Hjerm, Eger, Bohman & Fors Connolly - A new approach to the study of tolerance
Hjerm, M., Eger, M. A., Bohman, A. & Fors Connolly, F. (2020). A new approach to the study of tolerance: Conceptualizing and measuring acceptance, respect, and appreciation of difference. Social Indicators Research, 147(3): 897-919.
Previous empirical research on tolerance suffers from a number of shortcomings, the most serious being the conceptual and operational conflation of (in)tolerance and prejudice. The authors designed research to remedy this. First, they contribute to the literature by advancing research that distinguishes analytically between the two phenomena. They conceptualize tolerance as a value orientation towards difference. This definition – which is abstract and does not capture attitudes towards specific out-groups, ideas, or behaviors – allows for the analysis of tolerance within and between societies. Second, they improve the measurement of tolerance by developing survey items that are consistent with this conceptualization. They administer two surveys, one national (Sweden) and one cross-national (Australia, Denmark, Great Britain, Sweden, and the United States). Results from structural equation models show that tolerance is best understood as a three-dimensional concept, which includes acceptance of, respect for, and appreciation of difference. Analyses show that measures of tolerance have metric invariance across countries, and additional tests demonstrate convergent and discriminant validity. The authors also assess tolerance’s relationship to prejudice and find that only an appreciation of difference has the potential to reduce prejudice. They conclude that it is not only possible to measure tolerance in a way that is distinct from prejudice but also necessary if the causes and consequences of tolerance are to be understood.
Hjerm, Eger, Bohman & Fors Connolly “A new approach to the study of tolerance: Conceptualizing and measuring acceptance, respect, and appreciation of difference”