Perceiving disorder through different lenses: Native and foreign residents’ perceptions in neighbourhoods with high foreign populations in South Korea

Abstract

A growing body of research suggests that perceptions of disorder in a particular place can differ based on an individual's characteristics, which challenges the objectivity of disorder perception. While much of the literature has emphasised racial differences in perceiving disorder, there has been limited exploration of the differences between native and foreign residents in the same locale. Using fixed-effects Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models that account for between-neighbourhood variation, this study examines whether natives (n = 800) and foreign residents (n = 1,200) living in neighbourhoods with high foreign populations in South Korea perceive differing levels of disorder. The findings reveal strong and significant discrepancies in perceptions of social and physical disorders between native and foreign residents, even when accounting for key individual-level covariates (i.e., perceptions of the neighbourhood, victimisation, routine activities, demographics) and between-neighbourhood variation. A subgroup analysis suggests that native residents’ xenophobic attitudes significantly influence their perceptions of neighbourhood disorder. The findings suggest that police efforts to address disorder may be less noticeable to foreign residents, and the benefits of such activities can vary across neighbourhoods based on the density of the foreign population. Therefore, it is crucial for the police to consider these perceptual differences when adopting and implementing disorder-focused policing strategies.