Read and examine the introduction of: Predicting Positive Attitudes toward Immigrants with Altruism by Kati Elizabeth Stafford.

Identify the following:

- Background of the study

-Research problem

-significance of the study

-Scope and limitations

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Immigration outstripped all other issues as the most important problem facing the country in every Gallup poll since January 2017. Images of human caravans moving toward the border of the construction of a wall separating the country from Mexico and of the tragic casualties of those who failed to make the crossing safely have polarized the country and shaken many Americans to the core. The salience of the issue has been accompanied by the rise of anti-immigrant attitudes within the general population (Gusterson 2017, Vargas et al. 2017, Young 2017, Aleida et al. 2016, Bohman and Hjerm 2016, Benjamin Alvarado et al. 2009, Boomgaarden and Vliegenthart 2007), as well as a surge of pro-immigration attitudes among Democrats. At the most extreme level, there has also been an increase in hate crimes and mass shootings targeting immigrants and other minority groups, such as the El Paso shooting in August 2019. The Southern Poverty Law Center reported that the number of anti-immigrant hate groups surged from 15 to 22 in 2017 and these groups have been characterized as the most virulent type of hate group currently operating in the US (Beirich and Buchanan 2018). In such circumstances it is important to understand the motivations behind people's attitudes toward immigrants in order to help stem the tide of extremist behavior that can arise from prejudice and hostility, as well as to encourage more empathy and understanding Immigrants are a particularly vulnerable population, often with limited resources, dependent on government and community support, and all too casily identified as targets by those who feel threatened by their presence in the country. Not surprisingly, many scholars focus on the societal, threat-related, ideological, and contextual influences of attitudes toward immigrants. An understanding of cultural and linguistic differences, economic challenges, and xenophobia can provide insights into hostility towards 3 immigration and violence toward immigrants. However, an important question rarely studied is the extent to which more positive motivations like Altruism can shape public attitudes towards immigrants. Too often social scientists focus almost exclusively on the dark forces that predict hostility and prejudice between individuals or groups. A host of dispositions like authoritarianism and ethnocentrism are found to elevate one's susceptibility to fear mongering and othering," and similar areas of inquiry. Yet it is also important to investigate not just how to prevent hostile behavior, but also how to promote prosocial political behavior. There is a pressing need to understand how attitudes toward helping others as well as promoting compassion and empathy are shaped and developed. Similar approaches have been taken in the transdisciplinary fields of peace studies and conflict resolution; scholars have understood the importance of studying not only the causes of war, but also the conditions that can make peace and cooperation possible (Diehl 2016, Galtung 2010, Deutsch et al. 2006). Furthermore, it is worthwhile to investigate the underlying causes of positive attitudes toward immigrants because immigration has been central to deeply-held and cherished views of the American experience, civic nationalism, and the progress and fulfillment of the American dream. Accordingly, this study examines whether and how being an altruistic person influences one's attitudes toward immigrants. An altruistic person is defined by a strong sense of empathy, a willingness to help those in need, as well as a concern about the conditions of others. I expect Altruism to be a significant predictor of attitudes toward immigrants because altruists seek to help others motivated by their compassion and empathy. I find that Altruism plays a powerful role in explaining differences in attitudes toward immigrants, opening up avenues for a new, more positively focused path of 2 inquiry that explores ways to promote understanding and cooperation as opposed to prejudice and hostility In the following sections, I briefly review studies focusing on various societal and individual-level determinants of attitudes toward immigrants that lead to a new focus on Altruism as a personality characteristic that shapes immigration attitudes. After developing hypotheses connecting Altruism to attitudes toward immigrants, I test them using data from the American National Election Studies (ANES) 2016 post-election survey. The survey included a Ten Item Personal Inventory (TIP) measure to capture each of the Big Five core personality traits, a set of five traits that provide a comprehensive model of personality: Agreeableness, Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Extraversion (McCrae and Costa 1987). This study will conceptualize Altruism through the Big 5 trait of Agreeableness'. One who is agreeable is caring, compassionate, and willing to help those in need (Mondak 2010). It is associated with empathy and consideration, which would suggest that agreeable individuals are moved by the conditions and challenges of others and are sympathetic to their needs. The tendency toward cooperation, as opposed to selfish behavior is another generally accepted characteristic of agreeable people. These traits suggest that the agreeable personality trait is a good indicator of Altruism. Altruistic individuals are able to identify the needs of others and place those needs above their own, a form of behavior we would associate with agreeable, empathetic and considerate people. Additionally, Agreeableness has been used in previous studies to conceptualize Altruism, and by the same token, Altruism has been used to define Agreeableness (Haas The term "Agreeableness" itself is slightly misleading the trait does not suggest conformity or a weak will but rather strong social skills and sense of cooperation 3 et al. 2015, Soto and John 2009). Because Altruism is regarded as one of the main facets of Agreeableness, the TIPI provides a valid measure of Altruism (Digman 1990). I find that Altruism is a strong predictor of positive immigration attitudes, and that this relationship is neither mediated by party or ideological identifications, nor moderated by one's level of political knowledge. The findings also show potential ranges and limitations of personality explanations by exploring attitudes toward immigrants within specific realms, such as culture, crime, the economy, or unauthorized immigration specifically. I conclude with a discussion of the important implications of this study as well as proposed areas of future research. 4