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Ecological and cultural factors underlying the global distribution of prejudice

Author

Listed:
  • Joshua Conrad Jackson
  • Marieke van Egmond
  • Virginia K Choi
  • Carol R Ember
  • Jamin Halberstadt
  • Jovana Balanovic
  • Inger N Basker
  • Klaus Boehnke
  • Noemi Buki
  • Ronald Fischer
  • Marta Fulop
  • Ashley Fulmer
  • Astrid C Homan
  • Gerben A van Kleef
  • Loes Kreemers
  • Vidar Schei
  • Erna Szabo
  • Colleen Ward
  • Michele J Gelfand

Abstract

Prejudiced attitudes and political nationalism vary widely around the world, but there has been little research on what predicts this variation. Here we examine the ecological and cultural factors underlying the worldwide distribution of prejudice. We suggest that cultures grow more prejudiced when they tighten cultural norms in response to destabilizing ecological threats. A set of seven archival analyses, surveys, and experiments (∑N = 3,986,402) find that nations, American states, and pre-industrial societies with tighter cultural norms show the most prejudice based on skin color, religion, nationality, and sexuality, and that tightness predicts why prejudice is often highest in areas of the world with histories of ecological threat. People’s support for cultural tightness also mediates the link between perceived ecological threat and intentions to vote for nationalist politicians. Results replicate when controlling for economic development, inequality, conservatism, residential mobility, and shared cultural heritage. These findings offer a cultural evolutionary perspective on prejudice, with implications for immigration, intercultural conflict, and radicalization.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua Conrad Jackson & Marieke van Egmond & Virginia K Choi & Carol R Ember & Jamin Halberstadt & Jovana Balanovic & Inger N Basker & Klaus Boehnke & Noemi Buki & Ronald Fischer & Marta Fulop & Ashle, 2019. "Ecological and cultural factors underlying the global distribution of prejudice," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(9), pages 1-17, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0221953
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221953
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    Cited by:

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    2. Debajyoti Biswas & Sanjukta Chatterjee & Parvin Sultana, 2021. "Stigma and fear during COVID-19: essentializing religion in an Indian context," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Marco Manacorda & Guido Tabellini & Andrea Tesei, 2022. "Mobile internet and the rise of political tribalism in Europe," CEP Discussion Papers dp1877, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    4. Giulia Andrighetto & Aron Szekely & Andrea Guido & Michele Gelfand & Jered Abernathy & Gizem Arikan & Zeynep Aycan & Shweta Bankar & Davide Barrera & Dana Basnight-Brown & Anabel Belaus & Elizaveta Be, 2024. "Changes in social norms during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic across 43 countries," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Marco Manacorda & Guido Tabellini & Andrea Tesei, 2022. "Mobile Internet and the Rise of Communitarian Politics," CESifo Working Paper Series 9955, CESifo.
    6. Joshua Conrad Jackson & Danila Medvedev, 2024. "Worldwide divergence of values," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.

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