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

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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.

Analytical research of a migrant's presence in a certain location on election outcomes of populist-nationalist parties is a relatively new phenomena in the field of electoral geography. Media and political interest in migration and refugees has risen rapidly in the last few years and offers a broad opportunity for relevant scientific studies. This thesis stems from existing literature, that have studied such relation and focuses on the case of The Freedom and Direct Democracy - Tomio Okamura Party (SPD) and on the possible influence of the share of migrants on SPD's electoral support at two different scale levels (municipalities with authorized municipal offices and individual municipalities) during the 2017 parliamentary elections. Analysing the most important groups of migrants and additionally a formed group of migrants coming from countries with either dominant or significant Muslim native population can be considered as innovative. The main goal is to discover whether the election outcomes of SPD, which stands strongly opposed to migration, differ based on the share of migrants in a certain area, or if migration does not play any role at all. Furthermore, the electoral geography of SPD is compared to the of Tomio Okamura's former party - Dawn of Direct Democracy, whose rhetoric did not focus...

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Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Ons bevind ons in 'n nuwe Suid-Afrika waar die klem baie sterk op die uitwissing van die spore van die apartheidsera gele word. Die oopstelling van skole het nie daartoe bygedra dat kinders hulle vooroordele oorboord gooi en mekaar spontaan aanvaar nie. Die verandering in wetgewing wat 'n eksterne verandering is, het nie noodwendig tot verandering van gesindhede gelei nie. Daar kan derhalwe tereg gevra word hoe versoening tussen mense van verskillende kulture tot stand kan kom. In hierdie studie is gepoog om vas te stel of 'n verrykingsprogram in groepverband interpersoonlike vaardighede en verhoudinge van persone van uiteenlopende kulturele agtergronde kan bevorder. Die program is onder gekontroleerde omstandighede aangebied en die idiografiese navorsingsmetode is gebruik. Daar is bepaal watter faktore die aard en die kwaliteit van verhoudinge tussen persone van verskillende kulturele herkoms be'invloed. Riglyne is gestruktrueer en kriteria is ge'identifiseer waarvolgens die program saamgestel is. Die ouderdomme van die leertinge het tussen 15 en 21 jaar gewissel. Tydens die multikulturele groepsbelewing het die leertinge die geleentheid gehad om persoonlike en interpersoonlike vaardighede te ontwikkel sodat daar 'n openheid en 'n beg rip vir mekaar ontstaan het. Die interaksie met persone afkomstig van 'n verskeidenheid oriemtasies het daartoe gelei dat raakpunte in die diversiteit ontdek is en hulle het mekaar as individue begin erken en verstaan. Nuutgestigte verhoudings was gekenmerk deur vertroue, warmte en empatie. Deur middel van verbeterde selfbegrip en interpersoonlike vaardighede het die verhoudings tussen groeplede in verskeie dimensies beduidend verbeter. Hierdie navorsing het aangetoon dat mense van uiteenlopende kulturele orientasies soos in Suid-Afrika die geval is, deur middel van ervaringsleer in groepverband, tot grater eenheid en verdraagsaamheid saamgesnoer kan word. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Ons bevind ons in 'n nuwe Suid-Afrika waar die klem baie sterk op die uitwissing van die spore van die apartheidsera gele word. Die oopstelling van skole het nie daartoe bygedra dat kinders hulle vooroordele oorboord gooi en mekaar spontaan aanvaar nie. Die verandering in wetgewing wat 'n eksterne verandering is, het nie noodwendig tot verandering van gesindhede gelei nie. Daar kan derhalwe tereg gevra word hoe versoening tussen mense van verskillende kulture tot stand kan kom. In hierdie studie is gepoog om vas te stel of 'n verrykingsprogram in groepverband interpersoonlike vaardighede en verhoudinge van persone van uiteenlopende kulturele agtergronde kan bevorder. Die program is onder gekontroleerde omstandighede aangebied en die idiografiese navorsingsmetode is gebruik. Daar is bepaal watter faktore die aard en die kwaliteit van verhoudinge tussen persone van verskillende kulturele herkoms be'invloed. Riglyne is gestruktrueer en kriteria is ge'identifiseer waarvolgens die program saamgestel is. Die ouderdomme van die leertinge het tussen 15 en 21 jaar gewissel. Tydens die multikulturele groepsbelewing het die leertinge die geleentheid gehad om persoonlike en interpersoonlike vaardighede te ontwikkel sodat daar 'n openheid en 'n beg rip vir mekaar ontstaan het. Die interaksie met persone afkomstig van 'n verskeidenheid oriemtasies het daartoe gelei dat raakpunte in die diversiteit ontdek is en hulle het mekaar as individue begin erken en verstaan. Nuutgestigte verhoudings was gekenmerk deur vertroue, warmte en empatie. Deur middel van verbeterde selfbegrip en interpersoonlike vaardighede het die verhoudings tussen groeplede in verskeie dimensies beduidend verbeter. Hierdie navorsing het aangetoon dat mense van uiteenlopende kulturele orientasies soos in Suid-Afrika die geval is, deur middel van ervaringsleer in groepverband, tot grater eenheid en verdraagsaamheid saamgesnoer kan word. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)