Search Results for “drawbridge mentality”

Source: Drawbridge mentality

Drawbridge mentality, also known as fortress mentality is a conservative and anti-immigrant attitude of prior immigrants in an established community. Drawbridge mentality can encompass denying immigration to people, businesses and also denying building developments which could facilitate immigration, such as affordable housing. The conflict of drawbridge mentality often emerges between city councils which wish to expand, and residents concerned about losing property value or other economic or political assets.
It is often unclear whether the intention of certain policies is to achieve a drawbridge mentality, or if the policies have other economic or political goals. For example, impact fees reduce immigration by raising entry costs, but can also be argued to offset lowering property taxes. The drawbridge mentality can allow governments or communities to avoid providing humanitarian aid to immigrants by denying responsibility entirely.
The term can imply a selfish attitude and can be taken as an insult, and it often overlaps with the Not in My Back Yard attitude. The drawbridge mentality is one of many ways in which residents can respond to change, viewed as conservatively preserving the existing status quo.
There are many different reasons for immigration, for example due to ecological collapse by droughts and famine caused by physical and climate changes, floods, cyclones, and other natural disasters. There are also other economic and political factors motivating immigration. However, drawbridge mentality not generally concerned about the reason for immigration. Instead, the main focus is on social and economic effects of immigration like the changing urban density, property values, predominant lifestyles and cultures, and whether these changes are desirable for existing residents.