Xenophobic attitudes in youth. Initiatives from Corporate Social Responsibility in communication groups in the field of inclusion and cultural diversity

Abstract

Youth represent a vulnerable group in continuous crisis in Western societies. Although it is possible to describe attitudes intrinsic to the youth condition (instability, uncertainty, non-conformity...), others are the result of the coercion imposed by the social structure in which they have had to live. Youth is, in general, a group that is tolerant of cultural diversity and immigration, but a portion displays xenophobic behaviour that needs to be analysed. This work attempts to identify those factors or variables that can explain this type of behaviour. In addition, this research faces a group very connected to communication and information technologies, and large communication groups have great influence in decision-making and opinions in this collective. For this reason, it is necessary for large communication groups to take on the task of transmitting values of tolerance and respect in an increasingly culturally diverse society. The most relevant findings are, on the one hand, that political ideology has a very high explanatory value; the more young people are located on the left-right spectrum, the more likely they are to manifest xenophobic behaviour. On the other hand, severe poverty is also presented as a strong explanatory factor of xenophobic behaviour. And by last, the analysed communication groups do not show a clear attitude in favour of cultural diversity, neither in their commitments nor in their specific actions.