“The way we relate to ‘others’ shows how we actually are” Causes of xenophobic attitudes in Hungary

Abstract

Abstract As a starting point for our paper we propose that our attitudes towards respecting and accepting others are somewhat similar to a mirror about ourselves. Refusing those who are ‘other than me’ usually feeds on our own uncertainty and the lack of self-confidence. Our aim is to highlight and discuss some underlying factors that could contribute to explaining the high level of support for xenophobic and isolationist attitudes in the Hungarian society. We argue that not only poverty or the lack of well-being are strengthening the refusal of others. There is a considerably high proportion of people in Hungary who are threatened by social marginalization and by the fear of being declassed from their weak lower-middle class social status. Experiencing the state of constant uncertainty plays an important role in conserving and spreading the attitudes towards isolation and exclusion. We also draw attention to the particular role of education: the built-in selection routines resulting in rather homogeneous school environments; the lack of democratic norms in classrooms; and the teaching methods focusing on intense and perpetual competition. These all could contribute to the development of non-acceptance and exclusionary attitudes towards ‘otherness’ from early childhood. For our empirical analysis we use comparative data from the first (2002) and last (2015) rounds of the European Social Survey (ESS). Keywords: immigration, acceptance of otherness, attitudes, education, Europe, Hungary