European Social Policy Analysis Network Conference, Date: 2016/09/01 - 2016/09/03, Location: Rotterdam

Publication date: 2016-01-01

Author:

Galle, Jolien
Swyngedouw, Marc ; Abts, Koenraad ; Meuleman, Bart

Abstract:

Current pressures on the welfare state and the increased diversity in Western societies have recently stirred up the interest of scholars in migrants’ and ethnic minorities’ welfare attitudes. This study contributes to the upcoming literature by investigating explanations for the attitudes of Belgians of Moroccan and Turkish descent toward redistribution and government responsibility. The main goal of this study is to test whether the explanatory frameworks of the existing literature are relevant for explaining ethnic minorities’ attitudes or need to be expanded by indicators related to intergroup relations. The analysis of the Belgian Ethnic Minorities Election Study 2014 (N=878) shows that feelings of fraternal relative deprivation and perceived individual discrimination have an important impact on the attitudes of Belgians of Turkish or Moroccan descent. Furthermore, our results show that it is necessary to take into account differences based on ethnic background, religion, generation, and socio-political context.