Intergroup threat and natives’ racial self-classification and conception of ethnic identity: A survey experiment

• Published in: International journal of intercultural relations Vol. 106; p. 102159
• Main Author: Kim, Harris Hyun-soo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2025
• Subjects: Demographic threat; Ethnic identity; Immigrant influx; Racial classification; South Korea; Ethnic identity; South Korea; Immigrant influx; Racial classification; Demographic threat
• ISSN: 0147-1767
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102159

There is a substantial body of research focusing on natives’ prejudice toward the foreign born and support for restrictive immigration policies. The present study contributes to the literature by shifting the empirical context to a newly emerging immigrant destination in East Asia (South Korea). It also examines two novel outcomes in response to perceived demographic threat: South Korean citizens’ racial self-classification and ethnic conception of national identity. To that end, an original survey experiment was carried out, whereby the randomly assigned treatment group was primed with a threatening forecast about the native population’s numerical decline due to decreasing fertility and rising immigration. Statistical analysis yields significant average treatment effects: the experimentally manipulated subjects exhibit racial boundary contraction by way of describing the Korean phenotype in terms of lighter skin tone. Contrary to expectation, the treatment group is less supportive of common heritage or shared ancestry as a prerequisite for citizenship. •A survey experiment was conducted on South Korean adults to analyze the causal effect of demographic (immigrant) threat.•The treatment group showed racial contraction in self-identifying themselves.•Unexpectedly, the treatment group displayed less preference for ethnic conception of citizenship.•Findings highlight complex effects of immigrant threat in a country experiencing a severe fertility decline.