Conflicting identities : cosmopolitan or anxious? Appreciating concerns of host country population improves attitudes towards immigrants
(2025) In Social Forces 103(3). p.1039-1058- Abstract
This paper connects insights from the literature on cosmopolitan worldviews and the effects of perspective-taking in political science, (intergroup) anxiety in social psychology, and identity economics in a vignette-style experiment. In particular, we asked German respondents about their attitudes towards a Syrian refugee, randomizing components of his description (N = 662). The main treatment describes the refugee as being aware of and empathetic towards potential worries in the German population about cultural change, costs, and violence associated with refugee inflows. This perspective-taking by the refugee increases the reported ability to empathize with the refugee and, especially for risk-averse people, reported sympathy and... (More)
This paper connects insights from the literature on cosmopolitan worldviews and the effects of perspective-taking in political science, (intergroup) anxiety in social psychology, and identity economics in a vignette-style experiment. In particular, we asked German respondents about their attitudes towards a Syrian refugee, randomizing components of his description (N = 662). The main treatment describes the refugee as being aware of and empathetic towards potential worries in the German population about cultural change, costs, and violence associated with refugee inflows. This perspective-taking by the refugee increases the reported ability to empathize with the refugee and, especially for risk-averse people, reported sympathy and trust. We argue that acknowledging the potential concerns of the host population relieves the tension between an anxious and a cosmopolitan/open part of people's identities. Moreover, relieved tension renders people less defensive; i.e. when one aspect of identity is already acknowledged (expressing anxieties), it has less influence on actual behavior (expressing sympathy). In addition, previous contact with foreigners and a higher willingness to take risks are important factors in determining an individual's willingness to interact with refugees.
(Less)
- author
- Heidland, Tobias and Wichardt, Philipp C. LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- identity, integration, intergroup anxiety, intergroup contact, migration, perspective-taking, refugees
- in
- Social Forces
- volume
- 103
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 20 pages
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85215315522
- ISSN
- 0037-7732
- DOI
- 10.1093/sf/soae108
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8aead280-6d40-496b-9d73-7b5a1bcc05c4
- date added to LUP
- 2025-03-20 14:09:15
- date last changed
- 2025-04-04 15:11:57
@article{8aead280-6d40-496b-9d73-7b5a1bcc05c4,
abstract = {{<p>This paper connects insights from the literature on cosmopolitan worldviews and the effects of perspective-taking in political science, (intergroup) anxiety in social psychology, and identity economics in a vignette-style experiment. In particular, we asked German respondents about their attitudes towards a Syrian refugee, randomizing components of his description (N = 662). The main treatment describes the refugee as being aware of and empathetic towards potential worries in the German population about cultural change, costs, and violence associated with refugee inflows. This perspective-taking by the refugee increases the reported ability to empathize with the refugee and, especially for risk-averse people, reported sympathy and trust. We argue that acknowledging the potential concerns of the host population relieves the tension between an anxious and a cosmopolitan/open part of people's identities. Moreover, relieved tension renders people less defensive; i.e. when one aspect of identity is already acknowledged (expressing anxieties), it has less influence on actual behavior (expressing sympathy). In addition, previous contact with foreigners and a higher willingness to take risks are important factors in determining an individual's willingness to interact with refugees.</p>}},
author = {{Heidland, Tobias and Wichardt, Philipp C.}},
issn = {{0037-7732}},
keywords = {{identity; integration; intergroup anxiety; intergroup contact; migration; perspective-taking; refugees}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{1039--1058}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{Social Forces}},
title = {{Conflicting identities : cosmopolitan or anxious? Appreciating concerns of host country population improves attitudes towards immigrants}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sf/soae108}},
doi = {{10.1093/sf/soae108}},
volume = {{103}},
year = {{2025}},
}