Around a third of the Spanish population considers that, in areas such as feminism, the presence and acceptance of the population of foreign origin, or the rights and visibility of the LGTBI collective, things have gone too far. This is one of the conclusions of the report H/Orizontes, prepared from 2,000 interviews conducted between March 11 and 13 with residents over the age of 18 in Spain.
The study depicts a society divided around these debates, without broad majority consensuses in any of the three analyzed areas. According to the authors, the results point to a reaction on issues where Spain had traditionally been in leading positions and also show signs of change in attitudes towards immigration.
Alongside that division, the report incorporates another underlying idea: a majority perceives that public debate pays too much attention to identity issues, compared to economic problems, although at the same time a broad part of the population appreciates a more hostile climate towards certain minorities.
A Society Divided on Social Advances
In the case of feminism, the study indicates that 31.2% consider that it has gone too far, compared to 28.4% who believe that it is at an adequate point and 33.9% who maintain that there is still much to advance.
In rights and visibility of the LGTBI collective, 26.3% consider that too much has been done, 34.3% believe that we are at an adequate point and 30.8% opine that there is still room for progress.
In relation to the presence and acceptance of the population of foreign origin, 30.9% believe that it has gone too far, 26% consider that we are at an adequate point and 36.1% think that there is still a long way to go.
What profiles does the study detect
The report identifies relatively defined profiles among those who consider that too much has been done in these areas. Among them are men, especially younger ones; people in more vulnerable economic situations and those who sympathize with right-wing parties, particularly Vox.
Regarding the latter, the study points out that it is in that space where the idea that certain social advances have overcome a "tipping point" is most clearly consolidated, a perception that, according to the report itself, helps to explain part of its growth and its discourse in the face of cultural changes.
Conversely, the study places women —especially those from intermediate generations—, people with greater economic stability, and those close to left-wing parties, especially Sumar, among those who tend to consider that there is still a long way to go or that we are at an adequate point.
That contrast appears as one of the central elements of the report, which links positions on these debates with generational, economic, and political variables.
Criticism of the public agenda
Beyond the positions on feminism, immigration, or LGTBI rights, the study incorporates another notable piece of data: 72.3% consider that too much is said about identity issues and too little about real economic problems.
That data, according to the authors, would reflect a mismatch between the focus of public debate and the daily concerns of citizens.
At the same time, 68% consider that the social climate has become more hostile towards certain minorities.
The report focuses precisely on that coexistence of perceptions: a majority believes there is an excess of identity debate, while a also large proportion perceives greater hostility towards minorities.
For the authors, that combination reflects tensions, ambivalences, and contradictions in the way these matters are lived socially.
In that sense, the study suggests that the identity axis appears not only as a space for division, but also as an area where debates on diversity, coexistence, and social changes that have not yet found a shared balance are concentrated.