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
This ranking of 100 countries is not valid if Switzerland is number 10 least racist. Native Swiss are openly dismissive of anyone who isn’t Swiss, regardless of ethnicity.
Japan’s mistreatment of its lower caste is bad, too. The people who worked with the dead or are butchers are at the bottom of Buddhist and Shinto society. Discriminated against in hiring and marriage.
Japan IS very racist,
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Japan appears to be the only country on the planet whose people understand that inviting ragheads into their country would be a self-destructive, ignorant thing to do. I applaud them for having such obvious common sense!
Whites are least racist because we have the most fools.
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BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best and most truthful post I’ve seen here in months (not counting my own, of course!).
They obviously haven’t gone to soccer matches there, recently.
Also, a lot of “Colonialism Guilt” in Britain.
Look how they treated Enoch Powell for his “Rivers of Blood” speech. And his fellow Tories, treated him worst of all.
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.
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As I’ve said before, the only salvation for the West would be the election of politicians with the balls to enact legislation mandating the immediate expulsion of every single Muslim. Failure to do so is, IMHO, to guarantee the eventual domination by savages who will not hesitate to enslave or slaughter everyone who refuses to bow down to Allah. TAKE IT TO THE BANK!! Don’t believe me? Ask any Muslim who is willing to be truthful about their goal of world domination.
These people were the most racist group I have ever met.
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Depending on one’s definition of “racist” one could be inclined to say more power to them!
Native Swiss are openly dismissive of anyone who isn’t Swiss, regardless of ethnicity.
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And for that they deserve to be applauded, in my view!
Then why is their national Soccer team full of Albanians?
Then why is their national Soccer team full of Albanians?
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I think you responded to the wrong poster!
14. USA
More okffensive black, Chinese and Hispanic jokes needed..we could be #1 if we tried!
....”scientific study shows that European countries and the u.s.are less racist than non white countries”....
You have your point via scientific studies. But we also know these can and often be biased one way or anther depending on those doing the research as well as their desire for further funding.
Darker skinned countries could very well be racist against whites for obvious reasons as history itself has shown this....and we know even in the black community here in the US there are racial divisions of the degree of blackness or near whiteness. I expect this is so for dark skin countries among their own as well.
I have issue with those who would deem who is more or less racist or not...human nature itself tells us people of varying color and culture and rligion tend to navigate toward those ‘of their own kind’...this indicats preference.
“Don’t believe me?”
Wish I didn’t.
“I have issue with those who would deem who is more or less racist or not”
In today’s America, whose enemies attack her with accusations of uniquely virulent racism, it is a good thing to note that other cultures are more racist than we are.
Compared to the Japanese, we don’t even know what racism is.
Thank you for your viewpoint and experience in the country.
Actually, that's the OP's conclusion, not the study's. In fact, the study makes no such connection. They conclude prejudice is tied to poverty, and that rich peoples are less racist than poor. Neither conclusion explains why impoverished, black Zimbabwe falls right between rich, white Hungary and Germany. Or Burkina Faso between UK and Portugal, or poor, Latino El Salvador is bracketed by Netherlands and Ireland, or how Belgium, Russia and Poland fall right below Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda, or why 3 of the 4 "least racist" countries are relatively poor and non-white, or, well you get the point.
Even if they could arrive at meaningful definitions of racism, tolerance and prejudice, it is a lot more complicated than black or white, rich or poor, X religion or Y religion, etc. There are hundreds, if not thousands of variables to weight and consider. And not all prejudice is bad, nor all tolerance good, not all hate without basis.
Well, yeah, me too, except I usually go ahead and say that some cultures are better than others.
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