Xenophobic Attitudes Research Articles

Effects of Structural Inequalities and Misleading Discourse of Social Policymakers on African American families in God Help the Child

In sociological and anthropological studies of African American family formation and development, racial hierarchies, criminal violence, social policies, and systemic disparities are often ignored. This study emphasizes the gradual development of consequences of xenophobic attitude of the society that stigmatizes African American family culture in the United States. The prevalent approach in social sciences was to blame the victim on certain group membership or racial specification such as color, background, and physical traits. These structural inconsistencies have been undervalued or studied only occasionally and irregularly. This is qualitative study that analysis Toni Morrison’s Gold Help the Child in the light of a rethinking history, a postmodern notion. The textual analysis of the selected text reveals that that formative policy makers focused on Black people’s violence and individual level incongruities but ignored their fundamental problems and latent potentialities. The finding further shows that the lack of structural and systematic analysis misled the discourse of policy makers and more precisely often justified black violence that reflects cultural inferiority and unique experiences of legitimatizing all kinds of violence and negativity propogated against them.

The ‘xenophobic’ resident: modelling the interplay between phobic cognition, perceived safety and hospitality post the Chinese ‘zero-COVID-19’ policy

ABSTRACT A conceptual mediation model was developed to explore the resident-tourist nexus, particularly the interplay between xenophobia and the perceived safety of travel and tourism activity in influencing residents’ hospitality towards inbound Chinese tourists post-China’s ‘zero-COVID-19’ policy. Data from a cross-sectional deductive study were generated from n = 499 residents. Underpinned by the Stimuli-Organism-Response model, the results of the mediation model reveal the negative indirect effects of resident xenophobic attitudes on residents’ hospitality. Primarily via the intervening effect of perceived safety. Residents’ phobic attitude also directly influences how safe residents perceive travel and tourism activity in their locale to be and how hospitable residents would be towards inbound tourists from a selectively ‘ostracised’ source market such as China. The findings highlight the importance of the resident-tourist nexus as an antecedent to the overall post-crisis tourist experience and sustainable tourism recovery. The resident-tourist interaction emerges as a critical post-crisis discourse and the in-situ empirical findings of this study offer tourism marketing practitioners and policy-makers critical insights into resident-responsive behaviour towards foreign tourists.

Does the cultural awareness of nurses affect brain drain and xenophobia?

Turkey is on the transit route of immigrants as it is located between countries where poverty and wars are intense and European countries. Therefore, there are countless immigrants from different countries in Turkey. Migrations affect every sector, especially the health sector. The aim of this study was to determine how cultural awareness of nurses, who are the cornerstone of the health system, affects brain drain and xenophobia. The problem of health care is not only on the agenda of immigrants, but also on the agenda of health service providers in their countries due to economic and working conditions. This research was designed as descriptive and relationship-seeking. The data of the research were collected through Google Forms between December 5 and 26, 2022. A total of 231 nurses working in a public hospital in south-east Turkey participated in the study. Data were evaluated with descriptive statistics as well as reliability, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation and linear regression analysis. It was determined that the attitudes of the participants towards brain drain were moderate, their cultural awareness was low and their xenophobic attitudes were high. In addition, it was determined that 44% of the change in the total score obtained from the intercultural awareness scale was explained by the scores obtained from the xenophobia and brain drain scales. In this context, it may be possible to reduce xenophobic attitudes by giving intercultural awareness trainings to nurses. In addition, it is important to provide working conditions and economic support by health policy makers to prevent the brain drain of nurses. Nurses may need to provide care for individuals from different cultures due to the regions in which they live. For this reason increasing their cultural awareness and reducing xenophobia may ensure that they provide improved care to their patients.

