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Challenging Democracy - Ethnic Nationalism and Xenophobia Among Teenagers Challenging Democracy - Ethnic Nationalism and Xenophobia among Teenagers Andrea U. Haenni Hoti VOLUME 3, NUMBER 9 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE HUMANITIES http://www.Humanities-Journal.com First published in 2005/2006 in Melbourne, Australia by Common Ground Publishing Pty Ltd www.CommonGroundPublishing.com. © 2005/2006 (this paper), the author(s) © 2005/2006 (selection and editorial matter) Common Ground Authors are responsible for the accuracy of citations, quotations, diagrams, tables and maps. All rights reserved. Apart from fair use for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act (Australia), no part of this work may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. For permissions and other inquiries, please contact <[email protected]>. ISSN: 1447-9508 (print), 1447-9559 (online) Publisher Site: http://www.Humanities-Journal.com The INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE HUMANITIES is a peer refereed journal. Full papers submitted for publication are refereed by Associate Editors through anonymous referee processes. Typeset in Common Ground Markup Language using CGCreator multichannel typesetting system http://www.CommonGroundSoftware.com. Challenging Democracy - Ethnic Nationalism and Xenophobia among Teenagers Results of the First Swiss Youth Survey Andrea U. Haenni Hoti, University for Teacher Education, Lucerne, Switzerland Abstract: The research project comprises a quantitative study (n=3.104; average age: 15 years) and a qualitative analysis (n=26) of nationalism and xenophobia among adolescents. Selected extracts of the qualitative interview study are presented initially to demonstrate how teenagers with and without xenophobic attitudes think about immigrants and about the Swiss nation. The qualitative results exhibit that in the Swiss society there are competing patterns of identification with the nation: one type is based on a constructed common ethnicity and is strongly related to the idealisation of the in-group and, at the same time, to xenophobia. Another pattern of identification is based on the concept of citizenship and focuses on equal participation of immigrants in all societal domains. These two patterns, the ethnic and civic concept of nationalism, as well as the variety of patterns derived from a combination of aspects of both types of identification, are interpreted as an expression of the current identity crisis of Switzerland. The quantitative study illustrates how widespread xenophobic attitudes are among Swiss youth and discusses the causes of this phenomenon within the theoretical framework of modernisation, social deprivation, and authoritarianism: the links between a negative political attitude towards immigrants and growing up in a traditional, rural setting as well as a specific concept of citizenship that upholds loyalty to one’s own nation are demonstrated. The tendency of xenophobia among Swiss teenagers increases with a growing authoritarian conviction and a declining willingness to become involved in social and charity activities as an adult. The less political knowledge and trust in public and political institutions the respondents had the stronger their xenophobic inclinations. Male gender is also a risk factor. Suggestions for civic education and a policy against xenophobia (antiracism) conclude the study. Keywords: Nationalism and Xenophobia, Citizenship and Civic Education The Growing Discomfort within the annual celebration held on the Rütli, which is Democracy considered to be the key location of the Swiss myth concerning the establishment of the Swiss federal INCE THE COLLAPSE of the geopolitical state. Shouting their slogans, they interrupted and order established during the period of the insulted the president’s speech and made use of the Cold War, right-wing and ultraconservative presence of the media for their propaganda. This Smovements in Europe have gained political disturbing event has taken place repeatedly for the influence (as well as in the U.S. or in Australia). The past several years, leading politicians to debate on movements oppose the European integration process, whether or not to limit the access to the Rütli on that propagate national autonomy and favour a restrictive day and to restrict the right of assembly of immigration policy, particularly towards nationals antidemocratic groups. from Eastern European countries and towards Today, a democracy with a long tradition such as refugees from developing countries of the South. in Switzerland is confronted with the unsettling Their political programme is based primarily on question of whether public activities and violent acts xenophobic propaganda and directed against specific of right-wing extremists may only