Does social embeddedness shape attitudes toward migrants? Evidence from a survey experiment in the United Kingdom.

This article examines how migrants' social embeddedness—defined by their interpersonal relationships with non-migrants and co-ethnics—influences non-migrants' attitudes in the United Kingdom. Using a conjoint experimental design, the study finds that migrants who are socially embedded with non-migrants, such as having British friends or a British spouse, are viewed more positively by non-migrants, supporting assimilation theory expectations. Conversely, co-ethnic embeddedness, indicated by relationships primarily within migrants' own ethnic group, does not significantly affect non-migrants' attitudes, challenging assumptions that such ties evoke negative perceptions. These findings hold across various migrant attributes (e.g., religion, education, language proficiency) and respondent characteristics, suggesting that while interethnic social ties enhance acceptance, co-ethnic networks neither harm nor improve migrants' reception in this context. The study highlights the importance of distinguishing types of social embeddedness in understanding intergroup attitudes and suggests policy implications for fostering interethnic interaction without discouraging co-ethnic community ties.