Osborn, H. J., Sosa, N., & Rios, K. (2020). Perceiving demographic diversity as a threat: Divergent effects of multiculturalism and polyculturalism. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 23(7), 1014-1031.

White Americans may regard the expanding racial and ethnic diversity in the United States as a threat. The authors showed that interethnic ideologies—different ways of framing ethnic diversity—moderate perceptions of threat and political conservatism among White Americans when they see that the United States is becoming a “majority-minority” nation.

In their three studies, the authors discovered divergent effects of multiculturalism and polyculturalism. The mindset of multiculturalism increased perceived threats to the ingroup’s power and status, which led to greater support for conservative political views and warmer feelings toward a conservative political figure (i.e., Donald Trump). However, when people were in the mindset of polyculturalism, these relationships were attenuated and sometimes even reversed among them.

The authors discuss the consequences of interethnic ideology on White Americans’ frightened responses to increasing diversity.

Osborn, H. J., Sosa, N., & Rios, K. (2020). Perceiving demographic diversity as a threat: Divergent effects of multiculturalism and polyculturalism. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 23(7), 1014-1031. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430219880606