Integrated Threat Theory and Acceptance of Immigrant Assimilation: An Analysis of Muslim Immigration in Western Europe

Abstract

This study explores whether a threat from an immigrant group is related to members of a dominant culture believing immigrants do not want to assimilate. As Muslim immigration to Europe has rapidly increased in the past 20 years, Muslim immigrants were used as the example of immigrants during data collection. Data were collected in France (n=162), Germany (n=111), and the United Kingdom (n=159). Threat was measured using a collection of instruments based off work in Integrated Threat Theory. Results reveal that when members of the host culture feel threatened they are more likely to believe immigrants (in this case Muslims) do not want to assimilate. There were also significant differences between the three nations in the perception of whether Muslims wanted to assimilate or not.

Keywords:

• Assimilation
• Integrated Threat Theory
• Immigration
• Europe
• Islam

Notes

1. The Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) for all predictor variables was between 1.25 and 7.46. A VIF of 10 or greater is a sign of worrisome multicollinearity (Bowerman & O'Connell, 1990; Myers, 1990).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stephen M. Croucher

Stephen M. Croucher (PhD, University of Oklahoma, 2006) is a Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland