Posted on 01/01/2020 8:56:16 PM PST by Its All Over Except ...
Britain is one of the least racist countries in Europe, according to a new study which has found prejudice against immigrants to be 'rare' in the UK.
High levels of tolerance is typical of wealthy, English-speaking countries and prejudice is more common in poorer nations, according to analysis of the largest international surveys of beliefs and values.
British levels of prejudice against immigrant workers and people 'of a different race' were found to be 'relatively low' as was bias against Hindus, Jews, Gipsies, and Muslims.
In Bulgaria and Latvia, around 20 per cent would shun neighbours of a different religion. Prejudice against foreign workers in Europe was found to be worst in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovakia.
Britain was found to be one of the least racist countries in Europe according to analysis of prejudice against foreign workers and those of a different religion (pictured: crowds on Oxford Street in central London)
Britain was found to be one of the least racist countries in Europe according to analysis of prejudice against foreign workers and those of a different religion (pictured: crowds on Oxford Street in central London) Spain, Italy, Finland, and Germany were all found to be 'a little more prejudiced' regarding religion than the UK.
Only around 10 per cent of Britons would rather not have neighbours of a different religion.
Fifteen per cent of Britons would object to having migrants as neighbours, with around 10 per cent objecting to neighbours of a different race. Both France and the USA were more tolerant of having neighbours of a different race.
The UK was found to have ordinary levels of anti-immigrant worker prejudice for its level of socioeconomic development.
Poland and Hungary were among the most tolerant of the poorer countries, showing low levels compared with nations that have a similar GDP.
The findings, published in the Frontiers in Sociology journal, did reveal that Gipsies face more prejudice than any other group.
More than 60 per cent of Slovaks would object to a Gipsy neighbor, as would over 60 per cent of Lithuanians and Italians.
Nearly 40 per cent of Britons would object to having a Gipsy neighbour, which almost double to number who would object to a Muslim neighbour.
The findings challenge prevailing attitudes on Brexit, the nature of prejudice, and the social impact of modernisation.
Study co-author Professor Mariah Evans, of the University of Nevada, Reno, in the United States, said pundits have been wrong to associate the UK's vote to leave the EU with prejudice.
The UK was found to have low levels of prejudice relating to a variety of identity groups
The UK was found to have low levels of prejudice relating to a variety of identity group
'In the media turmoil surrounding Brexit, many pundits have seized on the prejudice angle, but these data demonstrate that is not actually what makes the UK different from the Continent,' she said.
'Prejudice against immigrant workers or minority ethnic and religious groups is rare in the UK, perhaps even slightly rarer than in equivalently developed EU countries.
'Even though only a small minority is prejudiced, in a large population that still makes many people - enough to show up in anti-immigrant demonstrations or to mobilise letter-writing campaigns to MPs.'
With half a million combined respondents, Prof Evans said the World and European Values Surveys provide a large, cross-sectional view of people's attitudes, beliefs and opinions in 100 countries.
The researchers analysed responses from these and the European Quality of Life surveys, to found out how ethnic and religious prejudices vary between nations at different stages of socio-economic development.
Specifically, they compared the prevalence of prejudice in the UK to that in its global culture group and other EU countries at around the same level of development.
Prof Evans said: 'We found a high level of tolerance for ethnic and religious diversity is typical of prosperous European and Anglophone nations, whereas ethnic and religious prejudice is much more common in poor countries.
'In this respect, the UK is "stock standard" given its GDP per capita: just like their wealthy EU peers, around 15 per cent of Britons would object to having immigrants as neighbours, around 10 per cent would object to neighbours of a different race, and 10 per cent would rather not have neighbours of a different religion.'
The analysis also showed that across all nations, prejudice tends to be either against all minority ethnic and religious groups or against none.
Study co-author Dr Jonathan Kelley, Director of the International Social Science Survey, said: 'We show that a single root prejudice - that all the feelings about specific groups spring from a single generalised feeling of tolerance or intolerance towards diversity in ethnicity and religion - holds across the whole globe.
'There is not a specific British or Japanese or Mexican pattern - rather prejudices are linked together in the same way everywhere.
'For example, people who would shun immigrants as neighbours would also shun neighbours of a different religion and neighbours of a different race.
'People who are good with one group as neighbours tend to be good with all. Prior researchers have suspected this, but this is the first time it has been demonstrated.'
The researchers said they recognised the limitations of a survey-based approached.
Dr Kelley said: 'Being scientists, we would always love better measurement. For example, ratings of prejudice on a five- or seven-point scale, and breakdown by region, would have provided a more accurate picture than yes/no responses at the national level.
