The Influence of Feature of Intergroup on the Multi-cultural Acceptance of Seoul Citizen: Focusing on the Integrated Threat Theory

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of certain features of intergroup dynamics on multi-cultural acceptance of Seoul citizens. To address this purpose, this research selected 29,509 Seoul citizens as the research sample from the seventh wave(2011) of Seoul Survey Study. Based on the integrated threat theory, this research classifies the citizens into three categories, including type of employment, age, and the number of foreigners living in the neighborhood. These categories are dependent upon the theory’s three postulations: Realistic threat; Symbolic threat; and Intergroup anxiety. From the research findings, first, this study revealed that people who are full time, part time, and unemployed are more likely to have lower levels of multi-cultural acceptance than employers do. Second, compared to younger populations(18-39), older generations (aged 40-64) are more likely to have lower levels of multi-cultural acceptance. Third, people living in areas with a high density of foreigners living there are more likely to have lower levels of multi-cultural acceptance compared to people living in areas with a below average number living there. Regarding multi-cultural issues with various and complicated structures and interests, the analytic framework(i.e., integrated threats) applied in this research can be a proper way to interpret various causes and phases of multi-cultural problems with heterogeneous interests.