A Critical Cultural Sociological Exploration of Attitudes toward Migration in Czechia : What Lies Beneath the Fear of the Thirteenth Migrant

A Critical Cultural Sociological Exploration of Attitudes toward Migration in Czechia: What Lies Beneath the Fear of the Thirteenth Migrant examines a highly controversial question that has been dividing Czech society and influencing the results of elections, especially since the mid-2010s migration “crisis”: would Czechia relocate more than 12 refugees from the 2,691 required by the European Union Relocation Scheme? The authors of this book qualitatively decipher what lies beneath the fears about the imaginary “thirteenth migrant” and explore how individuals make sense of migration in nontraditional destination countries, utilizing critical, cultural sociological methods to explore the deep meaning-making processes that inform migration attitudes. The authors show that studying attitudes and perceptions about people who cross borders is crucial; levels of international migration (both forced and voluntary) increase considerably each year, and the issue has become highly politicized. In the Czech context, an additional analytical puzzle emerges. Levels of migration are rather low, yet public opinion about it is quite unfavorable, especially when it comes to border crossers from Africa and the Middle East. The purpose of this book is to unpack how the Czech public draws symbolic boundaries between “us” and “them,” calling upon available cultural repertoires and often engaging in Othering and racialization.