represent the tip groups of immigrants. The media campaign of the of the iceberg, concealing a social problem of an Swiss Popular Party can be offered as an example, even greater and more complex dimension. with its aims to discredit Muslims, ethnic Albanians An international comparative study on civic from Kosovo and refugees from African countries: education of youth (IEA Civic Education Study) Muslims were systematically associated with indicates that the attitudes of Swiss teenagers towards religious violence and fundamentalism, Albanians the rights of immigrants lie below the international with speeding and the mafia, and African refugees average, although a large majority of young Swiss with drug dealing and the so-called “abuse of the support the cultural and political rights of asylum laws”. immigrants. The Swiss respondents only ranked 27th On 1 August 2005, the Swiss national holiday, among the 28 countries included in the survey several hundred young Neo-Nazis disrupted the INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE HUMANITIES, VOLUME 3, NUMBER 9, 2005/2006 http://www.Humanities-Journal.com, ISSN 1447-9508 (print), 1447-9559 (online) © Common Ground, Andrea U. Haenni Hoti, All Rights Reserved, Permissions: [email protected] 236 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE HUMANITIES, VOLUME 3 (Torney-Purta, Lehmann, Oswald & Schulz, 2001; Question: Why do some Teenagers set Haenni Hoti, 2003). Fire to a Home for Asylum Seekers? Therefore, this research project does not focus on the ideology of extremist groups, but instead raises “Because they want to show the foreigners who the question as to how widespread xenophobic actually lives in this country, or who actually attitudes are among the overall population of Swiss governs this country.” – “I think it’s good that teenagers and which social and political factors there are people who have the courage to do explain this phenomenon. It is the first study to this, that they are so brave.” analyse the 15-year-old age group and to include a (Anita, 16 years old, apprentice) sample of teenagers from all four language regions of Switzerland (German, French, Italian and Rhaeto- In contrast to the attitudes of Andreas and Anita, Romanic). Niklaus does not exhibit a xenophobic attitude. He approves of the presence of immigrants in Definitions and Illustrative Examples of Switzerland, he identifies existing prejudices against the Qualitative Study ethnic Albanians, and moreover, he is pleading for an equal status of immigrants and Swiss nationals: According to Cynthia Meier-Mesquita’s definition, xenophobia signifies “a hostile attitude towards foreign citizens (…)” (1999, 6). But the term ‘hostile’ Question: What do you think about needs to be specified when viewed as an emotional Immigrants? expression. Here it is understood as a negative and “Actually, I’m not against foreigners. If certain devaluating attitude towards immigrants, which is people address me in an unfriendly way, then based on emotions such as fear or aggression. In many people would say they are typical addition, Hoffmann & Even define xenophobia from Albanians. But I think to myself, there are good a more sociological perspective: The notion that Albanians after all and there are stupid Swiss, immigrants should not be entitled to the same rights too, just like there are stupid Albanians. Yes, as Swiss nationals and that they should maintain their for me they are all equal.” specific status of fewer rights (1984, 26). The authors emphasise the connection between xenophobic political attitudes and discriminating institutionalised What do you mean, “They are all equal”? and social positions. The acceptance of social inequality, where Swiss nationals are privileged and “For me, a Swiss citizen isn’t worth more than non-Swiss citizens are underprivileged, is a crucial a foreigner. I don’t believe that a Swiss has criterion for the definition of xenophobia, as well as more of a right to live in Switzerland than a the use of violence in order to maintain this unequal foreigner.” – “Yes, the territory, I mean the balance of power (Heitmeyer, 1992). whole world belongs to everybody. One has to The following selection of extracts taken from the find a place for everyone. You can’t say no, qualitative study (n=26) illustrate the political nobody is coming in here! That’s not good.” attitudes of a Swiss boy and a girl with xenophobic (Niklaus, 17 years old, apprentice) attitudes. They are statements made by Andreas and The qualitative results, which are presented more Anita: extensively elsewhere (Haenni Hoti, 2006), exhibit Question: What do you think about that there are competing patterns of identification in Foreigners? the Swiss society: one type is formed by a common ethnicity and is strongly related to the idealisation “In any
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