In the autumn of 2010 we presented our survey The many faces of intolerance. The purpose of this survey was to describe and assess the prevalence of tolerant and intolerant attitudes of high school students to different groups in society who encounter prejudice, discrimination or other forms of victi- misation. In this survey we chose to study the attitudes of the students to Roma, Muslims, Jews, non-European refugees/ immigrants and homosexuals.
The Living History Forum is working to monitor intolerance in society that spans the past to the present day. Part of this work is to survey, on a recurring basis, how well democratic values are rooted in society and to keep a watchful eye on intolerant tendencies. This was first surveyed in 2003 and repeated in 2009. The current study comprises the first stage of a long-term plan.
The purpose of this survey is to describe and assess the prevalence of tolerant and intolerant attitudes of upper secondary school students to different groups in society who encounter prejudice, discrimination or other forms of victimisation. In this survey we chose to study the attitudes of the students to Roma, Muslims, Jews, non-European refugees and people with homosexual preferences.
Peer pressure and role models among young boys
Our study The many faces of intolerance, showed that young boys with negative attitudes towards different vulnerable groups also share certain values that differ from the views of other young people. Some in this group hold extreme nationalistic views on, for example, who should be allowed to call him- or herself Swedish. Others express extreme opinions on characteristics that they view as valuable. The purpose is to learn more about from where these young boys get their perceptions of ”the others”, what role models they have and what role group dynamics plays.
