Human Library is a public event aimed at reducing stereotypes and prejudices, in the form of an interactive, contact‐based intervention. It employs the logic of a regular library yet with readers “borrowing” Living Books, which are real people representing various minority groups. Readers engage in 30‐min conversations, during which they can challenge their stereotypes and widen their scope of knowledge and understanding. This pre‐post intervention study examined the effectiveness of the Human Library (held in Wrocław, Poland) in reducing social distance towards Roma, Muslims, dark‐skinned, and transgender people, as well as in decreasing homonegativity. Also, we measured whether participation in the Human Library changes individual attitudes towards diverse workgroups. We found that the Human Library decreased social distance towards Muslims. Also, the more Living Books that the participants “read,” the bigger the shift in their social distance towards Muslims. Furthermore, we observed an increase in positive affective attitude towards working in diversified groups, as a result of participation in the event. The study serves as partial support for the effectiveness of the Human Library in altering one's attitude towards minority groups and diversity. The intervention is discussed as a promising but not yet entirely understood tool to improve intergroup relations.
This research aimed to provide a more nuanced understanding of the relations between social norms, rightwing authoritarianism (RWA), outgroup-directed prejudice, and hostile behavioral intentions toward outgroups. Three correlational studies, conducted in two countries and three different intergroup contexts (n1 = 997; n2 = 1011; n3 = 1992), investigated the moderating role of social norms (both positive and negative) on the relation between RWA and expression of prejudice as well as behavioral intentions toward outgroups. We found that in the presence of positive (i.e., tolerant) social norms, the previously well-established positive relation between RWA and prejudice is reduced or even reversed, whereas in the presence of negative (i.e., intolerant) social norms, this relation is strengthened. Additionally, the lower (vs. higher) prejudice of high-RWA individuals in the presence of positive (vs. negative) social norms mediated the link between RWA and behavioral intentions toward outgroups. The present research constitutes the first comprehensive demonstration of authoritarians' potential to be less prejudiced in response to prevailing tolerant social norms.
Abstract. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on many risk and protective factors associated with suicide. Aims: The aim of this study was to identify pandemic-related factors associated with suicidal ideation in the two European countries, Lithuania and Poland, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The sample comprised 2,459 participants in both countries; 57.2% of the respondents were female. The M age of the participants was 43.45 years ( SD = 15.91). Pandemic-related stressors and adjustment problems were measured to assess associations with suicidal ideation. Results: High levels of adjustment problems, loneliness, and burden due to staying at home more during the COVID-19 pandemic were significantly associated with suicide ideation in both Lithuania and Poland. Limitations: This was a cross-sectional online study with different recruitment approaches in the two countries. Conclusion: Adjustment problems, loneliness, and stressors related to staying at home more could be important targets for suicide prevention amid the pandemic.
Kurds have a long history of victimization and struggle for even the most basic rights. This is reflected in a widely shared belief, according to which they have "no friends but the mountains." Such difficult history may have ongoing negative impact on mental health of present-day Kurds. This article investigates the relations between cognitive availability of historical trauma, historical trauma symptoms, and negative mental healthoutcomes in asample of young Kurds who live inthe Region of Kurdistan in Iraq. We also examined the potential protective role of strong identification as members of a national minority (Iraqi Kurds) and as members of an ethnic group (Kurdish people in general). The results showed that tragic group history is significantly related to negative mental health outcomes among young Iraqi Kurds. However, strong identification with other Iraqi Kurds (but not with Kurds in general) had an attenuating effect on the link between historical trauma and present-day negative mental health outcomes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.