Greek Cypriot adolescent attitudes toward immigrants and ‘enemy-others’ in the context of ethnic conflict

Abstract

This paper describes and analyses the results of a survey on Greek Cypriot students’ attitudes toward immigrants and toward those considered as the ‘enemy-others’ (in this context, the Turks and Turkish Cypriots). This investigation is important because issues of immigration seem to be further complicated by the ongoing ethnic conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus. Although this study does not examine whether attitudes about immigration change as a result of ethnic conflict (or vice versa), it provides an initial mapping to numerically chart the terrain of Greek Cypriot students’ tendencies toward both immigrants and ‘enemy-others’. The results show that Greek Cypriot students manifest generally negative attitudes toward immigrants and Turks and Turkish Cypriots (although there is a differentiation in the perception of the latter group). It is also shown that Greek Cypriot students prefer the model of separation rather than that of assimilation or integration in their relations with immigrants. Significant differences are identified between the perceptions of: (i) boys and girls; and (ii) younger and older adolescents. The implications for intercultural education both at the policy level and at the level of classroom practice are discussed. It is also suggested that the intersection of (ethnic or other) conflict and immigration and how it is manifest in the context of education requires attention in future research.