Factors Predicting Prejudice toward Syrian Immigrants
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17986/blm.1721Keywords:
Syrian immigrants; Prejudice toward immigrants; Discrimination; Hate crimeAbstract
Objective: The current study aims to reveal the factors that predict the prejudice of citizens of the Republic of Türkiye toward Syrian immigrants.
Methods: The sample consists of 461 people aged 18/over from different social segments of Istanbul and Hatay provinces. The level of predictive power of the social dominance orientation, the group identification, the integrated threat theory and the intergroup contact scales on prejudice toward immigrants was determined by using hierarchical regression analysis.
Results: Upon evaluating the statistical data from the scales, it was found that the mean perception of realistic threat in the Istanbul sample (x̅=41.28) was significantly lower than in the Hatay sample (x̅=45.06), with a statistically significant difference [t(458)=4.713, p<.001]. Similarly, the symbolic threat perception in the Istanbul sample (x̅=41.22) was also significantly lower than in the Hatay sample (x̅=43.42) [t(457)=2.819, p<.01]. The strongest predictors of prejudice against immigrants were identified as intergroup anxiety and the positivity of intergroup contact. Across all threat perception scales, Hatay, a border province, exhibited higher scores. This suggests that the predictors of prejudice are more closely linked to social factors than to individual traits.
Conclusion: Considering that unavoidable prejudices can lead to discrimination and hate crimes toward immigrants, which can turn into legal cases and cause widespread negative social consequences, it is underlined that a large-scale struggle that can function at the societal level to reduce prejudice is necessary.
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