Spatial mobility and tolerance towards immigrants: the case of Northern Iceland. Issue 10 (8th August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bjarnason, Thoroddur; Stevenson, Clifford; Shuttleworth, Ian; Meckl, Marcus
• Is Part Of: Ethnic and racial studies. Volume 43:Issue 10(2020)
• Page Start: 1813
• Page End: 1832
• Publication Date: 2020-08-08
• Subjects: Immigrants -- residential mobility -- return migration -- tolerance -- local community -- Iceland; Race -- Periodicals; Race relations -- Periodicals; Ethnic groups -- Periodicals; 305.805
• DOI: 10.1080/01419870.2019.1667003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0141-9870

Abstract

ABSTRACT: While the profound effects of spatial mobility on social structures and patterns of interactions have long been recognized, the association of mobility experiences and tolerance towards immigrants has received limited attention. In this paper, we examine such patterns in Iceland, a country with a long history of emigration and return migration of the local population but a recent surge in international immigration. We find in-migrants and locals who have lived in the capital city area or abroad for at least a year to be more tolerant of immigrants than locals who have never lived elsewhere. These patterns of tolerance among more mobile respondents persist after controlling for other predictors such as age, gender, education and language skills, employment status, income, community integration, residential satisfaction and generalized trust. These results are discussed in the context of changing patterns of mobility and immobility in western countries.