Interethnic Tension in Russia and Europe

Abstract

This article examines the pre-crisis (2014–2016) state of interethnic relations in Russia and European countries and takes into account Russian scholarship on this subject. Interethnic tensions are treated as a socio-psychological characteristic reflecting an imbalance in relationships that result from heightened conflict among ethnic groups. Respondents’ attitudes toward migrants entering their country are used to shed light on interethnic tensions in Russia and Europe.

Our data come from the European Social Survey (ESS). We examine such indicators of interethnic tension as respondents’ attitudes toward the movement of immigrants into their countries and their assessments of the changes such immigrants bring. By identifying analogues of these indicators, we were able to design an interethnic-tension index that enables comparisons across European countries.

The article identifies the countries where interethnic tensions were, at the time the study was conducted, least (Scandinavia) and most pronounced (Cyprus, Russia, the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Hungary). The greatest tension was found among members of the old and young age groups and among women and respondents with the least education, least income, and who reside in rural areas.

Among the main causes of interethnic tension (cultural features of interacting ethnic groups) we identified other factors that consistently affect the level of tensions: per capita GDP, the proportion of immigrants within the overall population, the number of immigrants arriving within the past five years, trust in people, and type of employment.

Keywords:

• inter-ethnic tensions in Russia
• inter-ethnic tensions in Europe
• immigration
• attitudes toward immigrants
• causes of prejudice

Notes

1. According to a report by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs published September 11, 2013, there are a total of 232 million migrants in the world, or 3.2 percent of the planet’s total population. The largest migration corridors have been Mexico to the United States, with 13 million migrants (January–August 2013); Russia to Ukraine, with 3.5 million; Ukraine to Russia, with 2.9 million; and Kazakhstan to Russia, with 2.5 million. According to data published by L.M. Drobizheva, there are more than 10 million immigrants in Russia and an additional 3–4 million illegal immigrants (Drobizheva, n.d.-b).

2. IET = MEAN (A + B), where A and B are the questions from the ESS database shown in Table 1. The index is calculated separately for each country.

3. These last two sets of questions also used a 10-point scale.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

N. S. Mastikova

Natalia Sergeevna Mastikova is a candidate of sociological sciences and a junior researcher in the Social Mobility Sector of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Sociology. Email: [email protected].