Investigating interculturality in Germany by means of social identity, social distance, personality and xenophobia

ABSTRACT

Due to the increasing need to understand integration processes and existing impediments, the present study investigated interculturality in Germany with N = 171Germans and Migrants in terms of social identity, personality, social distance as well as xenophobia and their relationship amongst each other. Results confirmed that openness and flexibility predict outgroup orientation for the total sample and the German subsample. However, this was not true for the subsample of migrants. Furthermore, within the German subsample, outgroup orientation had a decreasing influence on hostility towards foreigners and refugees, whereas national identity had an enhancing influence on xenophobia. Moreover, within the subsample of migrants, a decreasing influence of outgroup orientation on xenophobia was only confirmed towards foreigners. It was also shown that xenophobia has an enhancing influence on social distance within the total sample and the German subsample. For the subsample of migrants, this was not the case. Overall, the present study reveals the importance of personality traits regarding the success of migration in Germany through individual predispositions against foreigners that influence the process of integration. The results can be used to derive measures to support the integration, e.g., in the form of intercultural trainings.

KEYWORDS:

• Interculturality
• social Identity
• personality
• social Distance
• xenophobia

Disclosure statement

We, the authors of this manuscript verify that there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Notes on contributors

Petia Genkova

Petia Genkova, Prof. Dr. phil. habil., is professor for business psychologyat the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück. She leadsvarious research projects investigating intercultural competence, intercultural communicationand cooperation as well as refugees experiences and health and contentment ofpeople with migration background as well as diversity. Furthermore she is member ofmultiple professional societies, e.g. delegate in the womens council NRW, International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology, chairwoman of the department of political psychologyand speaker for the equality committee of the Association of German Psychologists (BDP), as well as German Association of Female Academics board member. Further she serves as an expert for the german Federal Ministry of Education and Research, science council, Swiss National Fund, and multiple scientific journals. In addition, she is Höffmann Science Award for Intercultural Competence laureate for her lifes´work.

Marie Grimmelsmann (B.Sc. Businesspsychology) is a scientific coworker at the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück and involved in various Research projects investigating interculturality and intercultural interaction.