Mukomel V. (2017) Xenophobes and Their Opposites: Who Are They? Mir Rossii, vol. 26, no 1, pp. 32–57 (in Russian)

Abstract

The decline in xenophobic attitudes in Russia between 2014–2015, which has recently been documented by some researchers, has a transient nature. Xenophobia acquires latent forms that go unnoticed in the public space. This article attempts to answer the following questions: who are the people with xenophobic attitudes and why are they hostile to outsiders? and who are their opposites, i.e. people who consistently support tolerant attitude towards foreigners? Empirically the article draws on Wave 24 of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS-HSE), the total sample size comprises of 15 200 respondents interviewed between October 2015 and January 2016 and 40 focus groups conducted by the Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Science (IS RAS) in five Russian regions in 2015. Depending on their attitudinal profiles respondents are first classified into four categories (“tolerant”, “swinging”, “hypointolerant” and “hyper-intolerant”) and further compared with respect to their typical socio-demographic profile, economic, human and social capital, the level of trust, and specific structures of identity. It is shown that intolerant individuals, particularly the “hyper-intolerant” are characterized by low levels of social capital and low levels of human capital, unwillingness or ill-preparedness to investment in human capital,. As a result a specific structure of identities develops among such people characterized by negative narcissism and social pessimism. In turn, uncertainty, frustration and the social fears experienced by such people are channelled away in the form of xenophobic attitudes. On the contrary, their opposites – tolerant individuals – are characterized by higher levels of human and social capital and social trust, which form the basis for their social optimism, self-confidence and higher levels of satisfaction with life as a whole. The decline in xenophobic attitudes in Russia between 2014–2015, which has recentlybeen documented by some researchers, has a transient nature. Xenophobia acquireslatent forms that go unnoticed in the public space. This article attempts to answerthe following questions: who are the people with xenophobic attitudes and why arethey hostile to outsiders? and who are their opposites, i.e. people who consistentlysupport tolerant attitude towards foreigners? Empirically the article draws on Wave 24of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS-HSE), the total sample sizecomprises of 15 200 respondents interviewed between October 2015 and January 2016and 40 focus groups conducted by the Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy ofScience (IS RAS) in five Russian regions in 2015. Depending on their attitudinal profilesrespondents are first classified into four categories (“tolerant”, “swinging”, “hypointolerant”and “hyper-intolerant”) and further compared with respect to their typicalsocio-demographic profile, economic, human and social capital, the level of trust, andspecific structures of identity. It is shown that intolerant individuals, particularly the“hyper-intolerant” are characterized by low levels of social capital and low levels ofhuman capital, unwillingness or ill-preparedness to investment in human capital,. Asa result a specific structure of identities develops among such people characterizedby negative narcissism and social pessimism. In turn, uncertainty, frustration and thesocial fears experienced by such people are channelled away in the form of xenophobicattitudes. On the contrary, their opposites – tolerant individuals – are characterizedby higher levels of human and social capital and social trust, which form the basisfor their social optimism, self-confidence and higher levels of satisfaction with lifeas a whole.