'Also, of course, the situation is rapidly evolving, so data even a few years old may be light-years away from rapidly evolving and unstable ethnic and religious group relations.'
But they said the figures provide a much more 'rational and accurate' barometer of public opinion than do anti-immigrant demonstrations or political rhetoric.
Dr Kelley said: 'There are many ways in which Britain is known to be 'exceptional' in the European context, but prejudice against immigrants is clearly not one of them.'
Professor Evans added: 'Spillover in attitudes about different groups means that events and examples that lead people to feel more warmly towards one minority will also increase their warmth towards others.
'For example, a well-publicised act of personal heroism by a Buddhist would likely ever so slightly increase the general public's positive feelings towards Buddhists, but also towards immigrant workers, towards people of African descent, towards Muslims, and, indeed towards all minority ethnic and religious groups.
'Equally promising, the strong gradient of prejudice decreasing with national development - economic growth and institutions that support personal freedom and markets - suggests that contrary to fashionable belief, modernisation is a powerful force for good as far as tolerance for diversity is concerned.'
Revealed: 100 nations ranked from least racist to most by study
1. Argentina
2. Trinidad & Tobago
3. Brazil
4. Colombia
5. New Zealand
6. Uruguay
7. Guatemala
8. Australia
9. Canada
10. Switzerland
11. Sweden
12. Puerto Rico
13. Spain
14. USA
15. France
16. Denmark
17. Chile
18. Peru
19. Norway
20. Netherlands
21. El Salvador
22. Ireland
23. United Kingdom
24. Burkina Faso
25. Portugal
26. Hungary
27. Zimbabwe
28. Germany
29. Italy
30. Finland
31. Uzbekistan
32. Northern Ireland
33. Mexico
34. Croatia
35. Taiwan
36. Greexe
37. China
38. Bosnia Herzg
39. Ukraine
40. Tanzania
41. Ethiopia
42. Uganda
43. Belgium
44. Russia
45. Poland
46. Pakistan
47. Austria
48. Kazakhstan
49. Belarus
50. Latvia
51. Serbia
52. Dominican Republic
53. South Africa
54. Serbia and Montg
55. Morocco
56. Venezuela
57. Rwanda
58. Bosnia
59. Philippines
60. Moldova
61. Tunisia
62. Japan
63. Slovenia
64. Slovakia
65. Ghana
66. Macedonia
67. Bulgaria
68. Czech Republic
69. Mali
70. Romania
71. Estonia
72. Nigeria
73. Lithuania
74. Azerbaijan
75. Albania
76. Kyrgyzstan
77. Georgia
78. Zambia
79. Kosovo
80. Algeria
81. Armenia
82. Iran
83. Bahrain
84. Kuwait
85. Turkey
86. Vietnam
87. Ecuador
88. Indonesia
89. Iraq
90. South Korea
91. Lebanon
92. Malaysia
93. Saudi Arabia
94. Yemen
95. Thailand
96. India
97. Jordan
98. Bangladesh
99. Egypt
100. Libya
That may be but it doesn’t undo the fact that European countries and the U.S. are less racist than non-white countries.
Social scientists use anonymity to get their findings. With this, people reveal their true colors, and the true colors are predominantly white countries are less racist than predominately non-white countries.
Social scientists use anonymity to get their findings. With this, people reveal their true colors, and the true colors are predominantly white countries are less racist than predominately non-white countries.
Whites are least racist because we have the most fools.
A sizable white population helps South Africa.
It was posted so that conservatives can show this peer reviewed journal’s massive scientific study, based in anonymity that produces reliable findings, to Dems/leftists that they are wrong about European countries and the United States being more racist than other predominantly non-white countries.
Around 2002 I told a limey cow-orker that England would rue the day (Yes, I talk like that) that they failed to expel the muzzies. He became so angry that his fillings melted and ran down his chin.
I wonder how he feels about it now.
Back then, Britain still had a largely positive experience with immigrants adapting, assimilating and embracing British culture, even adding some much needed “flavor”. By 2002, it was just becoming apparent to most Brits that there was a “problem”. I would imagine he is rather disappointed in the more recent immigrants and their failure to assimilate. Or, he still thinks everything is just dandy, and you’re just a pompous American ass. That is, if he hasn’t been stabbed to death.
hmm... well as a person who has lived in different places in the US, UK, Belgium, France and Poland as well as visited India, Hong Kong and Japan for long periods of time, I can tell you my own impressions and experience.
the UK is the least racist country in Western Europe.
I repeat that - the least racist country out of the UK, Ireland, Spain, France, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Italy that I have seen.
the most racist western european country I’ve seen was France - and that’s a very specific kind of racism - more elitism, if you aren’t from certain schools and families, then you are untermenschen.
next racist in my experience was Italy and Sweden - in different ways, the Italians overtly and the Swedes covertly.
