Reducing prejudice via direct and extended cross-group friendship

Abstract

One of the most exciting developments in intergroup contact theory is the idea that a certain type of contact, cross-group friendship, might be particularly effective at reducing prejudice. In this chapter we review research on two types of cross-group friendship. Direct cross-group friendship refers to friendships that develop between members of different groups. Extended cross-group friendship, on the other hand, refers to vicarious experience of cross-group friendship, the mere knowledge that other ingroup members have cross-group friends. We consider the relationship between both types of cross-group friendship and prejudice and the processes that mediate and moderate these relationships. The research highlights the respective strengths and weaknesses of direct and extended cross-group friendship and illustrates how they might be practically combined in efforts to improve intergroup relations

Direct contact and authoritarianism as moderators between extended contact and reduced prejudice

“…During the past decade, correlational and (quasi-)experimental support for this hypothesis has increased, demonstrating that people who witness friendships between in-and outgroup members report lower levels of outgroup prejudice than those without extended contact experiences (Paolini, Hewstone, Cairns, & Voci, 2004;Wright et al, 1997; for reviews, see Turner, Hewstone, Voci, Paolini, & Christ, 2007b;Vonofakou et al, 2008).…”

Intercultural Comfort through Social Practices: Exploring Conditions for Cultural Learning

“…Cross-group friendships are a particularly significant contributor to positive contact (Pettigrew, 1998;Pettigrew and Tropp, 2006). They provide optimal conditions for engaging in self-disclosure and lead to greater trust, sense of cooperation, and more positive attitudes toward the out-group (Turner et al, 2007). However, these conditions are typically not treated by current policy, and they are disfavored on campus and elsewhere not only by forces of homophily (McPherson et al, 2001) and friendship segregation (Moody, 2001) but also by phenomena of cross-cultural discomfort (Crisp and Turner, 2011) and communication avoidance (Kim, 2012).…”

“The Man in the Red Hoodie”

“…Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association 21(1) Christ, 2007). What is most striking about Ms. Allen's story is that the APNA staff member who intervened understood and responded in a way that went beyond the stereotype to get to know and understand the person.…”