In addition to triggering a worldwide health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought in many countries increased phenomena of Sinophobia. Using integrated threat theory (ITT; Stephan & Stephan, 2000), this study examines anti-Chinese prejudice in Italy in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Educational level, conservative ideologies, and social media use have been included in the study among the possible antecedents. The data collection has been conducted with an online survey that involved 316 Italian participants in April 2020. The results showed that sex, intergroup contact, and direct knowledge of people with COVID-19 have contributed in bringing about the Chinese community in Italy as a poten-tial threat in the eyes of the study participants.
Keywords: Integrated threat theory; prejudice; sinophobia; social media; crowd-sourcing; hierarchical regression analysis
Davide Girardelli, Stephen M. Croucher, Thao Nguyen, The COVID-19 pandemic, Sinophobia, and the use of social media in Italy in "MONDI MIGRANTI" 1/2021, pp. 85-104, DOI:10.3280/MM2021-001005