Henk Dekker

Nationalism and Its Explanations

This paper presents new terms for analyzing individuals’ national attitudes and their conceptualization and operationalization, a universal psychological structure in which these concepts interconnect, and a nationalism explanatory model. Three empirical studies using anonymous self-administered surveys served to test and improve national attitude assessment and its developmental theory. These empirical studies were conducted in a well-established state (the Netherlands), a recently established state (Slovakia), and a region in which a considerable proportion of citizens are striving to develop a new independent state (the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain).

Romaphobia among Serbian and Dutch adolescents: The role of perceived threat, nationalistic feelings, and integrative orientations

This study examines the relationships between nationalism and integration attitudes on one hand, and anti-Roma prejudice on the other. Using Stephan and Stephans threat theory, the study analyzes whether and to what extent these relationships are mediated by perceived economic and symbolic threats. Data were collected among 16- and 17-year-old students in Serbia and The Netherlands. A path analysis shows that perceived economic and symbolic threats mediate the relationships between nationalism and integration on one hand, and Romaphobia on the other. Moreover, the findings show that these relationships are comparable between Serbian and Dutch youth. Levels of threat and Romaphobia differ between countries. Youth in the Netherlands, who barely have contact opportunities with Roma, are characterized by higher threat and Romaphobia scores than Serbian youth, who have proportionally more contact opportunities. Explanations are discussed as well as implications for theory and prejudice reduction in diverse intercultural settings.

What Makes a Slovak a Nationalist

Many politicians and journalists who perceive a growth of nationalism in Central and Eastern Europe (in general) and in Slovakia (in particular) are very concerned about it. Is there, indeed, a growth in nationalism in Slovakia? And if so, what explains its continuation, rebirth, or growth? To answer these questions, we interviewed Slovak academicians and politicians. We also analyzed Slovak reports on public opinion survey data. Empirical data specifically on Slovakian nationalistic attitudes were not found. Consequently, statements on nationalism in (and the growth of nationalism among) the Slovak population are not based on empirical findings. However, there are certain indications about nationalism-related orientations. Between one-quarter and one-third of Slovaks had such orientations in 1992–4. Three categories of explanatory variables are distinguished: systemic, individual, and socialization. Many of the theoretical requirements leading to an increase in nationalism are present in Slovakia nowadays. These include a political, economic, and an identity crisis, with politicians acting as nationalistic ‘entrepreneurs’.

Elite-Mass Linkages and the European Community

In this chapter, two questions are posed and answered: Is there a gap or a widespread consensus about the European Union in the Netherlands between the elites and the masses? How are we to explain any existing gap or areas of consensus between these two groups?

Democratic Citizen Competence

Answering questions about democratic citizenship is an important part of current political discourse and political science research. In Western Europe and the US, the political discourse now includes issues arising from a growing individualization and emancipation at the individual level as well as diversification and pluralization on a national scale. National societies are becoming both more international and more regionalized. The growing scale of public life, the increasing complexity of public policy, the rising level of communications, and the declining political party attachment are all issues for discussion and debate. In Central and Eastern Europe, political discourse includes the question of how elites can build new democracies when the people there have little or no experience with democracy. Two other issues are how democratic citizenship competence can be encouraged and how Western European ‘ethnic’ and regional diversification tendencies can be managed. The following three questions are particularly absorbing for researchers interested in these topics: What is a democratic citizen? (conceptualizations), How democratic are citizens? (descriptions), and When, how, and as a result of what do citizens acquire democratic citizenship competence? (explanations). This chapter offers the results of a literature analysis as well as a new conceptualization and operationalization of democratic citizenship competence. It presents an explanatory model of how individuals acquire citizenship (answering the first question and taking a step toward answering the second and third questions).