ESRA 2025 Preliminary Program

Monday 14 July    Tuesday 15 July    Wednesday 16 July    Thursday 17 July    Friday 18 July   

All time references are in CEST

Studying attitudes toward immigrants 2
Session Organisers	Professor Eldad Davidov (University of Cologne) Dr Marcus Eisentraut (University of Cologne) Professor Anastasia Gorodzeisky (Tel Aviv University) Professor Dina Maskileyson (Université du Luxembourg) Ms Leona Przechomski (University of Cologne) Professor Peter Schmidt (University of Giessen) Professor Moshe Semyonov (Tel Aviv University) Dr Alice Ramos (University of Lisbon)
Time	Friday 18 July, 09:00 - 10:30
Room	Ruppert Blauw - 0.53

Studying attitudes toward immigrants
Session organizers in alphabetical order:
Eldad Davidov, Marcus Eisentraut, Anastasia Gorodzeisky, Dina Maskileyson, Leona Przechomski, Peter Schmidt and Moshe Semyonov

Europe has been experiencing large flows of immigration either from outside or within the EU. People come to Europe for work and study, but also escape wars, political instabilities, repression, or poverty. The Syrian refugee crisis of 2015/6, poverty and political instability in Africa, and the Russian war against Ukraine have pushed people to flee from their countries and try to seek safety and better life in Europe. These flows have brought attitudes towards migration to the forefront of public debates and resulted in political polarization in Europe. Europeans are divided not only in their attitudes toward immigrants and refugees but also in how they believe their country should deal with these immigration flows. This division is evident in the rise of support for and popularity of extreme right-wing parties in different European countries. The session is going to cover ongoing studies that utilize different methods of survey data collection and analysis to explain variation across individuals and societies in attitudes toward newcomers into Europe. Scholars are encouraged to submit studies which use survey data including comparative and longitudinal data and employ variable-oriented or typological approaches to explain attitudes toward immigrants and refugees in Europe.

Keywords: Attitudes toward immigrants and refugees, cross-country comparisons, longitudinal analysis

Papers

Investigating measurement invariance across modes with moderated non-linear factor analysis – A case study using a scale on attitudes towards foreigners

Mr Matthias Roth (GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences ) - Presenting Author
Dr Lena Roemer (Michigan State University)
Dr Ayline Heller (GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences )

In recent years, many social science survey programs started to shift from interviewer administered modes (IAM) towards self-administered modes (SAM). This shift has been accompanied by extensive research on the comparability of measurements obtained by IAM and SAM. Only if measurement invariance across modes can be established, responses from different modes can be compared and analyzed together.
For multi-item scales, the most common way to establish measurement invariance is multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA). However, MGCFA is limited, in that it only allows to test a single (categorical) variable as a source of invariance at a time (e.g., mode or age groups). Mode effects could, however, differ between younger and older respondents, leading to an interaction effect of mode and age as a cause for invariance. Moreover, MGCFA does not provide a straightforward way to harmonize responses if measurement invariance is missing. Alternative methods are needed to detect and harmonize mode effects.
In this study, we empirically investigate moderated non-linear factor analysis (MNLFA) as a promising method to tackle this task. MNLFA treats parameters of the measurement model as dependent on covariates. Using a scale measuring attitudes towards foreigners fielded in a mode experiment in the 2023 ALLBUS, we can thus simultaneously investigate whether measurement is affected by mode, age and the interaction between mode and age. The random assignment within the mode experiment allows us to assume that most differences between IAM and SAM are due to measurement and not due to population differences.
We show that MNLFA detects and adjusts measurement differences due to mode and age, while we do not find any evidence for an interaction effect between mode and age on measurement. We close with a discussion on what opportunities and challenges MNLFA faces in use-case of longitudinal panel studies.

The Butterfly Effect: Media Influence on European Perceptions of Migration

Dr Tatiana Karabchuk (UAEU) - Presenting Author
Dr Maha Bashri (UAEU)
Professor Branislav Radeljic (UAEU)

This study is focused on the impact of Internet usage and attitudes to immigrants in Europe. The movement of people across borders has been a defining feature of the 21st century, with Europe emerging as a primary destination for migrants and refugees from various parts of the world. This influx of people has sparked intense debates about the social, economic, and political implications of migration, with media playing a crucial role in shaping public perceptions and policy responses. As Europe grapples with the challenges posed by migration, it is essential to examine the complex interplay between media representations, public attitudes, and policy decisions. Using ESS data (2002-2022) this research applies structural equation multilevel modeling to evaluate the moderation effect of such country-level indicators as Press Freedom Index and Policy on Migration Index on the relationship between Usage of Internet and media and attitudes to Immigrants in European countries. We measure the attitudes towards immigrants via a set of questions from the ESS survey module as well as the individual level variables on media and Internet usage. By examining the multifaceted role of media in the migration debate in Europe, this paper aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how media representations both reflect and shape societal responses to this complex issue. We argue that addressing the challenges posed by media representations of migration requires a concerted effort from media organizations, policymakers, and the public to promote accuracy, diversity, and inclusion in the media landscape. Only by fostering a more balanced and informed dialogue on migration can Europe hope to develop a more equitable and sustainable approach to this pressing issue

Beyond the Majority Bias: Understanding Ethnic Minority Multi-Group Attitudes

Professor Frank van Tubergen (NIDI-KNAW & Utrecht University) - Presenting Author
Dr Stefano Cellini (NIDI-KNAW)
Dr Christian Czymara (NIDI-KNAW)

Research on interethnic attitudes has predominantly focused on the ethnic majority, often simplifying multi-ethnic societies into binary frameworks of an ethnic majority and a single ethnic minority. This majority-centric perspective overlooks the diversity within minority groups and neglects how ethnic minorities perceive other groups. Consequently, our understanding of intergroup relations remains limited, particularly regarding the dynamics underlying ethnic minorities’ attitudes toward multiple ethnic groups, including their in-group.

