Normative climates and immigration: A societal psychology approach

Heeding calls to consider macro contexts in the study of immigration attitudes, this paper introduces the INtegrative NOrmative CLIMate Model (INNOCLIM) that defines three facets of normative climates: (1) top-down institutional climates, expressed through legislation and integration policies, (2) top-down discursive climates based on political and media communication, and (3) bottom-up emerging climates of shared attitudes and values. The generative INNOCLIM builds on and extends societal psychology by bridging real-world macro-level socio-economic and normative contexts in a comprehensive multilevel approach. Drawing on our own research, we illustrate how and when the three facets of normative climates shape immigration attitudes among non-migrant national majorities in the Global North. We conclude by demonstrating how INNOCLIM aids understanding of contemporary immigration-related issues and intergroup relations more generally, and discuss ways to overcome methodological challenges and the scarce presence of minority and Global South perspectives, thereby setting an agenda for future research.