皮尤-发达经济体的多样性和分化（英）-2021.10-46页_1mb

Summary of "Diversity and Division in Advanced Economies"

Core Content

This report by the Pew Research Center, released on October 13, 2021, explores attitudes toward diversity and societal divisions across 17 advanced economies. It highlights the general acceptance of diversity and the increasing perception of conflicts within societies, particularly along partisan, racial, and ethnic lines.

Main Findings

• Diversity is generally seen as beneficial: In most of the 17 advanced economies, a majority (and in many cases, a large majority) believe that having people of many different backgrounds improves their society. The U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan have at least 80% of respondents who agree with this view. In Singapore, 92% of respondents hold this belief.

• Racial and ethnic discrimination is a serious problem: A median of 67% across all 17 economies say racial or ethnic discrimination is a serious or very serious problem in their society. In the U.S., around 75% agree, while in Italy, 46% see it as a very serious problem.

• Partisan conflicts are widely perceived: Political divisions are the most commonly reported source of societal conflict. In the U.S. and South Korea, 90% of respondents see strong partisan conflicts. In France, 76% of Republicans see racial or ethnic conflicts, compared to 56% of Socialist Party supporters and 54% of En Marche supporters.

• Younger people and more educated individuals are more supportive of diversity: Younger respondents and those with higher education levels are more likely to see the benefits of diversity and report higher levels of perceived conflict and discrimination.

• Economic conditions influence views on diversity: In 12 of the 17 economies, those who believe the economy is doing well are more likely to view diversity positively than those who think it is doing poorly.

• Right-wing populist supporters are more likely to view diversity negatively: In countries like Sweden, right-wing populist supporters are significantly less likely to see diversity as beneficial compared to those who oppose these parties.

• Societal divisions have increased since the pandemic: A median of 61% across the 17 economies believe their society is more divided now than before the coronavirus outbreak. This perception is linked to increased views of conflicts and disagreements over basic facts.

Key Dimensions of Division

Notable Trends

• Perceptions of conflict vary by identity: In Singapore, ethnic Indians and Malays are more likely to report conflicts than ethnic Chinese. In the U.S., Black adults are more likely to see ethnic and racial conflicts than White or Hispanic adults.

• Partisan differences in perception: In the U.S., Democrats and independents leaning toward the Democratic Party are more likely to see conflicts between racial and ethnic groups. However, both Democrats and Republicans are equally likely to see partisan conflicts.

• Greece and Japan show significant shifts: In Greece, the share of people who see diversity as beneficial increased by 24 percentage points from 2017 to 2021. In Japan, the increase was 15 percentage points.

• Impact of the pandemic on unity: The perception that societies are more divided than before the pandemic has increased in all but one of the 13 countries surveyed in 2020.

Conclusion

While most advanced economies view diversity positively, they also recognize significant societal conflicts, particularly along political and racial lines. These divisions are often linked to broader perceptions of societal unity and are influenced by factors such as age, education, and political affiliation. The report underscores the complex relationship between diversity and division, highlighting both the benefits and challenges of living in multicultural societies.