Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The contact hypothesis (Allport, 1954) provides an established theoretical framework for pursuing positive intergroup relationships (Hewstone & Swart, 2011; Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006) and stipulates certain optimal conditions under which contact reduces prejudice. The secondary transfer effect of contact describes a process whereby attitudes towards outgroups not encountered in the original intergroup encounter might also be improved (Pettigrew, 2009; Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006). A three-wave longitudinal experimental study amongst white South African students at Stellenbosch University (N = 58) was undertaken, using two experimental groups (direct and extended) and a control group. The present study investigated whether direct and extended contact with a black (African) confederate would not only improve attitudes towards black (African) South Africans in general, but also improve attitudes towards Indian South Africans, not involved in the contact situation (i.e., the secondary transfer effect). Findings show that the experimentally manipulated contact reduced intergroup anxiety (from baseline levels measured one week earlier) towards black (African) South Africans. These effects were, however, non-significant, and suggest the present study may have been under-powered. Moreover, the findings showed that experimentally manipulated contact significantly improved outgroup attitudes and outgroup trust (from baseline levels measured one week earlier) towards black (African) South Africans in the direct contact condition, as well as the extended contact condition (outgroup attitudes only). Finally, the present study found significant evidence for the operation of the secondary transfer effect via attitude generalisation. Positive intergroup contact with the black (African) South African confederate predicted a significant change in outgroup attitudes towards black (African) South Africans in general from Time 1 (baseline) to Time 2 (post-task), which in turn predicted more positive attitudes towards Indian South Africans in general at Time 2, controlling for prior quantity and quality of contact with Indian South Africans. The secondary transfer effect was not observed for outgroup trust. The present study contributes to the existing literature on the secondary transfer effect and replicates international findings within the South African context. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die kontak hipotese (Allport, 1954) bied ʼn gevestigde teoretiese raamwerk vir die voortsetting van positiewe intergroep verhoudings (Hewstone & Swart, 2011; Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006) en bepaal sekere optimale toestande waaronder kontak vooroordeel verminder. Die sekondȇre oordrag effek van kontak beskryf ʼn proses waardeur houdings teenoor buitegroepe wat nie gedurende die oorspronklike intergroep kontak teёgekom is nie, ook verbeter word (Pettigrew, 2009; Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006). ʼn Drie-golf longitudinale eksperimentele studie onder wit Suid-Afrikaanse studente verbonde aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch (N = 58) is onderneem, met behulp van twee eksperimentele groepe (direkte en uitgebreide) en ʼn kontrole groep (N = 16). Die huidige studie het ondersoek of direkte en uitgebreide kontak met ʼn swart (Afrikaan) Suid-Afrikaner nie net houdings teenoor swart (Afrikaan) Suid-Afrikaners in die algemeen verbeter nie, maar ook houdings teenoor Indiёr Suid-Afrikaners, wie nie by die oorspronklike kontak situasie betrokke was nie ook verbeter (d.w.s. die sekondȇre oordrag effek). Resultate toon dat die eksperimenteel gemanipuleerde kontak intergroep angs teenoor swart (Afrikaan) Suid-Afrikaners verminder (vanaf basislyn vlakke gemeet een week tevore). Hierdie effek is egter nie beduidend nie, moontlik omdat die statistiese kragdoeltreffendheid van die studie onvoldoende was. Die resultate toon verder dat eksperimenteel gemanipuleerde kontak buitegroep houdings en buitegroep vertroue (vanaf basislyn vlakke gemeet een week tevore) teenoor swart (Afrikaan) Suid-Afrikaners beduidend verbeter in die direkte kontak groep, sowel as die uitgebreide kontak groep (slegs vir buitegroep houdings). Ten slotte, die huidige studie het beduidende bewyse gevind vir die werking van die sekondȇre oordrag effek via houding veralgemening. Positiewe intergroep kontak met die swart (Afrikaan) Suid-Afrikaner voorspel ʼn beduidende verbetering in die buitegroep houding teenoor swart (Afrikaan) Suid-Afrikaners in die algemeen van Tyd 1 (basislyn) tot Tyd 2 (na die eksperimentele manipulasie), wat op sy beurt meer positiewe houdings teenoor Indiёr Suid-Afrikaners in die algemeen teen Tyd 2 voorspel, nadat daar vir beide kwaliteit en kwantiteit van vorige kontak met Indiёr Suid-Afrikaners beheer is. Die sekondȇre oordrag effek is nie vir buitegroep vertroue waargeneem nie. Die huidige studie dra by tot die bestaande literatuur oor die sekondȇre effek van kontak en ondersteun soortgelyke internasionale bevindinge binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Stellenbosch University.

