Walls or Bridges? Xenophobia, Social Distance, and Empathic Tendency Toward Migrants

OpenAlex Türkçe

Xenophobic attitudes toward migrants are increasingly salient in Türkiye, yet evidence on how xenophobia, social distance, and empathy interact in high-contact urban settings remains limited. This study examines these dynamics in Konya, one of the provinces with the highest migrant density, using a sample of 350 adults and standardized scales. Independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVAs, correlations, and mediation analysis are employed to assess sociodemographic differences and interscale associations. Men report higher xenophobic attitudes and social distance than women, while empathic tendency is higher among older, widowed, less formally educated, retired, and homemaker participants. Private-sector employees and unemployed individuals display lower empathy and greater social distance. More frequent everyday encounters with migrants are associated with higher xenophobia and social distance and lower empathy, whereas subjective religiosity shows the opposite pattern. Strong positive links between xenophobia and social distance, and negative links between empathy and both constructs, are confirmed; mediation results indicate that empathy reduces social distance primarily by lowering xenophobic attitudes. These findings highlight the need for policies that combine structured, high-quality contact initiatives with culturally grounded resources, particularly faith-based networks, to counter threat narratives and foster inclusive social cohesion in migrant-receiving cities.