Journal of Social Issues · 2010 · 129 citations · 47 references
Human MigrationEthnicityXenoracismNationalismEducationUs CultureMultilevel ApproachSocial SciencesNational Identity ContentNew ImmigrantsAfrican American StudiesAmerican IdentityIdentity IssueMigration PolicyNational Group BoundariesSocial IdentityEntry CriteriaImmigration LawInternational Population MovementCultureSociologyMass ImmigrationTransnational MobilityNational IdentityImmigrant HealthNational Group Definitions
National identification and prejudice toward immigrants depend on whether ethnicity or civic definitions of nationality are endorsed, as shown by studies in England and international survey data. The study argues that immigration attitudes are better understood by examining how national group boundaries are demarcated. The authors describe two related lines of work: one on national group definitions and another on ascribed/acquired migration criteria, both using survey data from England and Europe. The research shows that the link between national identification and anti‑immigrant prejudice hinges on the type of nationality definition, that support for migration criteria is shaped by perceived national and individual threat, and that a multilevel approach offers insights for policy debates.
We argue that attitudes about immigration can be better understood by paying closer attention to the various ways in which national group boundaries are demarcated. We describe two related lines of work that address this. The first deals with national group definitions and, based on evidence from studies carried out in England and analyses of international survey data, argues that the relationship between national identification and prejudice toward immigrants is contingent on the extent to which ethnic or civic definitions of nationality are endorsed. The second, which uses European survey data, examines support for ascribed and acquired criteria that can be applied when determining who is permitted to migrate to one's country, and the various forms of national and individual threat that affect support for these criteria. We explain how the research benefits from a multilevel approach and also suggest how these findings relate to some current policy debates.
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