Abstract
Migration elicits mixed reactions from the host‐society. Negative responses towards migrants seem to emerge when migrants are perceived as culturally different. We investigated when and why perceived cultural distance (PCD) is associated with negative migrant attitudes by focussing on differences in cultural values. We expected that PCD in social values (focus on relationships and society) should be more strongly associated with attitudes towards migrants than personal values (individual needs and gains) and should be mediated by symbolic threat. In two quasi‐experimental studies (N = 200, N = 668) with Dutch participants (host‐society), we simultaneously tested effects of respondents’ perception of Dutch values, their perceptions of migrant values (of Moroccan, Syrian, Polish ethnic origin), and PCD between Dutch‐migrant value on attitudes. For all migrant groups, PCD in social values was associated with more negative attitudes, less tolerance, and less policy support regarding migrants; this was mediated by symbolic threat. These links were weaker for personal values.
Highlights
perceived cultural distance (PCD) in social values was associated with more negative attitudes, less tolerance, and less policy support regarding migrants; this was mediated by symbolic threat
PCD in personal values could be linked to attitudes towards migrant, but we argue that social values might show a stronger link in the current intergroup context
Polynomial regression can test to what extent the relation between PCD in values and migrant attitudes is due to respondents’ perception of Dutch values, their perceptions of migrant values, and their combined effect (Barranti, Carlson, & Cote, 2017; Wolf et al, 2019)
Summary
A considerable number of people in Europe are concerned about migration and intolerant towards refugees and migrants (European Social Survey, 2017) This seems to especially apply when refugees and migrants are perceived to be very different compared to members of a host-society (e.g., Mahfud, Badea, Verkuyten, & Reynolds, 2018). The current research sets out to investigate when and why members of a host-society may perceive PCD, and how this is associated with negative attitudes towards migrants People overestimate similarities within and differences between cultural groups (e.g., Adams & Markus, 2004)
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