In modern Western Countries societies, SDO can influence attitudes towards immigrants also in respect of their acceptance or refusal as new citizens. The meanings that people attribute to citizenship lie on specific conceptions about the nature of social contract between the individuals and the State. These depend on two basic ideologies that defend either the primacy of the community – affirming the supremacy of public order over the freedom of individuals – or the primacy of the natural and inalterable rights of individuals against any social system (Spini, & Doise, 2002). So the State can be perceived as a champion of the defence of ingroup (citizens) privileges against the challenging outgroup (settled immigrants), or a social entity based on participation and solidarity towards the weaker social categories that compose it, including settled immigrants. The study involved 239 adult Italians (average age = 45.51; S.D. =15.03). The basic hypothesis, tested via structural equation model, was that SDO influences conception of the nature and tasks of the State (penal vs. welfare State), and attitudes toward multiculturalism (acceptance vs. refusal of cultural differences) that, in turn, influence majority members attitudes towards the inclusion of settled immigrants in the ingroup. This last variable was operationalized by means of the agreement to grant to immigrants one of the most representative symbol of belonging and participation to a modern Nation-State life, the right to vote in general elections. Results showed that SDO influences a negative attitude towards multiculturalism and a penal State concept. This conception of the State influences the agreement with concession of the right to vote to legal immigrants but, contrary to our first hypothesis, attitude toward multiculturalism do not.
The Influence of Social Dominance Orientation on State Concepts and Attitudes Towards Immigrant Inclusion: A Study on Italian Society
GATTINO, Silvia;MIGLIETTA, Anna;TARTAGLIA, STEFANO
2009-01-01
Abstract
In modern Western Countries societies, SDO can influence attitudes towards immigrants also in respect of their acceptance or refusal as new citizens. The meanings that people attribute to citizenship lie on specific conceptions about the nature of social contract between the individuals and the State. These depend on two basic ideologies that defend either the primacy of the community – affirming the supremacy of public order over the freedom of individuals – or the primacy of the natural and inalterable rights of individuals against any social system (Spini, & Doise, 2002). So the State can be perceived as a champion of the defence of ingroup (citizens) privileges against the challenging outgroup (settled immigrants), or a social entity based on participation and solidarity towards the weaker social categories that compose it, including settled immigrants. The study involved 239 adult Italians (average age = 45.51; S.D. =15.03). The basic hypothesis, tested via structural equation model, was that SDO influences conception of the nature and tasks of the State (penal vs. welfare State), and attitudes toward multiculturalism (acceptance vs. refusal of cultural differences) that, in turn, influence majority members attitudes towards the inclusion of settled immigrants in the ingroup. This last variable was operationalized by means of the agreement to grant to immigrants one of the most representative symbol of belonging and participation to a modern Nation-State life, the right to vote in general elections. Results showed that SDO influences a negative attitude towards multiculturalism and a penal State concept. This conception of the State influences the agreement with concession of the right to vote to legal immigrants but, contrary to our first hypothesis, attitude toward multiculturalism do not.
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