Moving Out of the Comfort Zone: How Cultural Norms Affect Attitudes toward Immigration

Yvonne Giesing, Björn Kauder, Lukas Mergele, Niklas Potrafke and Panu Poutvaara

No 16833, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We examine how cultural norms shape attitudes toward immigration. Our causal identification relies on comparing students who moved across the East-West border after German reunification with students who moved within former East Germany. Students who moved from East to West became more positive toward immigration. Results are confirmed among students whose move was plausibly exogenous due to national study place allocation mechanisms. Evidence supports horizontal transmission as the difference between East-West movers and East-East movers increases over time and is driven by East German students who often interacted with fellow students. Effects are stronger in less xenophobic West German regions.

Keywords: cultural transmission; migration; attitudes toward immigration; German division and unification; political socialization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 D91 J15 J20 P20 P51 Z10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 77 pages
Date: 2024-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eur, nep-his, nep-int, nep-soc and nep-ure
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Working Paper: Moving Out of the Comfort Zone: How Cultural Norms Affect Attitudes toward Immigration (2024)
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