Diploma thesis "Some aspects of multiculturalism" deals with religious minority living in the Czech Republic, especially with Czech muslim women. The aim of this thesis is to explore the most frequent prejudices that relate to Islam religion. To achieve that, concept of multiculturalism, concept prejudice, theory of prejudice as a grouped norm and the most frequent prejudices of Islam are characterized. The history of Islam, It is also described - its origin in the Czech Republic, beginning of Muslim community on the Czech territory, Muslims nowadays, their integration and their number in the Czech republic. The short characteristic of Islam religion, fundamental commitments and rights every muslim and the characteristic that deals with rights, commitments and roles of muslim women are described. The second part of diploma thesis is qualitative research. This research is focused on recognition of real situation of Czech muslim women who converted to Islam. The research tries to reflect the perceptiveness of belief of women themselves. Why they converted to Islam, which are the most frequent prejudices they meet and how they react to them and which attitudes they have towards some Islamic commands and prohibitions.

Explaining the rising support for right-wing populist parties in Europe during the last decade is an issue that interests both economists, sociologists and political scientists. A number of theories suggest that the rising inflow of migrants to Europe has had an important causal effect on right-wing populist support. However, as migration patterns generally are not exogenous to right-wing populist support, it is difficult to interpret the estimates of a correlation study causally.  In this paper, I exploit a Swedish refugee dispersal program as a natural experiment to estimate the effect of refugee inflow on the support for the right-wing populist party the Sweden Democrats using an instrumental variable strategy. Despite detailed institutional knowledge, I am not able to find support for any short-term effects of refugee inflow on the self-reported preferences for the Sweden Democrats. This goes against the findings of most previous studies.  However, the multicollinearity of some of my covariates are high. In addition, as the program was introduced in 2016, there are few years available for identification. Thus, the precision of the estimates is relatively low and the study would benefit from adding more years to the panel data set.

<p>The appeal of Allport&rsquo / s Contact Hypothesis lies in the simplicity of its core principle, which holds that contact between different groups may serve to reduce prejudices. Contact needs to meet key conditions, i.e. equal power, cooperation towards a common goal and institutional support. Support has been found for the Contact Hypothesis in its original form and for those contacts which fail to meet the specified conditions. This study sought to explore whether contact, in forms different to those traditionally defined by the Contact Hypothesis, i.e. exposure, had any bearing on group prejudice. The prejudice and its underlying negative attitudes of interest, were those informed by HIV and AIDS stigma. HIV and AIDS stigma, defined as a discrediting quality and informed by social processes, is of particular concern as it impedes prevention, treatment and care efforts in South Africa&rsquo / s response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. The health care context is often an area where Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) are confronted with HIV and AIDS stigma. The research aims were thus to explore the extent of HIV and AIDS stigma amongst health care workers, the forms of exposure to PLHIV and the relationship between exposure and HIV and AIDS stigma. A quantitative, survey design was employed to accomplish these aims and to test formulated hypotheses, which were based on current literature and the core principle of the Contact Hypothesis. The sample consisted of 202 health care workers in the Cape Town metropole. Data analyses revealed the existence of low to moderate levels of HIV and AIDS stigma and also found that most of the sample had exposure to PLHIV in either its individual forms or overall form. Bivariate correlations revealed negative relationships between forms of exposure, overall exposure and stigma.</p>

