Intergroup emotions and intergroup attitudes in post-apartheid South Africa

Abstract

This article investigates the relationships among intergroup emotions and intergroup attitudes among three South African ethno-linguistic groups. The sample included 1 658 respondents (350 Afrikaans-speaking white South Africans; 526 English-speaking white South Africans; and 782 black South African respondents). They completed surveys on intergroup attitudes and group-based emotions of pride, anger, disgust, fear, pity and envy. Multiple linear regression analyses were employed to investigate predictors of outgroup attitudes. The results indicate that attitudes of younger black South Africans were more negative towards Afrikaans-speaking white South Africans. Ingroup pride predicted more positive outgroup attitudes for all groups. Disgust predicted the more negative outgroup attitudes for all groups, while anger predicted more negative white South Africans’ attitudes towards black South Africans. Fear was negatively associated with black South Africans’ attitudes towards English-speaking white South Africans, while outgroup pity predicted more positive white South Africans’ attitudes towards black South Africans and black South Africans’ attitudes towards English-speaking white South Africans. The study confirms tenets of intergroup emotion theory that intergroup emotions serve a regulating function in intergroup attitudes and behaviour.