Relations between Nationalism, Constructive Patriotism and Exclusionist Reactions towards Immigrants: Differences in Relations across Individual and National Conditions

Abstract

The focus of this study is the association between nationalist attitudes, i.e. nationalism and constructive patriotism, and exclusionist reactions towards immigrants. We set out to examine whether relations between nationalist attitudes and exclusionist reactions vary with intergroup competition at the individual and contextual level across different countries; and whether the above mentioned relations vary with time (comparing 2003 to 1995). Hypotheses are systematically derived from social identity and ethnic competition theory. We used cross-nationally comparable data in order to perform multilevel analyses (total N=30,681). Our findings point out that nationalist attitudes and exclusionistic reactions are not stronger interrelated in individual and national conditions that indicate higher levels of interethnic competition. We found stronger interrelated and hence more congruent attitudes among the higher educated. Furthermore, relations between nationalist attitudes and exclusionist reactions are stronger in 2003 than in 1995, possibly due to an increase in salience of national identity.