In the UK you will find groups of friends and colleagues at pubs who are of different “races” and they don’t give a dang about that.
You’ll find a group with gay folks, black folks, white folks, etc. all making non-pc jokes about English, Irish,Poles, Gays, Blacks etc. that would get the Race-police out in arms in the USA.
And this “taking the piss out of each other” is genuine. There isn’t the wariness between race relations that I’ve seen in the USA.
AGAIN - these are just my own experiences, I’m in NO WAY saying this is a scientific study.
The Brits are the least racist in Western Europe in my humble opinion and experience
The anecdotal evidence you provided is nice and all, but the scientific study provided in this massive, anonymous survey that provides people’s opinions on others produces accurate results and shows that predominantly white countries tend to be less racist than predominantly non-white countries.
Sociology tends to be liberal-leaning so for this study to produce this is extraordinary.
Sorry Sebastian, your study still sucks. Seriously, get a grip and quit chasing everyone around telling them how infallible this awesome, massive, awesome (can it be double awesome?), did I mention anonymous, study that reaffirms your biases and prejudices is.
Oh, and welcome to Free Republic. You’ll catch on...
Indeed. The UK has, however, had a Jewish PM as long ago as 1868, and could have had two more in the last 20 years (Michael Howard and Ed Miliband) if the party which they led had won a general election. David Lammy has an outside chance of succeeding Corbyn as Labour leader and thus potential future PM. And there have been plenty of BME (the current PC acronym) cabinet ministers.
to the point of anti-immigrants and Brexit.
As you may know, I think Brexit will be damaging to the UK economy and status in the world, so putting that out that at the start of my response here.
Yet I do NOT believe that Racism was a factor in Brexit.
What were the two main factors were:
1. immigration
2. Media distortion
I’ll talk about the 1st — when I lived in the UK, it was already quite diverse. There were plenty of Caribbeans, indians, Pakis, Europeans etc. - and people integrated quite well (except Mirpuri Pakis)
That changed with
1. The opening of the gates to more Pakis under Labour - still not the main issue
2. the main issue was the 2004 eu expansion east. Ironically enough this was pushed by the UK against opposition from France and the Netherlands.
to #2 - the BRITS DID NOT LIKE IT THAT THERE WERE SO MANY POLES AND BULGARIANS COMING TO THE UK.
And I UNDERSTAND them - from 2004 to 2014 over 1.5 million Poles and probably 1 million Bulgarians, Romanians, Hungarians etc.
In 2004 when the central europeans joined, the EU gave countries the option of putting a 3 year moratorium on workers coming in from those countries. Germany, France etc. took this, the UK didn’t as it had a need for workers.
And it took the best and brightest AND the UK economy bloomed. It was a win for the UK economically.
But it ended up changing the culture of the country very rapidly.
Add to that the increased radicalization of Muslims and it was too much.
This was the British politicians fault - they could have under eu rules reduced the flow or even stopped it for 3 years, but they preferred getting more money now.
And they played the media to blame the eu for it.
ditto with “loads of welfare migrants” - that’s false, migrants with no jobs after 3 months can be legally deported. anyway, that’s another answer, not related to this post.
The UK voted Brexit largely due to immigration (too much, too quickly) but this was not racist or xenophobic in my opinion despite the leave side using that - CAVEAT being that I don’t know what was the racist or non-racist mood in smaller coal towns
the UK in the 19th century had Disraeli, born a Jew but baptised as a child into the Church of England. Racially he was a Jew, and by looks fit all the stereotypes (hate to bring that up, but just to bring the point that he didn’t look “english”)
Italy had many Prime Ministers who were Jews - by “race” and by religion - and from my experience I don’t see Italians treating their Jews as “different” - rather they seem to see them as Italians.
“That is, if he hasn’t been stabbed to death.”
Hope not. He was a backstabbing cur, but he didn’t deserve that.
Sorry to say he caused racial tensions in this country to escalate and this wound will take decades to heal.
Take Montreal French side and Quebec. These people were the most racist group I have ever met.
But that’s how we talk to our friends:) You are correct there are small pockets of absolute rednecks but most of us like to be friendly to anyone who is willing to be friendly themselves. It does become a problem though if people are unwilling. It is taken as a slap in the face.
the English throw ACID on the faces of, and routinely STAB,
or hit with trucks, whites and non-Moslems
How does that make them “non racist”?
12. Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, not a country. Should not be treated separately. Either remove it or lump it in with the U.S.. That will make the U.S. #13 (maybe even #12).
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