To address this gap, this study examines ethnic minority attitudes toward multiple out-groups and their own ethnic in-group, shedding light on ‘minority-minority’ relations. We develop a conceptual framework that captures the varying levels of sympathy or animosity ethnic minorities may hold for multiple groups, drawing on theories of assimilation, education, and religious boundaries. In doing so, we move beyond the two-group model and contribute to a richer understanding of intergroup dynamics in diverse societies.

Our analysis uses five large-scale, probability surveys conducted in the Netherlands between 2004 and 2015, encompassing over 15,000 first- and second-generation immigrants from ten ethnic groups, including Turkey, Morocco, Suriname, Dutch Antilles, Poland, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and China. These surveys included thermometer questions to measure feelings toward in- and out-groups on a 0–100 scale. By harmonizing and pooling the data, we ensure robust analyses of minority attitudes in a multi-group context.

Our findings show that immigrant generation, educational attainment, and religious boundaries significantly shape ethnic minorities’ attitudes toward in-groups and out-groups. These factors underscore the complexity of intergroup relations in multi-ethnic societies.

Religion and Anti-Immigrant Sentiment: Explaining Individual and National-Level Variance

Dr Kenneth Vaughan (Texas Lutheran University ) - Presenting Author

Anti-immigrant sentiment has emerged as a leading far-right right platform issue and a motivating issues for populist parties of a variety of political philosophies. Religion is understood to be important to these emerging political cleavage is but the exact relationship between religiosity and anti-immigrant sentiment remains unclear. Indeed, the state of the field is often characterized as mixed. In the study, I find that empirical evidence provides mixed support for the religious immunity hypothesis and reveals contrary results between individual and national level variables. I propose that changes in a sort of secularization lead to changing roles of religion at the national level, while the individual effects remain relatively unchanged. I also highlight differences in the relationship between religiosity and anti-immigrant sentiment in key national case studies and propose a secularization-immunity model for explaining this variance.

Young Adults’ Attitudes towards Refugees and Economic Immigrants during the ‘Refugee-migrant crisis’: The Case of Greece

Dr Stefania Kalogeraki (University of Crete) - Presenting Author

Despite the numerous studies on migration, research hardly examines the key determinants that shape host populations’ attitudes towards different groups of migrants who have different motives for migration, such as refugees who are forced to flee their home country and economic immigrants who emigrate voluntarily. Yet it is important to distinguish between these two groups of migrants, as their motives for migrating may cause different concerns among the population of the host country and thus shape different attitudes towards them. In addition, most studies examine attitudes towards migrants in the general population of the host country, while studies focusing specifically on the young population are scarce. As young generations are shaping the landscape for the harmonious integration of newcomers, it is crucial to understand the key determinants that shape youth attitudes towards migrants. The presentation uses survey data from the EU-funded EURYKA project and analyses the attitudes of Greek young adults (18-34 years) towards refugees and economic immigrants, incorporating realistic group conflict theory as well as ideological and cultural-related explanations. The Greek case is particularly interesting for the rationale of the presentation as Greece has been challenged by the recent ‘refugee-migrant crisis’ while still suffering from the ongoing effects of the recent recession with devastating socio-economic consequences especially for young people. Moreover, the country witnessed the rise of far-right political parties propagating an extremely xenophobic, racist and authoritarian discourse, which was particularly popular among Greek youth. The results show that Greek young adults’ opposition towards refugees is more widespread than towards economic immigrants. Socio-economic factors are only weakly related to Greek young adults’ opposition towards refugees and economic immigrants, while ideological orientations and attachment to local values are decisive for these negative attitudes.

Perceptions of Belonging: Attitudes Toward Muslim Migrants in India

Mr Istikhar Ali (Venu Charitable Society) - Presenting Author

This paper examines attitudes toward immigrants, focusing on the intersection of migration, identity, and marginalization, particularly in relation to Muslim migrants in urban India. Utilizing survey research methods, the study investigates how socio-political dynamics and communal narratives shape public perceptions of migrants and influence policies that perpetuate exclusion and structural inequality.
Migration in India, especially of Muslim communities, is deeply tied to historical and political processes that reinforce their social and spatial marginalization. The study focuses on attitudes toward internal Muslim migrants and those from neighboring countries, such as Bangladesh, who are often constructed as "outsiders" or security threats in public and political discourse. These narratives, exacerbated by communalism and far-right politics, significantly influence perceptions of migrants and their access to rights and resources.
The methodology combines survey research with qualitative approaches to provide a comprehensive analysis of attitudes. Surveys capture public opinions and biases regarding Muslim migrants, while ethnographic insights contextualize these attitudes within broader socio-political and historical frameworks. This dual approach enables the study to identify patterns in how migrants are perceived and the implications for their mental health, social inclusion, and access to resources.
The findings reveal that attitudes toward Muslim migrants are shaped by intersecting factors, including religion, socio-economic status, and geopolitical dynamics. Negative perceptions are often rooted in communal stereotypes and political agendas, leading to increased discrimination and marginalization. These attitudes significantly impact the well-being of Muslim migrants, perpetuating cycles of psychological distress and social exclusion.
This paper argues that addressing negative attitudes toward immigrants requires inclusive policies and public narratives that challenge discrimination. By bridging survey data with qualitative insights, the study highlights pathways to fostering more equitable migration governance and promoting social cohesion.