Dissertation
Attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
05/2010
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000006044
Abstract
Recent immigration to the U.S. has significantly increased the nation s ethnoracial diversity. This demographic change prompts questions regarding intergroup relations and interracial conflict. With data from the General Social Survey, 1994 to 2004, I add to the discussion by examining native-born white public opinion toward immigrants and immigration policy. Specifically, I examine the power of a core network approach, which suggests that individuals personal contacts influence immigration attitudes, and a symbolic racism framework, which argues that whites develop relatively stable values and beliefs during childhood and adulthood about the personal limitations and costs of immigrants. Multilevel models and logistic regression models indicate that core networks consisting of higher levels of education and non-white contacts influence native-born whites to hold a pro-immigrant attitude, while older and tighter networks have the opposite effect. At the same time, core networks also condition the impact of group threat and intergroup contact on immigration attitudes, suggesting that the interpersonal environment and broader social environment interact during opinion formation. Furthermore, symbolically racist native-born whites are more likely to hold anti-immigrant opinions, independent of their feelings of labor market competition. Thus, social iv policy that considers the interpersonal environment as well as the broader institutional environment in which native-born whites are embedded may offer more effective directives in achieving positive native-born and foreign-born relations.
Metrics
5 File views/ downloads
26 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy
- Creators
- Justin Allen Berg
- Contributors
- Thomas Rotolo (Chair)Monica Johnson (Committee Member) - Washington State University, Department of SociologyMichael P. Allen (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Sociology
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 176
- Identifiers
- 99901055122201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation