Social Identity, Economic Interest, and the Formation of Host Attitudes Toward Refugees

Scholarly studies of refugee crises have historically focused on the causes of refugee flight, the experience of the refugees themselves, or the impacts of refugees on host countries. More recently, a growing body of literature has examined the interaction of refugees and host populations, and more specifically the orientations of host individuals toward refugees. This study focuses on attitude formation during refugee crises, seeking to better understand the role of social and economic factors in shaping the attitudes of host populations. The core questions for this study are whether and how social identity and economic considerations relate to attitudes. Original data were generated through a randomized survey in Jordan in 2015, providing a unique dataset of attitudinal, social, and economic variables. Analysis of the data shows that macro-economic evaluations are better attitudinal predictors than individual-level economic position and experience, while perceptions of shared culture with refugees is the strongest correlate of attitudes, outperforming all other variables. The empirical evidence points to the importance of shared social identity in shaping attitudes toward refugees, while calling into question the role of direct economic impact.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D. in Political Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Political Science

Year dc:date.available

2019

Author dc:creator

• Cox, Jeremy

Contributors dc:contributor

• Susan Allen
• Gregory Love
• Yael Zeira

• Attitudes
• Jordan
• Refugees
• Political Science

Repository record dc:identifier

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/1564

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:egrove.olemiss.edu:etd-2563