Interethnic Tension in Russia and Europe

This article examines the pre-crisis (2014–2016) state of interethnic relations in Russia and European countries and takes into account Russian scholarship on this subject. Interethnic tensions are treated as a socio-psychological characteristic reflecting an imbalance in relationships that result from heightened conflict among ethnic groups. Respondents’ attitudes toward migrants entering their country are used to shed light on interethnic tensions in Russia and Europe. Our data come from the European Social Survey (ESS). We examine such indicators of interethnic tension as respondents’ attitudes toward the movement of immigrants into their countries and their assessments of the changes such immigrants bring. By identifying analogues of these indicators, we were able to design an interethnic-tension index that enables comparisons across European countries. The article identifies the countries where interethnic tensions were, at the time the study was conducted, least (Scandinavia) and most pronounced (Cyprus, Russia, the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Hungary). The greatest tension was found among members of the old and young age groups and among women and respondents with the least education, least income, and who reside in rural areas. Among the main causes of interethnic tension (cultural features of interacting ethnic groups) we identified other factors that consistently affect the level of tensions: per capita GDP, the proportion of immigrants within the overall population, the number of immigrants arriving within the past five years, trust in people, and type of employment.