The Vulnerability of European Roma to the Socioeconomic Crisis Triggered by the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Roma are the most significant ethnic minority in the EU, subject to severe discrimination, social exclusion, and poverty. Due to their deplorable living conditions, isolation, and widespread antigypsyism, Roma are among the most affected by the socioeconomic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article aims to assess the impact of this crisis on the Roma population from a multidimensional perspective. A thematic review of recent studies and reports on the pandemic’s effects on the Roma ethnic minority in Europe was carried out. In this work, the COVID-19 pandemic has been identified as a new global factor that influences the pre-existing exclusion dynamics and Roma mobility within Europe. Results show that these precarious living conditions have deteriorated to alarming levels in most European countries, leading to increased food insecurity and new forms of discrimination and stigmatization. The Roma ethnic minority has been disproportionately affected by mobility restrictions imposed by COVID-19. In all European nations, racist and xenophobic attitudes toward the Roma ethnic minority have increased during the socioeconomic and health crisis. The pandemic has intensified a process of ethnicization, fostering anti-Roma sentiment among the general population.

Structural forces shape xenophobia in South Africa: Looking beyond the human agent

AbstractIn examining xenophobia in South Africa, scholars have advanced various theoretical explanations to make sense of its causes and nature. Within this paper, I focus on the ways in which multiple structural arrangements create conditions for the manifestation of xenophobia in post‐apartheid South Africa. By drawing on Louis Althusser's notion of ‘interpellation’ and Judith Butler's concept of ‘the subject,’ I disconnect xenophobia in South Africa from the conscious and autonomous human agent and locate it within larger structural frameworks, namely historical residues of othering, neo‐liberal political economy, the exclusionary state and negative media representations of refugees and migrants. I argue that voluntary, conscious attitudes do not primarily lead to violence or other forms of exclusion as some may argue; instead, a constellation of systemic/structural forces shape and inform xenophobic attitudes and violence. This paper asks scholars to look more deeply into the relationship between exclusion/violence and structural constraints than perhaps they have.

Body odour disgust sensitivity is associated with xenophobia: evidence from nine countries across five continents.

Body odour disgust sensitivity (BODS) reflects a behavioural disposition to avoid pathogens, and it may also involve social attitudes. Among participants in the USA, high levels of BODS were associated with stronger xenophobia towards a fictitious refugee group. To test the generalizability of this finding, we analysed data from nine countries across five continents (N = 6836). Using structural equation modelling, we found support for our pre-registered hypotheses: higher BODS levels were associated with more xenophobic attitudes; this relationship was partially explained by perceived dissimilarities of the refugees' norms regarding hygiene and food preparation, and general attitudes toward immigration. Our results support a theoretical notion of how pathogen avoidance is associated with social attitudes: 'traditional norms' often involve behaviours that limit inter-group contact, social mobility and situations that might lead to pathogen exposure. Our results also indicate that the positive relationship between BODS and xenophobia is robust across cultures.

Investigation of the Relationship Between Xenophobic Attitude and Intercultural Sensitivity Level in Health Education Students

Intercultural sensitivity and xenophobia levels of health education students can affect the care they give to the patient. It is important to know the level of intercultural sensitivity and xenophobia of students receiving health education and to determine the relationship between them. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between xenophobic attitudes and intercultural sensitivity among university students. This quantitative cross-sectional research was conducted in between January and June 2022 with health education students. The study conducted with health education students at Gumushane University and Agri Ibrahim Cecen University. Child Development, Nursing, Emergency Management Services/Technicians, Nutrition and Dietetics, Elderly care, Social services, Medical Laboratory Techniques, and Disabled Care studying at these universities were included in the study. Students who received health education and wanted to participate voluntarily in the study were included. Students aged 18 and over, studying in the health education department of the university, studying in the 1, 2, 3, 4th classes and volunteering to participate in the study were included in the study. The Introductory Information Form, the Xenophobia Scale, and the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale were used to collect the research data. This study was conducted with 789 students. According to our study, a significant negative correlation was found between the students' xenophobia scale and the intercultural sensitivity scale total score means (p < .05). Intercultural sensitivity has a negative and significant effect on the level of xenophobia (β = -0.116; t (787) = -3.283, p = .001). A significant difference was found between the students' Xenophobia Scale total score mean and gender, department, and grade (p < .05) as was the case between Intercultural Sensitivity Scale total score mean and gender, department, grade, immigrant acquaintance, and foreign language knowledge (English language) level (p < .05). Intercultural sensitivity has a negative and significant effect on the level of xenophobia. It can negatively affect the level of caregiving of students receiving health education. It is thought that intercultural sensitivity will be developed by including course content in the curriculum to increase students' intercultural effectiveness and awareness levels and to reduce xenophobic prejudices.

