isms: dehumanisation and moral disengagement. By subtly dehumanising asylum seekers, perceiving them as not quite as human as oneself, people were more able to turn off their moral sensibilities regarding asylum seekers.
Much research has addressed racism in Australia. However, Yvette Alcott, a PhD student under Dr Watt’s supervision, has found that an immigrant’s racial background is less important for their reception in Australia than how they acculturate. Ms Alcott’s results showed that the one thing Australians reactto most negatively is when an immigrant uses the ‘separation strategy’. That is, instead of integrating or assimilating, the immigrant remains aloof from Australians and mixes mainly with members of their original culture. Australians greatly dislike this, but we need to consider why an immigrantmight do this. One dynamic is if they feel uncomfortable and unwanted when with Australians. In this case, they do not feel welcomed and turn to those who are most familiar.
Responding to this, Dr Watt’s most recent research, investigates the flip side of prejudice – the liking and welcoming of other groups. Dr Watt is looking at Australians’ positive attitudes to immigrants, including refugees, and how this might translate into a warm welcome. To complete the loop, her current research examines how this affects immigrants’ acculturation.
In the midst of this research program, Armidale has been recognised as a ‘welcoming community’ and has been designated a refugee resettlement region. If Armidale truly is the welcoming place described, the refugees will feel embraced by the community. However, this needs to be empirically assessed. Will there be pockets of resentment and resistance to the new arrivals? To address this, together with collaborators in Settlement Services International and Armidale Regional Council, Dr Watt will monitor Armidale community responses to the refugees during the first twelve months. This will provide an early warning system if rifts begin to appear in the community, allowing appropriate action to be taken.
Read more on our Social Psychology blog.