NEW RACISM, SELF-ESTEEM, AND ETHNIC-RELATIONS AMONG MINORITY AND MAJORITY YOUTH IN THE NETHERLANDS

In Western Europe the concept of 'new racism' has emerged. The idea of the incompatibility of different cultures is central to this concept, and this ideal leads to the abnormalization and exclusion of ethnic m inority groups. This paper studies this form of ethnic prejudice and s everal of its correlates among ethnic majority and minority youth. The results show, first, that majority youth were more prejudiced than mi nority youth. Second, that among majority youth prejudice correlated p ositively with personal self-esteem as well as with self-esteem as an ethnic group member, whereas among minority youth a negative associati on was found. Third, among majority youth positive ingroup evaluation in combination with prejudice was found, whereas among minority youth a more positive ingroup evaluation was associated with less prejudice. Fourth, among majority youth prejudice was very strongly correlated w ith a measure of social distance, with rate of voluntary inter-ethnic contacts, and with level of outgroup formation. Among minority youth t hese associations were much weaker.