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Identifying the Determinants of Attitudes towards Immigrants - A Structural Cross-Country Analysis

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  • Brenner, Jan
  • Fertig, Michael

Abstract

Utilizing subjective data to infer on fundamental issues of individual opinion is associated with severe conceptual and methodological problems.This paper addresses these problems and investigates the attitudes towards immigrants within a cross-country framework. To this end, we utilize data from the first wave of the European Social Survey (ESS) in a structural latent variable model. The determinants of attitudes towards immigrants are estimated by employing different identification restrictions on the model. Our results suggest that educational attainment as well as parental education are the main driving forces behind attitudes formation.Average attitudes across countries further seem to increase with per capita GDP. All our findings are stable across countries and identification strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Brenner, Jan & Fertig, Michael, 2006. "Identifying the Determinants of Attitudes towards Immigrants - A Structural Cross-Country Analysis," RWI Discussion Papers 47, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:rwidps:47
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Peter, Julia & Übelmesser, Silke, 2023. "Regional Determinants of Attitudes Towards Immigrants," VfS Annual Conference 2023 (Regensburg): Growth and the "sociale Frage" 277664, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    2. R Todd Jewell & Natalia Melgar & David J. Molina & Máximo Rossi, 2009. "Attitudes toward immigrants: a cross-country perspective," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0309, Department of Economics - dECON.
    3. Jan Brenner, 2007. "Parental Impact on Attitude Formation - A Siblings Study on Worries about Immigration," Ruhr Economic Papers 0022, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    4. Tiiu Paas & Olga Demidova, 2014. "What Explains People’S Attitudes Towards Immigrants? A Comparative Study Of Estonia And Russia," University of Tartu - Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Working Paper Series 94, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Tartu (Estonia).
    5. Jonas Månsson & Josefin Dahlander, 2011. "Social interaction impact on attitudes – Native Swedes’ attitudes towards labour immigrants and guest workers after hurricane Gudrun," Baltic Journal of Economics, Baltic International Centre for Economic Policy Studies, vol. 11(1), pages 51-64, July.
    6. Juan Carlos Martín & Alessandro Indelicato, 2023. "A fuzzy-hybrid analysis of citizens’ perception toward immigrants in Europe," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 1101-1124, April.
    7. Lars Hornuf & Marc Oliver Rieger & Sven A. Hartmann, 2023. "Can television reduce xenophobia? The case of East Germany," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 76(1), pages 77-100, February.
    8. Demidova, Olga, 2012. "The European residents' attitude towards immigrants: A comparative analysis based on the ESS data," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 28(4), pages 23-34.
    9. Tiiu PAAS & Olga DEMIDOVA, 2014. "How people perceive immigrants’ role in their country’s life: a comparative study of Estonia and Russia," Eastern Journal of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 5, pages 117-138, December.
    10. repec:zbw:rwirep:0022 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Aleksynska, Mariya, 2011. "Relative deprivation, relative satisfaction, and attitudes towards immigrants: Evidence from Ukraine," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 189-207, June.
    12. Brenner, Jan, 2007. "Parental Impact on Attitude Formation - A Siblings Study on Worries about Immigration," Ruhr Economic Papers 22, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    13. Hatice Gül Bozdeveci & Özlem Yorulmaz, 2023. "Evaluating the Dynamics Affecting Tolerance Toward Migrants in Türkiye Using Statistical Analyses," EKOIST Journal of Econometrics and Statistics, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 0(38), pages 199-221, June.
    14. Michael Fertig & Christoph Schmidt, 2011. "Attitudes towards foreigners and Jews in Germany: identifying the determinants of xenophobia in a large opinion survey," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 99-128, March.
    15. Moamen Gouda & Jingyeong Song, 2024. "The Determinants of Individual Attitudes towards Immigrants in South Korea," CESifo Working Paper Series 11354, CESifo.
    16. Cédric Gorinas & Mariola Pytliková, 2017. "The Influence of Attitudes toward Immigrants on International Migration," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 416-451, June.
    17. McGinnity, Fran & Grotti, Raffaele & Russell, Helen & Fahey, Éamonn, 2018. "Attitudes to Diversity in Ireland," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number BKMNEXT350.
    18. Aleksynska, Mariya, 2007. "Attitudes Towards Immigrants and Relative Deprivation: The Case of a Middle-Income Country," MPRA Paper 4595, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Subjective Data; Identification; Minorities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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