Intergroup Threat and Prejudice Among Early, Middle, and Late Adolescents in Finland

• In Event: Intergroup Communication and Globalization: Contact, Identity, and Discrimination

Abstract

The focus of this study is to understand how differently early, middle and late Finnish adolescents experience threats from immigrants. This is done by utilizing integrated threat theory (ITT) by (Stephan and Stephan, 1996) as a theoretical framework for understanding threats pose by the minority to the majority. ITT suggest that prejudice can be caused by four types of threat: realistic threat, symbolic threat, negative stereotype and intergroup anxiety (Stephan and Stephan, 1996). It is important to note that understanding threats and prejudice towards immigrants is integral to understanding intercultural or intergroup dialogue. An understanding of the environment in which dialogue takes place especially at different stages of adolescence development is crucial in an attempt to foster a productive exchange (Nshom and Stephen, 2014).

Author

• Elvis Nshom Ngwayuh, University of Jyvskyl