Linking Adolescent Subculture with Attitudes Towards Immigrants: Do Peer Crowds Have Any Role to Play?

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study was to examine whether adolescents’ self-identification with peer crowds at school was related to their attitudes towards immigrants. The study was based on a sample of Swedish adolescents (N = 905; Mage = 14.08, SD = .95). The findings revealed that affiliation with particular peer crowds at school was linked to tolerant attitudes towards immigrants. Specifically, it was found that when adolescents perceived themselves as a part of Radical or Mainstream peer crowds they tend to have higher tolerance towards immigrants. At the same time, no significant effects were found with regard to adolescents who perceived themselves to belong to peer crowds within Counterculture. Furthermore, no significant links were found between affiliation with peer crowds and prejudice towards immigrants. The results of the study suggest that tolerance and prejudice should be studied as separate constructs, and highlights the important role of peer crowds as potential determinants of attitudes towards immigrants.