Guest : ANNA ZAMORA, Columbia University
Public Attitudes Toward Immigration In Multi-National States: Evidence from Belgium and Spain
Abstract: The spread of anti-foreigner sentiment challenges the maintenance of social cohesion. Social scientists have traditionally explained citizens’ hostility toward immigration as a result of micro- and macro-level variables (see the literature reviews by Ceobanu and Escandell, 2010, or Rustenbach, 2010). This study reveals the limitations of macro-level theories for the sociological understanding of anti-foreigner sentiment in multi-national states. Evidence from Belgium and Spain allows this study to complement prevailing macro-level explanations with regional-level mechanisms. Findings indicate that anti-foreigner sentiment has been associated with material arguments in some regions, for instance, in Wallonia and in Andalusia, while in others, such as Flandes and Catalonia, it has been related to non-material arguments. Immigrants’ background, labor market participation, and the implementation of integration policies provide potential explanations for these regional differences. The development of this project seeks to contribute to the sociological understanding of multi-ethnic social cohesion, while providing useful policy insights.
Anna Zamora graduated from the University of Barcelona in 2006, and she is currently a PhD student at the Department of Sociology at Columbia University. After receiving the degrees of Master of Arts (2008), and Master of Philosophy (2009), she is writing her dissertation under the supervision of Prof. Saskia Sassen. Her studies have received the funding from the Fundación Caja Madrid, Columbia University, Alliance Française, Talentia – Junta de AndalucÃa, and the Spanish Ministry of Culture and her work has been published in the Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas, International Sociology, Journal of Iberian and Latin American Studies, and the Encyclopedia of Social Networks.
