Measuring Attitudes : Comparing Canadian and Finnish Attitudes toward Chinese Immigrants after COVID-19

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate Canadian and Finnish attitudes toward Chinese immigrants in their respective countries. Method: An online questionnaire was completed by 249 participants, 171 Canadians and 78 Finns. The data was analyzed in SPSS using two sample t-tests, factorial ANOVAs, and ANCOVAs. Results: The study showed that Canadians (M = 4.26) had significantly more positive attitudes toward Chinese immigrants than Finns (M = 3.6) when using the Bogardus Social Distance Scale. Similar results were found when measuring the topics of culture (Canada M = .44, Finland M = .2) and safety (Canada M = 1.03, Finland M = .94). The topic of employment and general attitudes had no significant difference. Gender, education, political beliefs and if participants personally knew someone Chinese were all found to have some effect on results. Conclusions: Overall, Canadian and Finnish attitudes toward Chinese immigrants tended to be quite similar, with Canadians having more positive attitudes than Finns in some areas. Further research is required to validate these findings within the field.