Citizenship 21: Briefing Notes On Profiles Of Prejudice

Commissioned by Stonewall's Citizenship 21 Project, new data from a MORI poll reveals the profile of prejudice in this country. It shows which groups fare worse, what influences people to be prejudiced or not, and identifies strong evidence of 'joined-up' prejudice (i.e. that people who are prejudiced against one group are also prejudiced against others).

KEY FINDINGS

Almost two thirds of people (64%) name at least one minority group towards whom they feel less positive - representing 25 million adults across England.

The most frequently cited groups people feel less positive about are travellers/gypsies (35%), refugees and asylum seekers (34%), people from a different ethnic group (18%) and gay or lesbian people (17%).

Asked which two or three groups of people are most likely to experience discrimination in society:

• 50% say asylum seekers
• 49% say people from ethnic minorities
• 38% say travellers / gypsies
• 37% say gay and lesbian people
• 24% physically disabled people; 19% people with learning disabilities
• 43% personally know someone who is prejudiced against people from a different ethnic group to their own. 3
• 5% of people personally know someone who is prejudiced against gay and lesbian people.

Joined up prejudice

Prejudice against one group often goes hand in hand with prejudice against others. People who are prejudiced against any ethnic group are twice as likely as the population as a whole to be prejudiced against gay and lesbian people. They are four times as likely to be prejudiced against disabled people.

Of those who feel less positive towards Asians, 35% also feel less positive towards black people, against an average of 9% in the population as a whole. 37% of those expressing prejudice against Asians are also 'less positive' towards lesbians and gays, compared with an average of 17%. Among those less positive towards black people, 51% also feel 'less positive' towards Asians and 44% towards lesbian and gay people.

16% of people express less positive feelings towards three or more groups, suggesting that there may be a 'hard core' of prejudice consisting of a small minority with a strong antipathy to any group perceived to be different. 47% of this group express prejudice towards Asians (against an average of 13%), 43% express prejudice to black people (against an average of 9%) and 54% express prejudice to lesbian and gay people (against an average of 17%).

Joined up tolerance

The survey revealed a fairly substantial 'tolerant' minority - 36% - who do not feel less positive towards any group. An analysis of this group reveals marked differences, on a range of demographic variables:

42% of women compared with 31% of men do not feel less positively towards any group. 40% of people aged 15-44 express no prejudice, compared with 32% of those aged 45 and over. 41% of people with children express no prejudice, compared with 34% of those who have no children in their household. 27% of those intending to vote Conservative in the election express no prejudice, compared with 40% intending to vote Labour. 41% of people educated to A level or above do not feel less positive towards any of the groups, compared with 33% of those with no formal qualifications.

The importance of personal contact

Knowing someone who is gay or lesbian reduces by half the likelihood of being prejudiced against gay or lesbian people as a group. Similarly, knowing someone from a different ethnic group reduces by half the likelihood of being prejudiced against people from different ethnic groups.

Personal contact also appears to have broader social benefits; 69% of those who personally know someone from a different ethnic background feel comfortable with a gay teacher, as against 44% of those who do not know anyone from a different ethnic group.

The role of the media

Respondents were also asked what had influenced their attitude to people from other groups. The findings confirm the power of the media, both newspapers and television. Whilst 32% mention parents, 26% say television is a major influence on their attitudes and 23% mention newspapers. School is only mentioned by 14% (though this rises to 32% among young people aged 15-24), and law and public policy by 10%.

Attitudes to lesbians and gay men

The survey confirms positive signs regarding attitudes to lesbians and gay men. An analysis of the responses on attitudes to lesbians and gay men as teachers, an area which was the subject of great controversy during the debate on Section 28, reveals that 62% of people would feel comfortable if their teacher or the teacher of a close relative were lesbian or gay. Only 20% would feel uncomfortable.

Interestingly 73% of those with children would feel comfortable with a gay teacher, as against 57% without children. (Though this probably reflects the generational differences in attitudes towards lesbians and gay men).

There are marked differences in the attitudes of those who are practising Christians and those who are non-religious: 70% of people who are not a practising member of any religion would be comfortable with a gay or lesbian teacher, compared with 56% of practising Christians.

Technical details

Results are based on responses from 1,183 adults aged 15+, interviewed by MORI face-to-face, in home, using a confidential self-completion questionnaire. Interviews were conducted at 167 sampling points across England, between 24-30 May 2001. Data are weighted to the known national population profile.