Maintaining a tolerant national identity: Divergent implications for the acceptance of minority groups

Abstract

The current research examines the proposition that minority groups can be either accepted or rejected, both in the name of national tolerance. In three studies using national samples in the Netherlands (N = 1572), we focused on three different understandings of what is required to maintain an alleged national identity of tolerance. Data indicated that stronger agreement with the need to live up to the self-defining tradition of tolerance was associated with higher support for Muslim minority practices. However, stronger agreement with two boundary conditions of what is tolerable in the name of protecting tolerance, upholding a threshold for tolerance, and the need for reciprocity, was found to be associated with lower support for Muslim minority practices. Additionally, perceived identity continuity threat accounted for these associations. The findings demonstrate that a national identity of tolerance can be understood in different ways with differing implications for minority groups.