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PESSIMISTIC SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS OF OPTIMISTIC LATVIAN STUDENTS

100%
Žukovska I., Ruža A.
Sociālo Zinātņu Vēstnesis
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2016
|
issue 2
113-124
EN
Everything has a reason, there are causes and consequences, sometimes they are not so obvious and are not on a surface, but they still exist. Human nature asks for explanation for every single event that are less or more important and when there is no obvious and usual explanation because of lack of experience the need for ready-made explanation just to calm down grows. Life is flooded with the events that person don’t like but still need to explain and even more justify by blaming external forces for everything that the person could not do. Superstitious beliefs are a great explanation for own failures, too general prediction about the situation outcome to be wrong, kind of magical approach for dealing with the problems, good taboo to keep the line uncrossed when it’s about forbidding something. Human nature asks for explanation, but it asks for one more thing as well, and it’s prediction. Everyone makes a prediction what is going to be next to build up a plan in order to achieve the aim. Some predictions are general, some are concrete, but still positive or negative, optimistic or pessimistic. The topic of the present study is Pessimistic superstitious beliefs of optimistic Latvian students. Present study focuses on the personal disposition (optimism/pessimism) and valence of superstitious beliefs, which can be positive or negative. The aim of the present study was to research students’ superstitious beliefs in a context of personal disposition. The questions of the study were: what are the most common positive and negative superstitious beliefs? Are there superstitions’ valence dispositional (optimism/pessimism) differences? 352 respondents volunteered to take a part in the present study, 184 females: 93 females with pessimistic personal disposition, and 91 females with optimistic personal disposition 168 males: 75 males with pessimistic personal disposition 93 males with optimistic personal disposition. The results of the study indicate that pessimists and optimists are pessimistic in their superstitious beliefs, to moreover the research has shed a light on the most common positive and negative superstitious beliefs.
2
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EXPECTING REFUGEES IN LATVIA: INTERGROUP ANXIETY

81%
Murašovs V., Ruža A., Raščevskis V., Dombrovskis V.
Sociālo Zinātņu Vēstnesis
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2015
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issue 2
60-74
EN
In the context of the contemporary refugee crisis in Europe, Latvia has agreed to provide shelter to several hundreds of refugees. However, Latvian society remains very sceptic about such plans, and reportedly demonstrates strong negative attitudes towards refugees. The host society is preparing for a new social context, which may change the status quo and challenge national identities in Latvia. Although the surveys indicate that the level of negation in the society is close to 80%, media report that these feelings do not really impact the behaviour of Latvian residents, reflecting cognitive and emotional components of such attitudes only. According to the survey, by the end of 2015 the factual experience of interaction with refugees did not exceed ten per cent of Latvian population. Therefore, most of the real attitudes are formed by mass media and other socialisation agents. In order to uncover the nature of these feelings, the present study has been designed to make an in-depth social psychological study on prejudicial attitudes. One thousand Latvian residents evenly representing Latvia’s demographic composition have taken part in this study. A modified Stephan’s Intergroup Anxiety Questionnaire has been used to assess participants’ real and imagined discomfort and anxiety level when interacting with refugees. According to the Integrated Threat Theory, this is one of emotional components of attitudes. The results identify factors influencing the formation of such attitudes and reveal how they may shape the identity of the host society in future. When evaluating their prejudicial attitudes towards refugees, Latvian residents demonstrate conformity in answers. Carefulness and impatience are the most typical emotions describing how Latvian residents feel or would have felt when interacting with refugees. The results indicate that the level of readiness to accept newcomers in Latvian society is very low. Most of these attitudes are formed not as a result of interaction with the new group, but based on the assumptions; they are anchored in the fear of the unknown and in doubts that the coming changes in the established balance of interethnic relations in Latvia will bring in more opportunities than threats. The study suggests that there is a strong link between the current situation and Latvian ethnopolitics.
3
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EXPECTING REFUGEES IN LATVIA: REALISTIC AND SYMBOLIC THREATS

81%
Murašovs V., Ruža A., Dombrovskis V., Raščevskis V.
Sociālo Zinātņu Vēstnesis
|
2016
|
issue 2
125-139
EN
In the light of a dramatic increase of illegal immigration in Europe, security issue has become a top priority in the politics of the European Union (EU) in 2015. The asylum crisis has shown that the future of the European project depends on the EU’s ability to cope with these new security challenges. The present study is an attempt to make an in-depth social psychological study on subjectively perceived realistic and symbolic threats posed by coming refugees on residents of Latvia. Although the asylum system in Latvia was established in 1998, the state has provided shelter to only 219 foreigners. Latvia receives the lowest number of asylum applications in the EU in both relative and absolute terms. Due to the fact that Latvia is about to receive 776 refugees in the next couple of years, the problem of refugees has become more visible and widely discussed in Latvian society. Although the factual experience of interaction with refugees reportedly does not exceed ten per cent of Latvian population, around 80% of Latvia shares negative attitudes towards refugees, which is the highest per cent in the EU. This situation requires scientifically based explanations and empirical examination. One thousand Latvian residents evenly representing Latvia’s demographic composition have participated in this study. Two modified Stephan’s realistic and symbolic threat questionnaires have been used in it. Symbolic and realistic threats both represent a cognitive component of attitudes towards refugees. The results illustrate how threatened Latvian society really is about its welfare, political and economic power, identities, beliefs, morals and values, and identify factors influencing the formation of prejudice. The study suggests that in order to find ways to reduce prejudice and increase the level of societal cohesion and integration in the long run there is a need for complex empirical research on prejudicial attitudes and the perceptions of acculturation strategies and orientations.
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