Xenophobia and Antidiscrimination in Europe

The notion of xenophobia is derived from the Greek xenos (foreigner or stranger) and phobos (fear or aversion) and implies “fear of foreigners” by people who are already situated in a national context. Antidiscrimination broadly connotes the structured actions and responses to all forms of discrimination. This entry discusses the forms that xenophobia and antidiscrimination can take, identifies some of the factors that contribute to such attitudes, presents examples of xenophobia, and describes the efforts that are taken to foster antidiscrimination policies that include the prevention of xenophobic actions in Europe. The first part addresses the analytical complexity involved in the juxtaposition of xenophobia and antidiscrimination as well as the challenge of examining both notions within the large national and cultural diversity within Europe. The ...