Suriyeli Mülteciler ve Zenofobi: Cinsiyetin, Eğitimin, Algılan Ekonomik Gelir Düzeyinin ve Yaşın Rolü

In the present study, it was aimed to examine the effect of gender, education level, perceived socio-economic status and age on the xenophobic attitudes of local people toward Syrian refugees in Turkey. The data, based on AFAD (2018) refugees’ reports, were collected from 604 volunteers aged between 16 and 85 living in six provinces. The Revised Xenophobia Scale was used to collect the data. The relationship between gender and xenophobia was examined by using t-test analysis and the relationship between participants’ education level, perceived socio-economic status and age, and xenophobic attitudes towards Syrian refugees were examined by using one-way variance analysis. Interaction effects of gender and education level, perceived socio-economic status, and age on xenophobia were also analyzed with different two-way ANOVAs. The findings showed that being male, having a high school or lower education level, having low socio-economic conditions, and being 46 and over aged increase the xenophobic attitudes of individuals towards Syrian refugees. Finally, it was determined that the source of the relationship between education level, socio-economic status, age and xenophobia came from these variables and was independent of their gender. In other words, the interactions effects of gender and of these variables on xenophobia were not significant.

The Black Unicorn Effect: Micro-daily Events and Satisfaction Decrease the COVID-19 Xenophobia, but Only for Those With Low Levels of Neuroticism.

Drawing on the behavioral concordance model and the trait activation theory, this study examined how and when daily micro-events influence COVID-19 xenophobic attitudes. First, we examined the mediating role of satisfaction, and then, tested the moderating role of neuroticism in the mediated relationship. Overall, 340 working adults volunteered to participate in this study. The findings revealed that (1) satisfaction mediated the negative relationship between daily micro-events and xenophobic attitudes and (2) neuroticism moderated this relationship such that xenophobic attitudes increased for neurotic individuals, even when their satisfaction increased. Our findings contribute to understanding the relationship between daily micro-events and COVID-19 xenophobia and provide empirical evidence for the combined effects of personality factors and affective factors on xenophobic attitudes. Furthermore, we evidence the existence of the black unicorn effect, that is, neurotic individuals tend to transpose their neurotic cognitions and emotions to xenophobic attitudes despite the uplifting and satisfying nature of positive events.

Asian American University Students' Adjustment, Coping, and Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 outbreak caused global disruptions in all aspects of life. Social distancing regulations were enforced in an attempt to halt virus spread. Universities across the country closed for in-person instruction and activities, transitioning to remote learning. University students faced unprecedented challenges and stressors, especially Asian American students due to COVID-19-associated xenophobic attitudes, harassment, and assault against people of Asian complexions. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences, coping, stress, and adjustment of Asian American students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary analyses were conducted on the survey responses of 207 participants (n = 103 Asian American university students, n = 104 non-Asian American students) from a larger-scale study, which focused on adaptation to the university, perceived stress, ways of coping, and COVID-19-specific factors. A series of independent samples t tests and regression analyses showed significant relationships between some university adjustment factors, ways of coping methods, and race with perceived stress and COVID-19 factors. Implications, limitations, and ideas for future directions in research are discussed.