<p>The appeal of Allport&rsquo / s Contact Hypothesis lies in the simplicity of its core principle, which holds that contact between different groups may serve to reduce prejudices. Contact needs to meet key conditions, i.e. equal power, cooperation towards a common goal and institutional support. Support has been found for the Contact Hypothesis in its original form and for those contacts which fail to meet the specified conditions. This study sought to explore whether contact, in forms different to those traditionally defined by the Contact Hypothesis, i.e. exposure, had any bearing on group prejudice. The prejudice and its underlying negative attitudes of interest, were those informed by HIV and AIDS stigma. HIV and AIDS stigma, defined as a discrediting quality and informed by social processes, is of particular concern as it impedes prevention, treatment and care efforts in South Africa&rsquo / s response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. The health care context is often an area where Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) are confronted with HIV and AIDS stigma. The research aims were thus to explore the extent of HIV and AIDS stigma amongst health care workers, the forms of exposure to PLHIV and the relationship between exposure and HIV and AIDS stigma. A quantitative, survey design was employed to accomplish these aims and to test formulated hypotheses, which were based on current literature and the core principle of the Contact Hypothesis. The sample consisted of 202 health care workers in the Cape Town metropole. Data analyses revealed the existence of low to moderate levels of HIV and AIDS stigma and also found that most of the sample had exposure to PLHIV in either its individual forms or overall form. Bivariate correlations revealed negative relationships between forms of exposure, overall exposure and stigma.</p>

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / The appeal of Allport's Contact Hypothesis lies in the simplicity of its core principle, which holds that contact between different groups may serve to reduce prejudices. Contact needs to meet key conditions, i.e. equal power, cooperation towards a common goal and institutional support. Support has been found for the Contact Hypothesis in its original form and for those contacts which fail to meet the specified conditions. This study sought to explore whether contact, in forms different to those traditionally defined by the Contact Hypothesis, i.e. exposure, had any bearing on group prejudice. The prejudice and its underlying negative attitudes of interest, were those informed by HIV and AIDS stigma. HIV and AIDS stigma, defined as a discrediting quality and informed by social processes, is of particular concern as it impedes prevention, treatment and care efforts in South Africa's response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. The health care context is often an area where Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) are confronted with HIV and AIDS stigma. The research aims were thus to explore the extent of HIV and AIDS stigma amongst health care workers, the forms of exposure to PLHIV and the relationship between exposure and HIV and AIDS stigma. A quantitative, survey design was employed to accomplish these aims and to test formulated hypotheses, which were based on current literature and the core principle of the Contact Hypothesis. The sample consisted of 202 health care workers in the Cape Town metropole. Data analyses revealed the existence of low to moderate levels of HIV and AIDS stigma and also found that most of the sample had exposure to PLHIV in either its individual forms or overall form. Bivariate correlations revealed negative relationships between forms of exposure, overall exposure and stigma. / South Africa

No description available.

Intergroup reconciliation involves a holistic change in attitudes and interactions between groups. However, sustainable reconciliation has often times been overlooked from previous research. This paper aims to contribute to the research gap by applying the well-tested contact hypothesis in the context of NGO structure. The positive results in change of reconciliation attitudes suggests thereby that NGOs should not only be evaluated by its external effects but also by its internal effects on its own members. No negative consequences could be found. Combining intergroup contact with youth, providing informal education and combining it with inter-faith projects within a faith-based institution have yielded the best results.

