The Persistence of Overt Anti-Roma Sentiments
The Evolution of Anti-Roma Attitudes in Hungary from the 1990s to the Present
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51624/SzocSzemle.22914Keywords:
intergroup prejudice, anti-Roma prejudice, social norms, discriminationAbstract
The study examines the main trends in anti-Roma prejudice based on longitudinal data and a nationally weighted cross-sectional online survey conducted in 2025 (N = 1600). Using an identically worded question previously applied in TÁRKI surveys, we show that although some forms of classical, overt anti-Roma attitudes have declined compared to the 1990s and the early 2000s, support for various forms of segregationist and anti-Roma views, measured in different ways, indicates that explicit prejudice remains widely prevalent. A majority of respondents agree with moralizing statements about Roma people’s work ethic, and a substantial minority endorses biologizing formulations. Based on intergroup comparisons along the dimensions of sympathy, perceived intelligence, and industriousness, Roma people are consistently evaluated less favorably than ethnic Hungarians and pensioners, occupying lower positions in the examined group hierarchy. The analysis of social norms surrounding discrimination indicates that exclusionary practices against Roma in housing, the labor market, education, and municipal decision-making are not considered rare by many respondents, and a non-negligible proportion regard them as acceptable in certain situations. Our analysis highlights that there is a strong positive relationship between perceived majority norms and individual attitudes. Experimental results further indicate that the evaluation of anti-Roma speech is strongly context-dependent: greater acceptance is observed in private settings than in public online spaces. This suggests that anti-Roma prejudice is not merely a matter of individual conviction but a socially structured phenomenon shaped by normative environments.
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