From Tension To Action: Understanding TheDynamics Of Anti-Refugee Mobilization

Collective action literature has long focused on mobilization for the rights of disadvantagedgroups. However, with rising anti-minority sentiments, this focus hasbegun to shift toward mobilization against the disadvantaged. Refugees are one ofthese disadvantaged groups that advantaged members of host societies increasinglymobilize against. Given the growing number of refugees and the rising hostilitydirected at them, understanding the dynamics behind host society mobilization isnecessary for effective intervention. In the present work, I examine the psychologicalbackground of anti-refugee mobilization in Türkiye across two studies using amediation model. In Study 1 (N = 2209), I found that perceived threat and injusticepredicted collective action intentions against Syrian refugees, through fearand anger, respectively. However, while anger predicted both traditional and onlinecollective action intentions, for fear, this pattern was only significant for traditionalcollective action. In Study 2 (N = 335), I extended the model by adding dehumanizationand found that perceived threat and injustice again indirectly predictedstronger collective action intentions, through fear and anger, and then dehumanization.Overall, the findings support the established predictors of collective action andhighlight the additional role of dehumanization in anti-refugee mobilization. Furtherresearch is needed to establish causal pathways and explore the role of fear in moredetail.