Attitudes toward integration and perceived ethnic threat; a case-study of G.D Luxembourg and cross-cultural comparisons within and outside of Europe (LISER and KU Leuven, Belgium)

Since the mid-twentieth century, Europe has been confronted with immigration on a scale larger than ever before (Hooghe, Trappers, Meuleman, and Reeskens, 2008). This has led to demographic, ethnic, and cultural changes in European societies. As a result, questions about intergroup conflicts, social cohesion, and social inclusion have come to the fore in most Western countries (Bircan and Hooghe, 2010; Valentova and Berzosa, 2012).

One of the main drivers of attitudes toward immigration is immigrant-related, or ethnic, threat perceptions (Riek, Mania, and Gaertner, 2006; Schlueter, Schmidt, and Wagner, 2008). Immigrant-related threat perceptions may develop as a consequence of perceived competition over for example access to resources (jobs, housing, or political power), as well as cultural norms and values between ethnic majority and ethnic minority groups (Scheepers, Gijsberts, and Coenders, 2002), while on the other hand these perceptions can diminish through intercultural contact (Allport, 1954; Pettigrew and Tropp, 2006). The first aim of this dissertation is thus to understand the development of ethnic intergroup threat perceptions. Intergroup threat perceptions develop not only at the individual level but are also influenced by the societal norms and values, and the political and economic context a person identifies with (Blumer, 1958; Bobo, 1999). The first research question of this dissertation is thus: What are the individual and societal predictors that relate to ethnic intergroup threat? (...)