Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / In the context of recent attacks that occurred against foreign nationals (migrants) in South Africa, this study sought to explore attitudes toward migrants and immigration among a sample of students at the University of the Western Cape. Previous studies in South Africa and elsewhere have suggested that in most countries, nationals tend to hold negative attitudes toward migrants and express protectionist attitudes toward migration policies. Research around students' attitudes toward migrants and immigration has shown similar trends. The present study employed a sample survey design to investigate: a) Students' attitudes toward African migrants, b) Students' attitudes toward migration into South Africa and c) Degree of contact that students have with African Migrants. A convenience sample of 183 undergraduate psychology students was used. Students‟ age ranged between 18 and 38 years of age (x = 20 years). Data was collected using a questionnaire comprising of 27 questions related to attitudes towards migrants and immigration as well as a section on contact with migrants. The results show that students showed exclusionary attitudes in terms of immigration, limited contact with migrants and negative attitudes toward African migrants. However, attitudes toward migrant‟s rights were positive. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Data collected from a survey questionnaire disseminated to college students was used to examine the relationship between humor in the mass media on audience attitude. This research study attempted to link the comedic nature of media with a heightened tolerance toward unpopular messages by looking specifically at the show Will & Grace. Results supported the hypothesized positive relationship between humor on attitudes toward the show, as well as attitudes toward real life homosexuals. In addition, distraction and interpersonal communication served as mediators between humor and attitudes. Results supported positive relationships between humor and both distraction and interpersonal communication, and supported the mediated path involving distraction. But the interpersonal communication mediated path was negative. Results, implications, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

This mixed methods study investigated the effects of a pilot peer-tutoring program for high school students between L1 Spanish-speaking tutors and Spanish second language (L2) tutees during Fall Semester 2018 (16 weeks). The purpose of this research was to explore the impact the peer-tutoring program had on the language acquisition, motivation to learn, intercultural sensitivity, and number of Spanish-speaking friendships of the L2 Spanish learners. The study consisted of a matched-group comparison and a qualitative exploration of reflective surveys completed by the participants in the pilot program. The experimental group (n=32) received a treatment of 20 minutes of peer tutoring each class period and the control group (n=41) received no treatment. Results of language acquisition data suggested that, though not statistically significant (p=0.119), the experimental group showed language acquisition gains that are noteworthy. The experimental group showed a 60% greater increase in the oral proficiency score over the control group in a pre-test/post-test analysis of an identical oral proficiency test. Results from the motivation data showed a marked decrease in motivation of the experimental group as compared to the control group. Results from the intercultural sensitivity assessment showed a statistically significantly higher end score on the behavioral scale and a higher end score on the attitude scale of the experimental group vs. the control group. Results from the quantitative data indicating pre and post number of Spanish-speaking friends showed no increase in number of Spanish speaking friends for the experimental group vs. the control group. However, qualitative data showed that 25% of the experimental group reported making a new Spanish-speaking friend after the treatment. Future research needs to consider how peer tutoring as compared to reciprocal peer tutoring among L2 learners with higher proficiency may impact these results.

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Using a year 2000 national racial poll conducted by the New York Times, I analyze Whites' approval of interracial marriage. I utilize the contact hypothesis, as originally formulated by Gordon Allport, to develop a conceptual model of White's attitudes toward interracial marriage. Specifically I propose and develop an additional dimension of the contact hypothesis, which accounts for the context in which interracial contacts occur. I do so by examining several specific social settings in which White respondents report experiencing contact with Blacks. The contexts examined are ordered in terms of the type of contact they likely provide, from close, personal contact to superficial and hierarchical contact. The results indicate that the type of contact engendered by a variety of contexts is an important factor in determining attitudes about interracial marriage. The contacts in most of the social settings are associated with friendship, yet a majority of the contexts are also related to approval of interracial marriage even when extraneous factors such as friendship, age, gender, income, political party, frequency of religious service attendance, and region are controlled for statistically. The findings provide support for the consideration and utilization of the context of contact as an additional dimension of the contact hypothesis.

No description available.

This paper discusses the issue of residential segregation in Halmstad, a municipality in western Sweden. The inhabitants themselves say that it is one of the most segregated municipalities in the country and the growing segregation is affecting the community in various ways, particularly in the housing market, where increased segregation has resulted in decreased quality and safety in these areas, as well as decreased cohesion between different areas in the municipality. The paper aims to explain the forms of residential segregation in society using four theories: The planning hypothesis, market hypothesis, status hypothesis, and contact hypothesis. The research method used is the case study method, which is suitable for analyzing a “case” of broader phenomenon. One method that has been considered appropriate within the case study literature for testing theories, as this study does, is pattern matching, also known as congruence matching. This method tests the extent of which the empirical pattern matches the hypothetical pattern that the theory assumes. If there is lack of congruence between the empirical pattern and the theoretically assumed pattern, the result speak against the theoretical hypothesis. If the congruence is found, the theoretical hypothesis is supported. The planning hypothesis could confirm that the municipality ́s planning has had segregated effects and the efforts have not been sufficient to counteract residential segregation. The market hypothesis could not be confirmed because the housing market is not governed by market rents. The paper also found patterns that strengthened the status hypothesis. Partly by finding material that shows that Halmstad is a polarized municipality with areas that have lower status than others. Lastly, the contact hypothesis could partly be confirmed by looking at increased family immigration.

The numbers of people on the move, fleeing from conflict, persecution and violence is increasing and so is the level of violence against those most vulnerable persons. The question why host populations turn against refugees in liberal European democracies as isolated phenomenon has, to my knowledge, not experienced great academic attention. This study investigates what societal conditions need to be fulfilled in order for violence to occur. Deriving from previous research on anti-refugee violence in developing countries and right-wing violence, I suggest the following argument: A high level of knowledge deficit regarding refugees and a high level of relative deprivation causes a high level of insecurity among society, which makes persons more susceptible to anti-refugee mobilisation, making it effective and thus leading to violence. In order to test this hypothesis, I conduct a structured focused comparison, investigating Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, two federal states within Germany. The first showing a high level of anti-refugee violence compared to the latter showing a low level of violence. The evidence found in the study shows some support for the proposed theory. A higher level of insecurity is prevailing in Saxony compared to North Rhine-Westphalia, yet the results are not as distinct as expected. Thus, more research is necessary in order to shed more light onto the phenomenon and develop countermeasures.

This thesis investigates how a change in the municipal asylum seeker share affects voting for the Sweden Democrats (SD), a far-right anti-immigration party, in both national Parliament and Municipal Council elections in Sweden. To circumvent the endogeneity problem, I use an instrumental variables strategy where the share of available apartments in Allmännyttan is used as an instrument for the municipal share of asylum seekers living in Migration Agency provided accommodation (ABO). I have exploited municipal level panel data on municipality characteristics, allocations of asylum seekers and national elections. I am not able to find support for any effect of a change in the municipal share of asylum seekers on voting for the Sweden Democrats. Consequently, I cannot provide any support for either the group position theory or the contact hypothesis.

No description available.