Widely reviled by even well-educated citizens of the Republic of Ireland, Travellers rank at the very bottom of today’s multiracial Irish society according to most any attitudinal measure. This research note uses multivariate ordinary least-squares regression of the 2007 Irish National Election Study to test two prominent explanations of such prejudice. Overall, data analysis confirms the theories of realistic group conflict and symbolic politics about equally. In particular, unemployment, occupation, and perceptions of crime support the first interpretation, while results for conservatism and multiculturalism lend credence to the second.
BlalockHM (1967) Toward a Theory of Minority-Group Relations, New York: Wiley.
2.
BobC (2007) ‘Dalit Rights are Human Rights’: Caste discrimination, international activism, and the construction of a new human rights issue. Human Rights Quarterly29(1): 167–193.
3.
BoboL (1983) Whites’ opposition to busing: Symbolic racism or realistic group conflict?Journal of Personality and Social Psychology45(6): 1196–1210.
4.
CampbellDT (1965) Ethnocentric and other altruistic motives. In: LevineD (ed.) Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, pp. 283–311.
Collins M (Director, Pavee Point) (2011) Interview with author, Dublin, 7 March.
7.
CoxheadJ (2007) The Last Bastion of Racism? Gypsies, Travellers and Policing, Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books.
8.
CrandallCS (1994) Prejudice against fat people: Ideology and self-interest. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology66(5): 882–894.
9.
CrickleyA (1997) Travellers in Ireland: An Examination of Discrimination and Racism, Dublin: National Co-ordinating Committee, European Year Against Racism.
10.
CrowleyÚKitchinR (2015) Academic ‘truth’ and the perpetuation of negative attitudes and intolerance toward Irish Travellers in contemporary Ireland. In: HonohanIRougierN (eds) Tolerance and Diversity in Ireland, North and South, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 153–170.
11.
FanningB (2009) New Guests of the Irish Nation, Dublin: Irish Academic Press.
12.
Fanning B (Professor of Applied Social Science, University College Dublin). (2011) Interview with author, Dublin, 7 March.
13.
Farrell D (Priest, Parish of the Travelling People) (2011) Interview with author, Dublin, 9 March.
14.
HelleinerJ (2000) Irish Travellers: Racism and the Politics of Culture, Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
15.
KingRDWheelockD (2007) Group threat and social control: Race, perceptions of minorities and the desire to punish. Social Forces85(3): 1255–1280.
16.
LeahyS (2014) ‘Demonising Discourse’: The traveller community’s struggle against the elite voice of RTÉ. Romani Studies24(2): 165–201.
17.
LoughreyP (1988) The People of Ireland, Belfast: Appletree Press.
18.
McDonaldB (2009) An Introduction to Sociology in Ireland, 2nd ed. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan.
19.
Mac GréilM (1977) Prejudice and Tolerance in Ireland, Dublin: College of Industrial Relations.
20.
Mac GréilM (1996) Prejudice in Ireland Revisited. Maynouth: St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth.
21.
Mac Gréil M (2010) Emancipation of the Travelling People: A Report on the Attitudes and Prejudices of the Irish People Towards the Travellers Based on a National Social Survey 2007–’08. Research report. Maynooth: National of Ireland, Maynooth.
22.
Mac GréilM (2011) Pluralism and Diversity in Ireland, Dublin: Columba Press.
23.
Mac LaughlinJ (1996) The evolution of anti-Traveller racism in Ireland. Race & Class37(3): 47–63.
24.
McVeighRBinchyA (1998) Travellers, Refugees & Racism in Tallaght, Dublin: West Tallaght Resource Centre.
RoyallF (2010) A comparative analysis of pro-Traveller and pro-unemployed mobilisations. Irish Journal of Sociology18(2): 59–86.
30.
SearsDO (1993) Symbolic politics: A socio-psychological theory. In: IyengarSMcGuireWJ (eds) Explorations in Political Psychology, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, pp. 113–149.
31.
SearsDOLauRRTylerTR (1980) Self-interest vs. symbolic politics in policy attitudes and presidential voting. American Political Science Review74(3): 670–684.
32.
SheehanE (2000) Travellers: Citizens of Ireland, Dublin: Parish of the Travelling People.
33.
SidesJCitrinJ (2007) European opinion about immigration: The role of identities, interests and information. British Journal of Political Science37(3): 477–504.
34.
Traveller Visibility Women’s Group (1996) ‘A Rolling Stone’: The Life and Times of Travelling Women, Cork: Bradshaw Books.
35.
Ward M [former mayor of Tuam and Director, Western Travellers Intercultural & Development Association] (2011) Interview with author, Tuam, 6 March.
