrant background, educational inequalities between people with and without immigrant background were found to be less pronounced in Thuringia than in other federal states of Germany (TMMJV, 2019)

Summary

Introduction

As societies become increasingly culturally diverse, reports of intolerant attitudes toward immigrants are viewed with concern—a concern that becomes all the more serious when it affects young people. In Germany, this history varies considerably between regions and especially between the federal states in the Western and Eastern part (i.e., former German Democratic Republic, GDR) of the country. The present research is based on data that were collected in the federal state of Thuringia, historically a culturally rather homogenous region located in the Eastern part of Germany. Despite a steep increase of the immigrant population (i.e., people who immigrated to Germany themselves or have at least one parent who migrated to Germany) during the last decade (2010–2020), only around 7% of the total population of Thuringia is of immigrant descent (compared to 27% at the national level; Thüringer Ministerium für Migration, Justiz und Verbraucherschutz, TMMJV, 2019). The proportion of people without an educational degree is higher among people of immigrant descent compared with people without immigrant background, educational inequalities between people with and without immigrant background were found to be less pronounced in Thuringia than in other federal states of Germany (TMMJV, 2019)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion