Attitudes Towards Foreign-born Settlers: Finland in a Comparative Perspective
The present paper focuses on the Finnish attitudinal climate towards foreign-born settlers, i.e. immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in a comparative perspective. Two theoretical approaches are tested: 1) the socio-economic explanation in which prejudice is seen as an outcome of the original...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Population Research Institute of Väestöliitto
2004-01-01
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| Series: | Finnish Yearbook of Population Research |
| Online Access: | https://journal.fi/fypr/article/view/44997 |
| Summary: | The present paper focuses on the Finnish attitudinal climate towards foreign-born
settlers, i.e. immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in a comparative perspective.
Two theoretical approaches are tested: 1) the socio-economic explanation in which
prejudice is seen as an outcome of the original majority population fearing a decline
of their socio-economic position, and 2) a culturally oriented explanation which refers
to fears concerning the possible negative cultural effects of immigration. Using survey
data from the ? rst round of the European Social Survey (ESS) on Finland and 18
other countries, we ? nd that at the most general level, Finns do hold comparatively
negative attitudes towards increasing the number of immigrants in Finland. However,
as we turn to more speci? c items on economic and especially cultural threat, we ? nd
that Finns are as tolerant or even more tolerant than other Europeans. Multivariate
analyses show that both socio-economic factors and values, ideologies and religiosity
may generate prejudice. The two theoretical approaches should, thus, not be taken
as alternatives but rather as complementary theories.
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| ISSN: | 1796-6183 1796-6191 |