Internalized neoliberal ideology and attitude towards refugees

Marčič, Renata (author)

The article aims to draw attention to neoliberal ideology and to examine if the set of values, beliefs, and practices it promotes, correlate to the individuals’ negative attitude towards refugees. For this purpose, I developed two questionnaires: the Internalized Neoliberal Ideology Scale (INIS) and the Attitude Towards Refugees Scale (ATRS); their development is detailly described in the article. As neoliberalism permeates all areas of human life in the developed and developing world, it is becoming more and more internalized to the point that we accept it as common sense. I wondered if internalizing the principles of neoliberalism (i.e., advocacy of deregulation and privatization), which promote increased self-interest, competition, and the pursuit of profit, decreases the level of empathy and acceptance of refugees and encourages harsher treatment of refugees, i.e., denying them refuge, adequate living conditions, and social welfare. Questionnaires were completed online by 166 participants, aged 19 to 65, approximately half men and half women. The results show that negative attitude towards refugees is statistically significantly correlated with internalized neoliberal ideology. Therefore, if we want to preserve and promote compassion for those who need help, we must also consider the influence of political-economic factors on the individual’s attitude.

• Language: English
• Keywords: neoliberalism, refugees, internalization of ideology, questionnaire development
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 28-40
• Numbering: Letn. 34
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-179385
• UDC: 316.644:341.43+159.9.072
• ISSN on article: 2350-5141
• DOI: 10.20419/2025.34.604
• COBISS.SI-ID: 230537219
• Publication date in RUL: 12.02.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Psihološka obzorja : slovenska znanstveno-strokovna psihološka revija
• Publisher: Društvo psihologov Slovenije, Društvo psihologov Slovenije, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2350-5141
• COBISS.SI-ID: 271603200

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Ponotranjena neoliberalna ideologija in stališče do beguncev

Abstract

Namen članka je opozoriti na neoliberalno ideologijo in preveriti, ali je sklop vrednot, prepričanj in praks, ki jih spodbuja, povezan z negativnim stališčem posameznikov do beguncev. V ta namen sem razvila dva vprašalnika: Lestvico ponotranjene neoliberalne ideologije (INIS) in Lestvico stališča do beguncev (ATRS); njun razvoj je podrobno opisan v članku. Ker neoliberalizem prodira na vsa področja človekovega življenja v razvitem in razvijajočem se svetu, postaja vse bolj ponotranjen - do te mere, da ga sprejemamo kot zdravorazumskega. Zanimalo me je, ali ponotranjenje načel neoliberalizma (npr. zagovarjanje deregulacije in privatizacije), ki spodbujajo povečan interes zase, tekmovanje z drugimi in zasledovanje dobička, zmanjšuje raven empatije in sprejemanja beguncev ter spodbuja strožje ravnanje z begunci, tj. odrekanje zatočišča, ustreznih življenjskih pogojev in socialne varnosti. Vprašalnike je prek spleta izpolnilo 166 udeležencev, starih od 19 do 65 let, približno polovica moških in polovica žensk. Rezultati kažejo, da se negativno stališče do beguncev statistično pomembno povezuje s ponotranjeno neoliberalno ideologijo. Če torej želimo ohraniti in spodbujati sočutje do tistih, ki potrebujejo pomoč, moramo upoštevati tudi vpliv politično-ekonomskih dejavnikov na posameznikova stališča.

• Keywords: neoliberalizem, begunci, ponotranjena ideologija, razvoj vprašalnika