Students’ perceptions of the influence of media on perpetuating xenophobia in South African universities

Immigration and emigration are inevitable however, some South Africans have shown a strong dislike of those coming from other countries, in the form of xenophobia. Several studies have attributed the prevalence of xenophobia in South African communities to socio-economic, sociopolitical and scapegoating issues, with some researchers highlighting the role of the media in perpetuating xenophobia-related violence. On the other hand, xenophobia in institutions of higher learning in South Africa, which are a microcosm of society, has been under-prioritised in exploring the prevalence of xenophobia. This article aims to explore students’ perceptions on the influence of media stereotypes of foreign nationals on xenophobia-related behaviours in selected higher education institutions. In part, it aims to explore students’ perceptions on the influence of media-perpetuated stereotypes that may be attributed to possible symbolic xenophobia among university students. Therefore, this article looked at three South African universities, namely the University of Fort Hare, Alice Campus in the Eastern Cape province; the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard Campus in KwaZulu-Natal province; and the University of Johannesburg, Soweto Campus in Gauteng province. To achieve the aims of this study, a qualitative case study approach, based on the interpretivist design, was adopted. A nonprobability sampling method, based on purposive sampling and the snowball sampling technique, was used to select participants in this study. Data were generated through focus group discussions and analysed through thematic analysis. The findings of this article revealed that xenophobic attitudes, behaviour and perceptions were prevalent among university students. The South African print media’s perpetuated negative stereotypes and its adoption of derogatory names – amakwerekwere, amagrigamba, aliens, illegal immigrants, ‘my friend’ – to represent immigrants (especially from other African countries) were highlighted as some of the contributing factors toward ongoing xenophobic violence. As part of the recommendations of this study, the Student Representative Council (SRC) and other student communities, together with students in general, have a role to play in promoting xenophobia-free university campuses through antixenophobia campaigns.Transdisciplinarity Contribution: Most xenophobic-related studies show that media reportage has an influence on xenophobic violence in South Africa. This study therefore shifts its focus toward South African universities to investigate the prevalence of xenophobia among students and explores students’ perceptions of the influence of media in perpetuating xenophobic-related violence

Demonising Migrants in Contexts of Extremism: Analysis of Hate Speech in UK and Spain

Hate speech has been seen as a problem within democratic societies that has been exacerbated by social media. While platforms claim to moderate content, this proves impossible. Studying popular platforms in the UK and Spain and examining content within community pages dedicated to right-wing parties, we use framing analysis to identify the predominant frames in user comments that contained hate speech against migrants. Our research demonstrates a frequent use of arguments that encourage xenophobic and discriminatory attitudes to flourish. Specifically, we find that immigrants are commonly framed as potential criminals, people who steal resources and erode norms of the dominant culture and traditions. The fact that these frames are commonly used is worrying and indicates xenophobic attitudes exist within both societies under study. However, it is difficult to imagine regulatory systems that would prevent these attitudes from being expressed. Rather, we argue that it is more important to focus on correcting the conditions that cause such attitudes to take hold within a society.

The many facets of negative public opinion towards Muslims

Few studies have delved empirically into the various factors driving Islamophobia and negative attitudes towards Muslims, or the various forms they can take among individuals. To what extent does state secularism (or laïcité) policy, such as Bill 21 in Quebec, affect attitudes towards Muslims among the general public? What are the various dimensions of attitudes towards Muslims that can be measured in recent years? Using 2011–2019 Canadian Election Study data, the authors do not find a large impact of state secularism policy on public opinion towards Muslims, nor a strong dislike of organized religion explaining all negative attitudes towards Muslims in Quebec and in the rest of Canada. Instead, they find a wide variety of negative attitudes towards Muslims: some respondents specifically targeted Muslims with their discomfort and dislike, while others showed dislike towards Muslims tied to wider xenophobic attitudes towards racial minorities, immigrants, and other minority and vulnerable groups in society.

