Profiles of Lithuanian tolerance: a sociological research

Goals of the survey To analyze the attitude of the Lithuanian population to the representatives of other races, religious and other “troublesome” social groups To evaluate the Lithuanian experience on discrimination

Survey design A representative population survey Survey time: 6 – 9 November 2003 Respondent number: N = 1044 Target population: 18 + years old Mode of survey: interview at respondent’s home Sampling method: multi-staged, random. Sampling conducted in a way to provide equal chances for all the residents of Lithuania to be surveyed. Survey carried out: in cities - Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Panevėžys, Marijampolė, Druskininkai, Visaginas ; in districts -Trakai, Alytus, Šakiai, Plungė, Pakruojis, Šilutė, Kėdainiai, Utena, Tauragė and Rokiškis. Survey conducted in 18 cities and towns and 56 villages. Maximum statistical error – 3,1 per cent.

Survey initiators and participants Commission for the Implementation of the National Plan for the Actions on Support and Protection of Human Rights in the Republic of Lithuania under the Committee on Human Rights of the LR Seimas Market and Opinion Research Centre "VILMORUS“

Attitudes to different groups of people

Tolerance level among different social groups

Would not like to live in the neighborhood of

Do you agree or disagree with the following statements: Fully agree AgreeDisagree Fully disagree 1.People of other nationalities must be tolerated in Lithuania 26.2%64.6%8.7%0.5% 2.Other races must be tolerated in Lithuania 21.2%62.0%15.8%1.1% 3.Other Christian faiths must be tolerated in Lithuania 18.4%59.3%20.5%1.7% 4.Other non-Christian faiths must be tolerated in Lithuania 13.2%46.5%35.6%4.7% 5.Lithuania must provide asylum for political refugees 6.0%48.0%42.8%3.2% 6.Lithuania must provide asylum for economic refugees 4.6%33.1%57.1%5.2% 7.Lithuanian population must have equal chances of employment regardless of the race, nationality, religious belief, sex and age 32.3%54.9%12.6%0.3% 8.Lithuanian population must be equally eligible to social guarantees regardless of the race, nationality, religious belief, sex and age 30.2%56.2%12.8%0.8% 9.Lithuanian population must have equal opportunities to foster cultural traditions regardless of the race, nationality, religious belief, sex and age 30.6%61.2%7.7%0.5%

Discriminatory experiences

Attitude to discrimination of different groups upon employment Is a refusal to employ justifiable on the grounds of …? Unjustifiable, ever Justifiable, sometimes Justifiable, always Hard to say 1. other race48.6%37.5%3.2%10.8% 2. other faith60.4%28.3%2.1%9.2% 3. disability33.6%52.5%3.0%10.9% 4. male67.1%23.4%2.0%7.5% 5. female67.1%23.5%1.8%7.6% 6. other nationality62.7%26.6%1.7%8.9% 7. homosexuality40.6%32.7%9.9%16.9% 8. old age39.5%47.7%3.4%9.4% 9.young age 51.9%37.0%2.6%8.5%

Opinions on the tolerance with respect to different nationals TolerantNeither tolerant, nor intolerant IntolerantHard to say 1.Lithuania41.2%34.2%11.1%13.5% 2.Poland13.1%24.0%19.8%43.0% 3.Latvia16.9%25.8%12.6%44.7% 4.Russia30.2%22.1%11.4%36.3% 5.Belarus20.9%21.5%9.7%48.0% 6.Western Europe29.0%18.3%4.6%48.1% 7.USA35.7%14.9%5.0%44.3% 8.Other East and Central European countries 14.9%19.9%5.0%60.2%

Evaluation of the activities of different institutions in preventing racism and xenophobia ExcellentGoodBadVery badHard to say 1.Seimas (Parliament)2.1%57.0%29.5%1.5%9.9% 2.Government2.3%58.4%27.8%1.4%10.1% 3.President’s office3.4%58.2%25.9%2.3%10.2% 4.Political parties1.3%50.8%33.4%3.5%10.9% 5.Institutions of law and order 3.2%61.0%24.3%1.4%10.1% 6.Mass media12.1%66.4%12.3%.7%8.6% 7.Non-governmental organizations 5.7%66.4%15.4%1.4%11.0% 8.International organizations 10.5%66.6%11.9%1.0%10.1%

Is a national program of measures against racism, xenophobia and intolerance needed in Lithuania?

Conclusions The survey has shown that the inhabitants of Lithuania consider themselves to be more tolerant than the representatives of neighbouring and other countries. They make a positive evaluation of the activities of governmental and non-governmental institutions in preventing racism and xenophobia. Least tolerance is exhibited towards gypsies, representatives of other sexual orientations, drug addicts, migrants and refugees. Discrimination because of age, sex and physical or mental disability is experienced most frequently. Nearly half of the inhabitants of the country consider that Lithuania needs a national program against racism, xenophobia and intolerance, however an equal proportion think there is no need for such a program.