Antagonism toward African immigrants in Johannesburg, South Africa : an Integrated Threat Theory (ITT) approach.
Date
2009-03-20T07:53:42Z
Authors
Laher, Hawabibi
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Abstract
South Africa and Johannesburg are rapidly becoming global entities in the worldwide
domain. The history of South Africa embodies a place of segregation and discrimination. At
present, South Africa is characterised as a place of promise for the future. As a result, South
Africa (specifically Johannesburg), “has become a magnet for people from other provinces,
the African continent, and indeed, the four corners of the world” (Masondo, 2004). Yet these
movements are not always met with a positive response. This study sought to investigate
whether the Integrated Threat Theory (ITT) of prejudice (Stephan & Stephan, 1996) explains
prejudice and social distance towards African immigrants in South Africa. The theory
suggests that the factors, inter-group anxiety, realistic threats, symbolic threats and negative
stereotypes, affect prejudice. Nature of communication was also used as a predictor of
prejudice. The sample consisted of 345 South African citizens. A questionnaire was issued to
the participants in order to establish how they feel (perception) or have felt, interacting with
immigrants from African countries. Various scales were used to ascertain this information.
Multiple linear regression and path analyses were conducted. Findings indicated that intergroup
anxiety, symbolic threats, realistic threats and stereotypes as well as the nature of
communication predicted prejudice to a large extent (68% of the variance explained) and
predicted social distance to a moderate extent (42% of the variance explained).
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Keywords
Antagonism, Immigrants, Integrated Threat Theory, South Africa