subject: Article 393: Race Relations Research on Attitudes Toward Jews in Spain [print this page] Article 393: Race Relations Research on Attitudes Toward Jews in Spain
Hasan Yahya, Ph.Ds, professor of sociology
Attitudes toward Jews, Blacks, Whites, Arabs, Muslims, and hispanic in race relation literature began early in the fifties of last century. Some researchers used measures and scales of time-series and longitudinal research which is the collection and analysis of data over a period of time on social distance in several countries and times. Surveys usually used including high school and undergraduate students, where progress in the student attitudes toward Jews and other races or nationalities is observed.
In terms of questionnaires items construction, items must have unidimensionality meaning , where each item must be a composite measure which represents only one dimension of a given concept . In addition to consider examining its face validity as logical. Methodically speaking, it is crucial to identify whether the items are or general in to avoid nuances . Another thing , it is important to consider the amount of variance that the items provide . In a study has these conditions I find this study is worth reporting.
In recent research published by Eamonn McDonagh on November 5, 2010 in Spain, on anti-Semitism, the author used through the Cas Sefarad-Israel, a state-sponsored body in Spain which aims to increase awareness in that country of its Sephardic heritage and Jewish culture in general and to improve ties between Spain and Israel. It has just released the results of a survey it commissioned on attitudes towards Jews in Spain.
Data shows that 48% of those surveyed had a positive view of Jews while 34.6% had a negative one. The most common reasons given for anti-Semitic feelings was that Jews "create problems in the world" and "what they [Jews] do in the Middle East". Their supposed status as immigrants in Spain was also a source of negative feeling.
83.55% indicated their agreement with the idea that "the Jews have the right to live in peace and security within Israel's internationally recognized frontiers". With a disappointing but real portion of non-zionist Jews, 11.1% being of the view that Israel should disappear because "it was created artificially on Arab land".
Diego De Ojeda, the Director of the Casa Sefarad-Israel described the percentage of Spanish people with anti-Semitic feelings as "grave" but in line with the level present in other European countries.(392 words) www.askdryahya.com
