Author Date

2023-07-21

Degree Name

Department

David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies

College

David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies

Defense Date

2023-07-21

Publication Date

2023-08-03

First Faculty Advisor

Dr. Joshua Gubler

First Faculty Reader

Dr. Darren Hawkins

Honors Coordinator

Dr. Ray Christensen

Keywords

islamophobia, Spain, contact theory, media, prejudice reduction

Abstract

Throughout the western world, prejudice toward Arabs continues to be a significant issue. As the migration of Arabs into Spain continues, it is important to understand the various influences on Arab prejudice. The purpose of this thesis is to examine and analyze the influence of personal interactions and media consumption on Arab prejudice in Spain. To do so, I address several questions: does personal contact significantly change attitudes and language sentiments toward Arabs in Spain? Does the type of media consumption significantly change attitudes and language sentiments toward Arabs? To what extent do personal contact and media consumption jointly affect attitudes and sentiments? Using measures of personal contact with immigrants, type of media consumption, and language sentiments, I examine the degree to which these factors predict a change in attitudes and language sentiments toward Arabs. My analyses reveal that frequency of personal contact is correlated with the valence of attitudes; as the frequency of contact increases, pleasant attitudes increase. The type of media consumption also impacts attitudes toward Arabs in Spain, correlating left-wing selective and cross-cutting media consumption with more pleasant attitudes compared to right-wing selective. However, there is no statistical evidence that there is a correlation between these measures and language sentiments. Thus, personal contact with immigrants and the type of media consumption are significant predictors of attitudes toward migrant groups.