82 PERSPECTIVES ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS | VOL 41 | 2023 output. Rather, as one author writing in the European Journal of Cultural Studies puts it, “the rationale behind the proposal seemed to be that Danish culture was under attack and that the promotion of traditional dishes constituted a much-needed bulwark” (Lindhardt, 2022). Although the potentially negative economic outcomes of non-Western immigrants are often used as the justification for anti-immigration policies, those economic positions can also be used as a shield for other racist and xenophobic ideas about who immigrants are and what their effect on Danish culture is. These ideas are often disguised in what is referred to as the “values debate.” One scholar explains the values debate as actually linking the non-integration of Muslims and immigrants to what many Danes perceive as differing and inferior, if not in some cases appalling, values. The author further maintains that this perception of a different system of values is almost exclusively linked to Islam and a fear that Islamic values, which are believed to lead to crime and war, will corrupt the peaceful and democratic Danish culture (Vejlby, 2011). This line of reasoning relies partially on a presumption that rests on shaky ground, that is, a correlation between non-Western immigrants and crime and insecurity in Denmark. One 2020 meta-research article on criminology statistics highlights this inconclusive correlation between immigrants and crime. After reviewing previous research on the subject, the author asserts that slight changes in methods and control conditions lead to a striking variation in the results. He adds that taking these inconsistencies into account, a definitive answer to whether immigrant status increases the risk of criminal involvement cannot be made (Klement, 2020). Additionally, the reasoning undergirding the view of non-Western immigrants’ ability and potential to corrupt Danish society is based on an imagination of the Danish identity, which is itself contradictory. Danes imagine their identity and culture as fixed and determinate yet vulnerable enough to be transformed completely by the existence of other fixed and determinate cultures. Clearly, there is a misalignment of views; the question remains as to how Danes might refocus the reality of immigrants in their midst. Conclusions Despite its reputation as a socially liberal and progressive society, Denmark still suffers from racist and xenophobic attitudes and policies that may not be initially evident based on its tolerant historical legacy. An economic argument is often made that non-Western immigrants make a net negative contribution to the Danish welfare economy. Although narrowly true, further investigation shows that other factors, such as the positive effects of immigration on the upward mobility of young native Danes as well as the effects of immigration on pension generosity and unemployment benefits, should be considered in evaluating the fiscal effects of immigration. Regarding the economic stance against immigration, it is therefore important that work is done to lower the barriers to productive work for immigrants. Further research is also necessary to bridge the gap in knowledge in terms of the net difference between the positive economic outcomes discussed and the drain immigrants place on the economy. Additionally, as data have shown that immigration leads to upward mobility of young native Danes, the Danish government must work to advance training and retention of youth in those higher-paying jobs to reduce the competition in lower wage work from immigrants and improve the economic position of those immigrants as well as native Danes. Denmark’s anti-immigration attitudes extend to its politics, and the Progress Party and the DPP are among the most overt in their anti-immigration attitudes. These are expressed through political programs that use explicit language to assert that it is against their mission for Denmark to be a multicultural society. The Social Democratic Party, Denmark’s most popular party, has also made significant efforts to suppress the immigrant population, including revoking residency permits for Syrian refugees as well as efforts to eliminate areas with high immigrant residency called ghettos. These policies and political actions go on to influence the social treatment of immigrants in Denmark, which ends up being pervaded with racism and xenophobia. The first step toward progress in this regard is for the Danish public to have more open and honest conversations about the explicit role that race and racism play in their society. Danes could include and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion topics in their academic curricula and educational training and could pay closer attention to specific terms, such as ghetto, and how their use in political discourse could be harmful to immigrants and non-Western people living in Denmark. Beyond that, Denmark must take political action. It is important that the Danish government reevaluate and equalize policies applied to immigrants from Ukraine and Syria. It is also important that Danes continue to vote and actively advocate against politicians and parties that espouse blatantly racist and xenophobic programs and language and work to remove laws, such as those regarding pork, instead
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0OTQ5OA==