Invented Borders: The Tension Between Grassroots Patriotism and State-Led Patriotic Campaigns in China

ABSTRACT Patriotic campaigns and mass mobilization draw on existing xenophobic attitudes of the public, reinforcing the ‘us vs. them’ dualism between China and ‘the West’. However, patriotic campaigns are not always top-down, state-led, nor are they always primarily driven by political ideology. Patriotic content appeals to a growing nationalist audience who consumes a mixed feeling of perceived victimization at the hand of foreign aggression and the pride arising from being a Chinese citizen. This paper argues that the profitability of patriotic content circulating on social media exacerbated the tension between market-driven grassroots patriotism and state-led patriotic campaigns. The tension grows out of, and is manifested in, the online popular debate around economically driven, grassroots ‘patriotic’ content that can challenge the state state-led patriotic rhetoric. While the state sometimes strategically co-opts some patriotic contents into its own patriotic narratives, it also delegitimises other undesired ones through labels such as ‘high-level black’ (gaoji hei) or ‘low-level red’ (diji hong). These labels were initially used to differentiate meticulously crafted political satire and parody from incompetent, illogical and vulgar propaganda pieces that unintendedly blemish the state’s patriotic campaigns, but later evolved into an exercise of power to distance the CCP from undesired patriotic content.

Uncovering hidden opinions: social norms and the expression of xenophobic attitudes

AbstractSocial norms against prejudice are widespread and generally supported by society, yet examples of bigotry are often found. I propose that anti-prejudice norms can quickly erode when individuals are exposed to hate content, therefore, facilitating the expression of prejudice. To test this, participants were invited to participate in an experimental online forum discussing immigration. I compare the comments of participants exposed to xenophobic content to those not exposed. The empirical results show that exposure to hateful content erodes norm compliance: the more hateful content participants could observe, the more hateful their subsequent comments were. The effect is primarily driven by those more likely to hold anti-immigrant views. This points to an ‘emboldening effect’ whereby prejudiced individuals refrain from expressing prejudiced opinions in the absence of offensive speech. Otherwise, hidden attitudes are revealed. The results confirm that the expression of prejudice is context dependent and that preserving a ‘norm environment’ requires sustained reinforcement of the norm. Furthermore, the results show that the composition of the population in terms of individual beliefs is paramount for the dynamics of erosion of the social norm. On the whole, these findings can inform effective public strategies against the spread of hate speech and offer a new methodological approach for studying hate speech in online contexts.

The negative impact of xenophobia on compassion with suffering out-group members is attenuated by trait empathy

Empathy enables human beings to understand and share the internal states of others. Studies show that empathy for pain is higher for in-group compared to out-group members. This might be driven by attitudes and biases towards out-groups. In a between subject design, N = 621 participants filled in questionnaires measuring xenophobia and trait empathy and were presented with photos of suffering individuals either from the in-group or an out-group, which had to be rated with respect to negative affect and the willingness to help the depicted persons. Results do not show more compassion with members of the in-group in general, but a negative effect of xenophobia on state empathy in the out-group condition. Additional moderation analyses show that this effect is less evident in presence of high trait empathy scores. Our results highlight the importance of empathy trainings to attenuate the effects of xenophobic attitudes on social cohabitation in our increasingly polarized and culturally diverse societies.

Using empathetic-reflective-dialogical re-storying as a teaching-learning strategy to confront xenophobic attitudes in a context of higher education

Xenophobia poses a threat to social cohesion in South Africa. It is vital that pre-service teachers engage with their beliefs and attitudes about this phenomenon, so that they can promote socially inclusive education in a way that is sustainable. In support of the March 2019 National Action Plan in South Africa to address racism, including xenophobia, we recently undertook a small-scale research project, underpinned by the notions of diversity and inclusivity, at a Higher Education Institution, in the School of Education. In this article, we offer a methodological contribution in arguing for the efficacy of empathetic-reflective-dialogical re-storying as a teaching-learning strategy that contributes to transformed teaching praxis. This could provide a pathway to social inclusivity for education. This teaching-learning strategy serves a decolonial agenda in changing the way in which teaching-learning takes place. We explored various perspectives and positions with regard to the other in the interests of building a sustainable foundation for future generations to live with dignity, regardless of ethnicity.

