Ethnocentric Bias in Perceptions of Place

doi:10.1017/9781108769471.016

13 - Ethnocentric Bias in Perceptions of Place

The Role of Essentialism and the Perceived Continuity of Places

from Part IV - Nationalism and Competing Territorial Claims

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 July 2021

Maria Lewicka and

Olena Dobosh

Edited by

Christopher M. Raymond ,

Andrés Di Masso and

Christopher M. Raymond: Affiliation:
University of Helsinki, Finland
Lynne C. Manzo: Affiliation:
University of Washington, Seattle
Daniel R. Williams: Affiliation:
USDA Forest Service, Colorado
Andrés Di Masso: Affiliation:
Universitat de Barcelona
Timo von Wirth: Affiliation:
Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam

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Summary

The rising wave of nationalism and xenophobia in the world triggers interest in processes underlying ethnocentric tendencies in humans. In this chapter we focus on the issue of ethnocentrism in perception of places and describe processes that facilitate the ethnocentric closure to the presence of the ‘other’ in the city space. We present data that demonstrate that one of the factors responsible for this ethnocentric closure is type of the perceived continuity of a place: essentialist vs anti-essentialist. We show, on the basis of studies carried out in cities of Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania, that perception of places in terms of essentialist continuity facilitates place identity but is also a powerful trigger of the ethnocentric bias in perception of the places’ multicultural past and present. In contrast, interpretation of the place continuity as a chain of interconnected events (anti-essentialist continuity) helps to accept the ethnic and social diversity of places.

Keywords

ethnocentrism essentialism place continuity place identity

Type: Chapter
Information: Changing Senses of Place
Navigating Global Challenges
, pp. 171 - 181

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108769471.016 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2021

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13 - Ethnocentric Bias in Perceptions of Place

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