Towards an Integration of Models of Discrimination of Immigrants: from Ultimate (Functional) to Proximate (Sociofunctional) Explanations

Dmitry Grigoryev,John W Berry,Anastasia Batkhina,Fons Van De Vijver

doi:10.1007/s12134-019-00677-w

Abstract

We integrated models of discrimination of immigrants by combining established approaches to prejudice and discrimination towards immigrants (proximate explanations) using assumptions of Evolutionary-Coalitional Theory (ultimate explanations). Based on this perspective, right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), social dominance orientation (SDO), and multicultural ideology (MCI) were considered as sociofunctional motives for attitudes towards immigrants. We examined relationships between individual differences in beliefs about the social world (dangerous worldview and competitive worldview) as more distal antecedents, and RWA, SDO, and MCI as more proximal antecedents, and the endorsement of discrimination of immigrants in the socioeconomic domain by Russian majority group members as the outcome. Data were collected among 576 participants from 33 regions in Russia, using online social media. MCI predicted endorsement of discrimination of immigrants by Russian majority group members better than did RWA and SDO. SDO predicted only economic aspects of the endorsement of discrimination. The results are discussed within the Russian context, with its ethnically diverse composition of the population and high migration rates.

Highlights

We integrated models of discrimination of immigrants by combining established approaches to prejudice and discrimination towards immigrants using assumptions of Evolutionary-Coalitional Theory
We expected social specificity for right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and economic specificity for social dominance orientation (SDO) (H2). We argue that these ideological antecedents of endorsement of discrimination of immigrants in the socioeconomic domain could be elicited by two related constructs that are broad in scope and do deal with ethnic groups; these ideological antecedents are based the perception of the “general situation”
We set out to offer an integrated explanation of attitudes towards immigrants based on sociofunctional approach and so examine the role of social worldviews, SDO, RWA, and multicultural ideology (MCI) in the explanation of endorsement of discrimination of immigrants by the Russian majority group members

Summary

Participants

The total sample of 576 participants from 33 regions of Russia included 212 women (39.6%) and 324 men (60.4%), aged from 15 to 79 years (M = 35.1, SD = 13.4); 115 participants (21.5%) were students. The sociodemographic sample characteristics are shown in more detail in Table 1.

Procedure

Results

Discussion

Limitations and Further