The Role Of Political Sophistication And Positive Contact In Reducing Anti-Immigration Attitudes:Evidence From Europe

Official URL: https://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b3200016

Despite migrants representing a small fraction of the global population, their numbers have increased. Negative media portrayal has contributed to an exaggerated perception of migrant numbers, fostering concerns regarding national security, economy, and culture. Extreme right-wing parties have focused on these perceived threats to gain electoral support. Existing research has largely focused on the rise of far-right parties and their positions, leaving gaps in understanding the factors influencing anti-immigration attitudes. In order to address this, this thesis investigates the relationship between political sophistication, positive contact with migrants, and anti-immigration attitudes by examining Turkey and Germany as case studies. The World Values Survey and special flash surveys conducted by GESIS are used to understand the phenomenon. The study expects to find that individuals with higher political sophistication are less likely to have negative attitudes towards migrants, due to their access to diverse information and ability to comprehend complex issues. The regression estimations demonstrate that in the case of Turkey, political sophistication has a role to reduce anti-immigration attitudes; nonetheless, for the German respondents, the hypothesis does not find evidence based on the available data. Furthermore, positive contact with migrants plays a vital role in reducing anti-immigration sentiments, aligning with the contact theory’s predictions in both countries. Likewise, individuals are less likely to support a right-wing party if they have positive interaction with migrants.