A new working paper has been published on SocArXiv: “What drives antisemitic hostility in the 21st century? A comparative case study of Germany, Sweden, and Russia (1990–2020).” Read it here.

Abstract

What drives antisemitic hostility in the 21st century? The literature offers two competing theoretical frameworks: generalist and particularist. Generalists argue that antisemitism is a manifestation of general outgroup hostility, common to various forms of prejudice. In contrast, particularists stress the contextual specificity of antisemitism, arguing that its 21st century expressions are closely linked to antizionist sentiment—hostility toward Zionism, Israel, and its supporters. This study evaluates these frameworks through a comparative and longitudinal case study of antisemitic hostility in Germany, Sweden, and Russia between 1990 and 2020, relying on a mixed-methods approach that triangulates quantitative and qualitative data. Findings indicate that the particularist model accounts better for observed patterns of variation in antisemitic hostility and aggression, with antizionist sentiment serving as a key mediating factor, such that flare-ups in the Middle East conflict generate antisemitic hostility in other societies depending on the strength of local antizionist sentiment. More broadly, the results support emerging theorizing in prejudice research distinguishing between generalized and outgroup-specific forms of prejudice.