Abstract

CHECA OLMOS, Juan Carlos; ARJONA GARRIDO, Ángeles  and  CHECA Y OLMOS, Francisco. Spanish attitudes towards immigration (1997-2007): The role of political parties. Intersecciones antropol. [online]. 2012, vol.13, n.1, pp.133-144. ISSN 1850-373X.

The aim of this paper is to examine the overlap that exists between the measures and political discourse on migration and the view that Spanish society has of the phenomenon. To do so, different methodological strategies were used. First, an exploration was conducted of the major decisions taken by both the Socialist Party and the Popular Party during their years in office. Proposals that both parties included in their manifestos and public demonstrations as listed in the newspapers El País and El Mundo were analyzed using the theory of agenda setting. Second, an index of anti-immigrant sentiment was constructed to find out the opinions the Spanish hold on immigration. The results show a correlation between political decisions and speeches and the opinions of the Spanish public. Most actions and public statements of politicians focus on border control and regulatory processes. The variables that explain the increased anti-immigrant sentiment of the Spanish population are threat to both population and identity, competition for resources, and political decisions during the process of integration (regularization).

Keywords : Immigrants; Threat; Xenophobia; Political parties; Frame.

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