It’s About Hate: Approval of Donald Trump, Racism, Xenophobia and Support for Political Violence

Is approval of Donald J. Trump associated with support for political violence? If so, what explains the link between Trump approval and political violence? Using an original, nationally representative survey of over 1,500 adults in the United States we produce two findings. First, individuals who express approval for Trump are also significantly more likely to endorse positive descriptors for the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and are more likely express support for the use of political violence more broadly. Second, the effects of Trump approval on support for the use of political violence are mediated through racist and xenophobic attitudes. Trump supporters in the study disproportionately exhibit racist and xenophobic/anti-foreigner attitudes, and these attitudes are associated with a positive endorsement of both January 6 and the use of political violence.

Zenofobi ve Medikal Zenofobi’yi Yeniden Düşünmek

With the increasing refugee population in our country, which has faced an intense wave of migration since 2011, xenophobia is increasing day by day. During the delivery of health services, the immorality of xenophobia, which grows usually by hiding behind the increasing average number of patients and unsolvable communication problems, was discussed from the perspective of the medical profession, which has ethical codes and deontology. First of all, the medical and social science literature on xenophobia, the current, historical and psychopathological background of this phenomenon, and its explicit or implicit relationship with medicine were investigated. The xenophobic attitudes and actions of physicians, who are the main actors of health care delivery all around the world, were evaluated from the perspective of medical ethics and history. In this article, the findings of the socioeconomic, political, and psychological foundations of xenophobia, its relationship and context with new racism theories, and the historical existence of medical xenophobia, which is discussed as a current phenomenon in health services, and especially in South Africa, and what it can cause today are tried to be revealed. The fact that xenophobia may arise against a vulnerable subject who is about to lose his self-respect in the society in a place and encounter, with where all kinds of identity and biographical information are of no importance except for medical reasons, not only puts all kinds of ethical contexts of the patient-physician and physician-physician relationship (confidentiality, secrecy, intimacy, mutual respect, professional solidarity, courtesy, etc.) at risk but also it turns the issue into a morality one. Medicine should be practiced by the physician in a neutral space where all kinds of knowledge and identity, except for illness, are ignored.

Religiosity, perceived anti-Semitism, xenophobia and mental health: Experiences of Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union in Austria and Germany.

Research about the relation between migration and mental health as well as factors influencing the mental health of migrants has been growing because challenges of migration can constitute a significant mental health burden. However, its divergent findings seem to reflect group-specific differences, e.g., regarding country of origin and receiving country. Almost no empirical studies about individual migrant groups in different receiving countries have been undertaken so far. The present population-based study explores symptoms of depression, anxiety, and somatization as well as quality of life in an Austrian and a German sample of ex-Soviet Jewish migrants. We mainly investigate the relationship of religiosity and perceived xenophobic and anti-Semitic discrimination to the psychological condition of the migrants. Standardized self-report scales, specifically the Beck-Depression-Inventory-II (BDI), State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory (STAI), Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), were used to measure mental health. Ex-Soviet Jewish migrants in Austria showed significantly more depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms than those in Germany. Regression analyses support a protective effect of religiosity on mental health in the sample in Germany and an adverse effect of perceived discrimination in the sample in Austria. The present study reveals a less favorable situation for ex-Soviet Jewish migrants in Austria, in terms of income, residence status, and xenophobic attitudes in the local population, compared to the group in Germany. Furthermore, our data suggest that the receiving country matters for the mental health of this migrant group. However, further research is needed to support these conclusions.