15 Comments

  1. I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

    https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21565503.2024.2342834

    From the linked article:

    A recent study published in Politics, Groups, and Identities has found that up to one-third of Americans believe in the “White Replacement” conspiracy theory. The study provides evidence that these beliefs are linked to personality traits such as anti-social tendencies, authoritarianism, and negative views toward immigrants, minorities, women, and the political establishment. Surprisingly, however, partisanship and ideology did not significantly predict belief in this conspiracy theory, suggesting that these views transcend typical political divides.

    The White Replacement conspiracy theory, often referred to as “White Genocide,” has gained attention in recent years due to its promotion by media figures and political leaders, as well as its association with acts of mass violence. Proponents claim that white people are being systematically replaced by people of color, particularly through immigration policies that favor non-white populations. This idea has been cited as a motivation for multiple violent attacks, including the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

    The study found that belief in the White Replacement conspiracy theory was more prevalent than might have been expected. Around one-third of participants agreed with statements suggesting that white people are being intentionally replaced by people of color through the actions of powerful elites. This belief was not confined to any particular racial or ethnic group; both white and non-white respondents expressed similar levels of agreement with these ideas.

    The survey also revealed several key psychological and social factors that were associated with belief in the conspiracy theory. People who believed in White Replacement were more likely to score higher on measures of anti-social personality traits, such as narcissism, psychopathy, and a desire for chaos. They were also more likely to express authoritarian views, including a preference for strict social hierarchies and distrust of those outside their group. In terms of social attitudes, believers in White Replacement exhibited stronger negative views toward immigrants, minorities, and women, and expressed higher levels of racial resentment and anti-immigrant sentiment.

    Individuals who consumed more fringe media, such as far-right websites and social media platforms, were more likely to believe in the conspiracy. However, mainstream media consumption did not significantly impact belief in White Replacement, suggesting that exposure to these ideas may be more concentrated in specific online communities.

  2. Why is the word “conspiracy” part of the title? It can be argued that all political opinions are a conspiracy in the sense that a large number of people are involved.

  3. What is this, peer reviewed gaslighting? It’s literally happening. You can argue that it doesn’t matter to you, or that “it’s a good thing,” but it’s not even a matter of “belief”, when it’s actually happening.

  4. MemberOfInternet1 on

    Sounds shocking? How about this:

    >As of 2010, 1.33 million people or 14.3 percent of the inhabitants of Sweden were foreign-born.

    >As of 2020, the percentage of inhabitants with a foreign background in Sweden had risen to 25.9 percent In 2020, population growth in Sweden was primarily driven by people with a foreign background, 98.8 percent (51,073 people) and persons with a Swedish background accounted for 1.2 percent (633 persons) of the population increase.[8]

    >In 2017, majorities in three municipalities had foreign backgrounds

    [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_Sweden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_Sweden)

  5. HRC called some of that third “deplorables,” and people freaked out, even though she spoke complete truth.

    I’m from a red state, and the 33% overall approximates to a NATIONAL number. That’s a much higher number in places like where I live.

    And no, not ALL of the evangelicals who support an un-Christian like candidate are deplorable. Not all more moderate Republicans who support somebody who would freak Reagan completely out are deplorable.

    But a lot of them ARE, and our red state legislatures and statewide offices are packed with people who get a significant percentage of their support from deplorables who are motivated by issues they hesitate to admit out loud. That’s why they love DJT, because he says out loud all the things that frustrate them, and it makes them feel better about themselves, no matter who it hurts.

    And as much as i think this should be meaningless, I am a middle aged, middle class, white, Christian, heterosexual, graduate school educated male, so I can state these things with a reasonable degree of confidence.

    One reason why is that I have no trouble blending in at the meetings, whether at family gatherings, church, or the workplace.

  6. nothingstupid000 on

    Unfortunately, the free article doesn’t give the exact questions asked. This is important, cause there are two subtlely different views:

    * ‘The percentage of the population that is white, is decreasing.’ This isn’t controversial, and is a matter of fact.
    * ‘The replacement of white people is being organized by a shadowy cabal, against the wishes of the majority’. This is a conspiracy theory.

    Without the exact questions asked, we don’t know what people were answering…

  7. Such individuals believe… as they *yearn* to believe, in matched step with their cultural cognition bias and most comforting tribal delusion(s).

    Nothing about this is particularly novel nor even to be unexpected.

  8. Why is this a conspiracy policy when there is literally
    1. Below replacement birthrates of white people.
    2. Politicians who defend current immigration policies. 

    Whether they purposely want it or not, the policies enforced by the politicians (of the past) are causing white replacement. E.g. treaties on that anyone can request asylum, even if they travelled to the other side of the world passing 50 other safe countries just to get to the first world.

  9. Let’s go with the idea from the Swedish situation as stated in the comments.

    So in that situation, the demographics are said to be changing.

    So it’s happening.

    We can think that the specific people are being brought in for work or

    We can think that the people are being brought in to replace or overwhelm another culture ethnicity pop.

    In the former the govt & big corporations would be behind it and beneficiary.

    In the latter situation, the people themselves and their culture etc would be the primary goal. These ppl would then need jobs, while they try to make their culture the main one.

    Does it need to be a conspiracy or can it be that several groups are making efforts in a way that is of mutual benefiwhile making little to no effort to stop or prevent it that leads to this change with none if hhe major players involving ghe other.
    It’s just mutual interest . And they d do something else if it could be proven to be the better way.

    * use allegedly or similar in front of each statement if that is better.

  10. Up to one third of Americans believe in an absurd White Nationalist conspiracy theory.

    Fantastic. Very hopeful.

  11. Idiosynkratisk on

    Taken from the supplemental material of linked study:

    >Please tell us how much you agree or disagree with each of the statements below:

    >Powerful politicians and corporate leaders are trying to replace white people in the U.S. with cheaper foreign laborers. (.89; 32% entire sample; 33% white respondents only)

    >White people in Europe are being replaced with cheaper non-white workers because that is what powerful politicians and corporate leaders want. (.85; 27% entire sample, 27% white respondents only)

    >In the last 20 years, the government has deliberately discriminated against white Americans with its immigration policies. (.68; 31% entire sample; 33% white respondents only)

    Is an ageing White population in Europe being replaced with non-white immigrants? What does that do to the labor market? And who are responsible for such policies?