Perspectives on Africa and African immigrants: evaluation of a sample of education students ( Perspectivas sobre África y los inmigrantes africanos: evaluación en una muestra de estudiantes de magisterio )

Abstract

As educational institutions, Spanish universities today involve a diversity of subjects inhabiting them, which supports the imperative of turning schools into more inclusive communities. This study attempts a preliminary determination of the existence of racial and cultural prejudices and stereotyped beliefs about African immigrants in a sample of education students at the Autonomous University of Madrid. A quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive-exploratory study was performed with a sample of education students. Subtle and manifest racism scales and the scale of stereotyped beliefs about Africa and Africans were administered. The statistical analysis shows that people who identify with left-wing political ideologies have fewer stereotypes about Africa and less manifest and subtle racism, while people with right-wing or centre ideologies, or who argued that they do not identify with any ideology, revealed similar levels of subtle racism. The results of the study highlight the fact that education students have subtle and manifest prejudices, as well as stereotyped beliefs about African immigrants.