The Irony of Harmony

Abstract

Positive intergroup contact has been a guiding framework for research on reducing intergroup tension and for interventions aimed at that goal. We propose that beyond improving attitudes toward the out-group, positive contact affects disadvantaged-group members' perceptions of intergroup inequality in ways that can undermine their support for social change toward equality. In Study 1, participants were assigned to either high- or low-power experimental groups and then brought together to discuss either commonalities between the groups or intergroup differences. Commonality-focused contact, relative to difference-focused contact, produced heightened expectations for fair (i.e., egalitarian) out-group behavior among members of disadvantaged groups. These expectations, however, proved unrealistic when compared against the actions of members of the advantaged groups. Participants in Study 2 were Israeli Arabs (a disadvantaged minority) who reported the amount of positive contact they experienced with Jews. More positive intergroup contact was associated with increased perceptions of Jews as fair, which in turn predicted decreased support for social change. Implications for social change are considered.

Perspective taking combats automatic expressions of racial bias.

“…Specifically, we have provided the first empirical demonstration that perspective taking-regardless of the specific form (perspective-taking-self vs. perspective-takingother)-can positively alter automatic intergroup evaluations. We also have demonstrated that, unlike other bias-reduction strategies Saguy et al, 2009), perspective taking does not blind perceivers to the realities of interracial disparities. Not only did it weaken associations between Blacks and general negativity (Whites and general positivity), but it also strengthened associations between Blacks and oppression-related concepts (Whites and privilege-related concepts).…”

“…For instance, although focusing on intergroup commonalities has long been argued to promote more positive intergroup evaluations, focusing solely on commonalities can limit motivation for actual social change by desensitizing people to the persistence of interracial disparities (Dovidio, Gaertner, & Saguy, 2009;Saguy, Tausch, Dovidio, & Pratto, 2009). If perspective taking, which has been shown to increase perceptions of intergroup commonality (Galinsky, Ku, & Wang, 2005;Galinsky & Moskowitz, 2000;Galinsky, Wang, & Ku, 2008), is susceptible to this unintended side effect, its general value as a strategy for navigating interracial contexts could be limited.…”

“…Because prior research has demonstrated that factors that produce more positive intergroup evaluations can have the unintended consequence of obscuring intergroup inequalities Saguy et al, 2009), Experiment 3 investigated whether perspective taking is vulnerable to this unintended side effect. Our final two experiments explored the behavioral implications of perspective taking.…”

“…Galinsky and Moskowitz (2000) discovered that one mechanism through which perspective taking reduces intergroup bias is by increasing perceptions of commonality between the self and the target of perspective taking (and other members of the target's group). However, studies have shown that heightened perceptions of intergroup commonality, although beneficial for reducing intergroup prejudice, can inadvertently cause perceivers to overlook and underestimate intergroup inequalities Saguy et al, 2009). Thus, even though perspective taking appears to be an effective strategy for reducing automatic prejudice, it might simultaneously reduce acknowledgment of intergroup inequalities, which would raise concerns about its general utility as a strategy for improving intergroup relations and motivating social change.…”

Migration and Multiculturalism

“…Moreover, intergroup contact has been shown to lead to potentially unfavorable outcomes for immigrants at the collective level, since personal contacts across group boundaries may deflect attention from structural inequality between disadvantaged and privileged ethnic groups. As a result, harmonious intergroup contact may paradoxically decrease support for political measures addressing these inequalities (Saguy, Tausch, Dovidio, & Pratto, 2009;Wright & Lubensky, 2009). Contact research should therefore go beyond the analysis of the impact of contact at the individual level, and include analyses that demonstrate how contact patterns relate to political outcomes such as institutional discrimination and immigration policies and more broadly to social change.…”