Understanding Xenophobia in Greece: A Correspondence Analysis

Abstract

Studies of xenophobia have focused either on socio-economic context that accentuates xenophobic attitudes or on perceptions of immigrants, namely symbolic and realistic threats as well as on social distance from immigrants. This study examines closely the relationship among various components of xenophobia and their contribution in the formation of particular xenophobic groups. The analysis identified four different xenophobic groups, i.e. a) The distant xenophobic group, b) The core xenophobic group, c) The subtle xenophobic group and d) The ambivalent xenophobic group. The groups' profiles are synthesized through negative, neutral and positive properties of overall attitudes towards immigrants, perceived threats, political xenophobia, social distance, authoritarian attitudes and individual social characteristics. The survey results demonstrate that a multidimensional conceptualization of xenophobia is needed both at the level of objective social condition and of individual and collective perceptions.Keywords: Xenophobic group; Multiple correspondence analysis; Political xenophobia; Extreme right Greece. I N T H I S A R T I C L E , W E P R E S E N T research evidence of a national, public opinion, face-to-face interview survey on xenophobia and host-immigrant relations carried out in both mainland and islander regions of Greece demonstrating the role of the country's economic crisis in shaping people's attitudes towards immigrants and minorities. The present study was designed to articulate a typology of particular population groups of host majority expressing political xenophobia and negative attitudes towards foreigners. During times of major economic distress and social unrest and given the rise of extreme right-wing parties following the last Greek elections, this investigation may be particularly pronounced. examining the antecedents of xenophobic attitudes is to identify subgroups within a host society that exhibit differing levels of xenophobia towards varied immigrant groups (Canetti-Nisim et al. 2006). Data gathered by a Eurobarometer opinion poll survey in 1997 showed a worrying level of racism and xenophobia in Member States, with nearly 33% of those interviewed openly describing themselves as "quite racist" or "very racist". Respondents' feelings of racism were found to be fed by fear of unemployment, personal insecurity, dissatisfaction with their life circumstances and low confidence in the way public authorities worked in their country.Results from both Eurobarometer surveys and the European Social Surveys on the attitudes of majorities towards minorities in the 15 EU Member States over time (these surveys were carried out in 1997, 2000, and 2003) showed that the level of resistance to multicultural society has remained the same in 2003 as it was in 1997. However, there was a significant increase over this period (1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003) in those endorsing the view that multicultural society has reached its limits. Resistance to immigrants and asylum seekers was widely...

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