Adding a Community Focus to the Psychological Investigation of Immigration Issues and Policies

Abstract

As we have seen in many of the articles in this issue, a major goal of research on a topic as important as immigration is to ensure that the research is targeted where it is likely to have the greatest impact. Immigration studies are becoming increasingly important in the face of growing numbers of immigrants seeking to move to immigrant-receiving countries, numbers that are predicted to increase with climate change, escalating international conflicts, and global economic instabilities. To address the changing immigration scene, psychologists have been extending their reach beyond the traditional domain of psychology-the study of the micro level (the individual)-to link with macro levels (such as the country level). Yet, between these two levels is the community level, where daily life takes place. Community psychologists have long shown the importance of including this highly complex level if research by psychologists is to have policy impacts. This is not only where everyday activities take place but this is where a surprising number of the policy levers exist that have the potential to effect change. This article argues that several steps will be important as psychologists bring their research expertise to advancing an understanding at the community level of immigrant experiences: researching the complex systems at the community level, integrating psychological research with insights from other disciplines, and taking seriously what thought-leaders have begun to argue about the importance of integrating scales from micro to meso to macro to ensure impact and usability of research.

Immigration and Multiculturalism in Context: A Framework for Psychological Research

“…Following this, we have also suggested approaches to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of cultural diversity for both majorities and minorities. Although we have focused on national‐level antecedents to perceived multicultural norms and their psychological and social outcomes in our discussion of multiculturalism, we believe the processes and outcomes are also relevant to school (Schachner et al., ; Titzmann et al., ) and community levels of analysis where intercultural interactions between immigrants and natives are often closer and more intimate (Huo, Dovidio, Jiménez, & Schildkraut, ; Silka, ). In the end, we hope that these reflections may go at least some way to understanding and resolving the challenges that multiculturalism currently presents in the global arena.…”

Not Just a National Issue: Effect of State‐Level Reception of Immigrants and Population Changes on Intergroup Attitudes of Whites, Latinos, and Asians in the United States

“…The controversy has escalated in part due to President Donald Trump's efforts to utilize federal action in the United States to increase deportation of undocumented immigrants, ban individuals from Muslim nations, and impose a family separation policy to deter migrants (including asylum seekers) from crossing the border into the country. However, focusing attention on federal policies risks overlooking the potential influence of the growing number of regional programs and policies (see also Silka, ). While some are aligned with federal policies designed to deter immigrants, others instead welcome immigrants into receiving communities (Steil & Vasi, ).…”

Identity Inclusiveness and Centrality: Investigating Identity Correlates of Attitudes toward Immigrants and Immigration Policies

“…Study 1 is an exploratory study focusing on ingroup identity inclusiveness at the community level. Building on the concept of inclusion of the outgroup in the self from Wright, Aron, and Tropp (), we analyzed the role of identity overlap (i.e., inclusion of the outgroup in the self) among primary Sicilian school teachers, who by virtue of being at the forefront of receiving community–immigrants interactions are influential role models of inclusive attitudes and intergroup relations between immigrants and the receiving community (Silka, ). Specifically, in this study, we explore the links between identity inclusivenesss and attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policies.…”

“…Accordingly, in Italian schools students without Italian citizenship are highly prevalent. Examining teachers’ attitudes about their immigrant students is important as teachers represent institutional authorities that shape their pupils’ attitudes and experiences (Silka, ; Ulug, Ozden & Eryilmaz, ), and can contribute to successful interactions between students of different ethno‐cultural backgrounds (Allport, ) and the social integration of immigrants (Silka, ).…”