Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology
Volume 21, Issue 2, 2011, Pages 164-177

Constructing the stereotype of immigrants' criminality: Accounts of fear and risk in talk about immigration to Greece (Article)

Figgou L.* , Sapountzis A. , Bozatzis N. , Gardikiotis A. , Pantazis P.
  • a Department of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
  • b Department of Education Sciences in Pre-School Age, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece
  • c Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology, University of Ioannina, Greece
  • d Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
  • e Department of Elementary Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Abstract

This paper explores the discursive construction of immigrants' criminality in interview accounts obtained by a sample of Greek people in Thessaloniki (Northern Greece). Analysis, which adopts a discursive approach to stereotypes and category construction, indicates that fear and insecurity on the part of Greek people are represented as a sine qua non consequence of immigration to Greece. Two different lines of argument are used to account for the arousal of fear. According to the first, fear constitutes a corollary of a widespread stereotypical representation of immigrants as criminals. The stereotype of immigrants' criminality is considered to be ill-warranted and it is attributed to the media or to other unspecified people. According to another, more regularly used, line of argument, however, fear is predicated upon the sordid living conditions of immigrants in Greece which make the probability of them being involved in illegal acts particularly high. In this case, fear is seen to derive from a 'rational estimate' of the probability of immigrant's involvement in criminal acts. Nested within the discourse of 'risk' the stereotypical image of immigrants' criminality is sustained and used to account for the need to protect the 'ingroup' from 'immigrant groups' through immigration control and surveillance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Author Keywords

Discursive construction of stereotypes Criminality Risk Fear Immigration

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79951529191&doi=10.1002%2fcasp.1073&partnerID=40&md5=85a410a91489bdeec03466162882b3c1
DOI: 10.1002/casp.1073
ISSN: 10529284
Cited by: 18
Original Language: English