Differentiated Threat and Religious Dominance: The Distinct Dynamics of Xenophobia and Islamophobia in the United States

ABSTRACT Drawing on theories of differentiated threat and religious dominance, this article examines the dynamics of xenophobia and Islamophobia in the United States. Specifically, we analyze the distinct threats that immigrants and Muslims pose to groups of various religious identifications. We find that (1) Muslims are perceived as carrying an ideational threat, but not a materialist threat, and (2) immigrants are perceived as carrying a materialist threat, but not an ideational threat. Unlike the latter of these two findings, ideational threat posed by Muslims is more likely among certain religious groups relative to religiously unaffiliated respondents. We extend prior work by showing that distinct threats that different outgroups pose are determined by the respective social identifications of actors within a social field. These findings support theories of differentiated threat and provide marginal support for religious dominance theory. This article emphasizes the need for greater theoretical specification within the group threat literature.