The aim of this thesis was to investigate whether self-report measures of contact are valid for use in research testing the ‘contact hypothesis’. The vast majority of contact research has relied on the assumed validity of self-report methods of data collection (Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006), even though the potential weaknesses of self-report methodology generally have been well documented. This reliance is necessary, as self-reports remain the only practical method so far developed of measuring certain of the facilitating conditions developed by Allport (1954/1979), and particularly of direct and indirect cross-group friendship (Pettigrew, 1998; Wright, Aron, McLaughlin-Volpe, & Ropp, 1997). However, if self-reports are not a valid method for measuring contact, the derived implications of a large portion of the research effort are potentially flawed. This thesis attempted to address this important oversight, using a variety of methods to investigate whether the use of self-reports in future research on intergroup contact is appropriate. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated that self-reports of contact show considerable resistance to context effects, particularly in comparison with self-reports of the more subjective construct of attitudes. Studies 3-5 demonstrated that self-reports of contact agree with the observer-reports of a single observer who knows the target intimately – the spouse or parent. Studies 6 and 7 replicate this agreement through the consensually supported observer-reports of three close friends of the target, thereby reducing any variance due to individual response biases. Finally, studies 8 and 9 demonstrate the concurrent criterion-related validity of self-reports of contact, in that they are able to predict contact on a very large online network called Facebook, on which real-world rather than purely online friendships are primarily represented. These findings offer considerable support for the validity of self-reports as a suitable method for measuring contact. As self-reports remain the only method which has thus far proven suitable for the measurement of those aspects of contact which are essential for exploration of the contact hypothesis, this thesis presents a very heartening and optimistic conclusion and supports the continued use of self-reports in contact research.

This dissertation focuses on the geographical area of Malmö, the third largest city in Sweden, and examines the majority society’s opinions and attitudes toward interracial dating, marriage and childbearing. The dissertation is driven by two theoretical frames: the theory of race as ideas constructed through the perception of visible differences and the theory of prejudice and stereotypes. Mixed methods have been chosen as a means of exploring people’s attitudes toward interracial relationships. Quantitative data was collected by means of an attitude survey and the qualitative data was collected by means of follow-up interviews with some of the respondents who participated in the survey. The study shows that although their attitudes vary depending on the different groups in question, the majority of the respondents and interviewees could imagine getting involved in interrelationships and would not react negatively if a family member got involved in such a relationship. The quantitative results address the importance of intimate contacts, in other words having friends of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds in having more positive attitudes toward interracial dating, marriage and childbearing. Age, gender, education and the place of upbringing also affects people’s attitudes. The qualitative inquiry probes the reasoning behind the survey results and points to the complicated relations between individual attitudes and the sense of group position. The interviewees’ words depict color-blind ways of talking about attitudes toward interracial marriage and different groups. Ideas of race emerge in this color-blind reasoning and the role of visible difference is highlighted both through the quantitative and qualitative inquiries. / Denna avhandling granskar majoritetssamhällets åsikter och attityder till “interracial marriage and relationships” (blandäktenskap och annan blandrelation). Populationen för denna granskning är ett representativt urval av befolkningen i Malmö, Sveriges tredje största stad. Studien drivs främst av två teoretiska inriktningar. Den ena är teorin om “race” (ras) som innebär att race är tankar och idéer som väcks utifrån fysiska och synliga skillnader hos olika grupper. Den andra är teorin om fördomar och stereotyper. Metoden som använts för att undersöka befolkningsmajoritetens attityder är “mixed methods”. Den kvantitativa enkätstudien följs upp med kvalitativa intervjuer till en del av de svarande. Studien visar att även om det finns variationer i val av preferenser beroende på vilken grupp det handlar om, kan majoriteten av respondenterna i enkäten och intervjupersonerna tänka sig att leva i blandäktenskap eller i annan blandrelation. Majoriteten svarar också att de inte skulle reagera negativt om någon i familjen väljer att leva i ett sådant förhållande. Resultaten från den kvantitativa undersökningen tyder på ett starkt samband mellan att ha vänner med olika etnisk bakgrund och i att vara mer positiv till blandäktenskap och blandrelation. Ålder, kön, utbildningsnivå och var man är uppväxt påverkar också attityderna. Den kvalitativa undersökningen utforskar resonemangen bakom resultaten från enkäten och avslöjar en komplicerad relation mellan individers attityder och känslan av grupposition. Intervjupersonernas ordval och uttryckssätt reflekterar ett “färgblint” sätt att tala om attityder till blandäktenskap och olika grupper. I resonemangen bakom färgblindhet framkommer i både enkäten och intervjuerna tankar och idéer om “race” (ras) och betydelsen av fysiska och synliga skillnader hos olika grupper.