TY - ABST
T1 - Globalization and Extremism: A Cross-National Study of Insecure Life Attachment and Attitudes toward Cultural Globalization in regard to Extremism
AU - Ozer, Simon
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Local contexts have been increasingly influenced by the transformative power of cultural globalization. These dynamic processes have proliferated intercultural connectivity, catalyzing both exclusionary reactions of ethnic protection and integrative reactions of multicultural acquisition. To be able to negotiate a globalized cultural diversity, the individual needs to be securely and reliably embedded within the local sociocultural context conceptualized as secure life attachment. If the individual experiences an insecure life attachment, there may be risk of radicalized exclusionary reactions to cultural globalization. The present study investigated the interplay among life attachment, psychological reactions to cultural globalization, and various aspects of extremism in student samples from Denmark (n = 223) and India (n = 254). Participants completed self-report questionnaires about the central conceptions, which were analyzed through an indirect effects model. Results revealed that insecure life-attachment was directly associated with an extremist attitude and with acceptance of both violent and illegal means in relation to extremism. Furthermore, multicultural acquisition and ethnic protection appeared to mediate the relationship between insecure life attachment and these aspects of extremism. That is, insecure life attachment was related to an extremist attitude and acceptance of illegal means in relation to extremism through ethnic protection. Additionally, insecure life attachment was associated with acceptance of illegal means in relation to extremism through both ethnic protection and multicultural acquisition. The results illustrate the key role of contextual safety and reliability as platforms for approaching cultural globalization and avoiding radicalized essentialist pitfalls.
AB - Local contexts have been increasingly influenced by the transformative power of cultural globalization. These dynamic processes have proliferated intercultural connectivity, catalyzing both exclusionary reactions of ethnic protection and integrative reactions of multicultural acquisition. To be able to negotiate a globalized cultural diversity, the individual needs to be securely and reliably embedded within the local sociocultural context conceptualized as secure life attachment. If the individual experiences an insecure life attachment, there may be risk of radicalized exclusionary reactions to cultural globalization. The present study investigated the interplay among life attachment, psychological reactions to cultural globalization, and various aspects of extremism in student samples from Denmark (n = 223) and India (n = 254). Participants completed self-report questionnaires about the central conceptions, which were analyzed through an indirect effects model. Results revealed that insecure life-attachment was directly associated with an extremist attitude and with acceptance of both violent and illegal means in relation to extremism. Furthermore, multicultural acquisition and ethnic protection appeared to mediate the relationship between insecure life attachment and these aspects of extremism. That is, insecure life attachment was related to an extremist attitude and acceptance of illegal means in relation to extremism through ethnic protection. Additionally, insecure life attachment was associated with acceptance of illegal means in relation to extremism through both ethnic protection and multicultural acquisition. The results illustrate the key role of contextual safety and reliability as platforms for approaching cultural globalization and avoiding radicalized essentialist pitfalls.
M3 - Conference abstract for conference
ER -