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Bitterness in Life and Attitudes towards Immigration

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  • Panu Poutvaara
  • Max Friedrich Steinhardt

Abstract

Integration of immigrants is a two-way process, the success of which depends both on immigrants and on natives. We provide new evidence on the determinants of individual attitudes towards immigration, using data from the 2005 and 2010 waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel. In particular, we show that bitterness in life is strongly associated with worries about immigration. This effect cannot be explained just by concerns that immigrants are competing with oneself in thelabor market. Instead, it appears that people who feel that they have not got what they deserve in life oppose immigration for spiteful reasons.

Suggested Citation

  • Panu Poutvaara & Max Friedrich Steinhardt, 2015. "Bitterness in Life and Attitudes towards Immigration," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 800, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp800
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Immigration; bitterness; native attitudes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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