Social Structural Sources of Anti-immigrant Prejudice in Europe

Abstract

:In sociological theory, structural perspectives postulate that attitudes are a function of individuals, “life situations,” which result from the prevailing social context and their location within it. This article examines individual-level sources of anti-immigrant prejudice in seventeen European countries included in the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) 1995: National Identity. The focus is on social structural sources of prejudice that indicate location in the larger social context, such as social class and stratification position. While there are many one-country studies of prejudice that emphasize social structural variables, there are few cross-national analyses. Thus, an important gap in the literature on prejudice is addressed. The following questions are posed: To what extent do both social class and position in the stratification system affect anti-immigrant prejudice in a variety of European countries? Does social class affect prejudice above and beyond stratification position? Does stratification position affect prejudice above and beyond social class? Do the effects of social class and stratification position vary across Western and Eastern Europe?