Measuring holocaust knowledge and its relationship to attitudes towards diversity in Spain, Canada, Germany, and the United States

Abstract

This chapter examines the degree of self-assessed knowledge about the Holocaust among people in Canada, the United States, Germany, and Spain. National public opinion surveys in these four countries provide insights into the relationship between each population’s knowledge of the Holocaust and concerns over anti-Semitism and racism as well as individuals’ degree of openness to diversity. Results of these detailed national surveys reveal that persons who self-assessed a strong knowledge about the Holocaust showed greater concern with societal anti-Semitism. People who claimed more Holocaust knowledge were also more likely to value a diverse population. However, such knowledge did not give rise to greater support for immigrants’ retaining elements of their cultures of origin. Contemporary debates about immigration remain complex and that possessing knowledge about the Holocaust is not a reliable predictor of public attitudes on such matters. Further research is needed about the extent to which Holocaust knowledge contributes to the goals of multicultural education.