How attitudes towards immigrants are shaped ...

25th Oct 2017

How attitudes towards immigrants are shaped by residential context: The role of ethnic diversity dynamics and immigrant visibility 

A new paper by Sjoerdje van Heerden and Didier Ruedin is now available online

Abstract

We examine how proportional changes in residential context are associated with changes in attitudes towards immigrants. We specifically examine ethnic diversity dynamics and immigrant visibility at the level of the neighbourhood. Following the ‘defended neighbourhood’ hypothesis, we focus on proportional change, not absolute numbers. Data from the Dutch LISS panel are analysed using fixed-effect models, measuring the composition of neighbourhoods at the level of four-digit postcodes. Our findings show that a larger change in the proportion of immigrant residents is associated with more positive views on immigrants among natives. It is particularly a change in the proportion of visible non-Western immigrants that appears to be relevant for changes in attitudes. Contrary to theoretic expectations, we find little evidence for ‘defended neighbourhoods’ in the Netherlands in the years under consideration.

You can access and download the full paper here.