Intergroup Contact, Friendships and Prejudice Reduction in Multiethnic Schools and Communities by Bergamaschi, Alessandro; Pica, Cinzia;

Short description:

This edited collection addresses the important study of the conditions that support positive intergroup contact that leads to intergroup friendships and prejudice reduction through a multidisciplinary lens by employing Intergroup Contact Theory and Intergroup Friendships Theory

Long description:

This edited collection addresses the important study of the conditions that support positive intergroup contact that leads to intergroup friendships and prejudice reduction through a multidisciplinary lens. Employing Intergroup Contact Theory and Intergroup Friendships Theory as conceptual foundations, this book brings together researchers in psychology, sociology and education.

European societies are increasingly diverse spaces in which children, adolescents and adults of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs and cultural-linguistic practices interact daily. These spaces provide fertile ground for a continuum of relational experiences, from positive intergroup relationships and friendships to tensions and experiences of discrimination, marginalization and isolation. Bergamaschi, Pica and their contributors examine the psychological and sociological conditions, as well as the pedagogical interventions, that can shape interactions among young people.

The book will be of great interest to academics and students across disciplines, educators, policy makers and activists interested in how to support intercultural societies and schools toward the goal of reduced prejudice and discrimination toward a more intercultural and just society. The book will be a valuable read for scholars of the sociology of multiethnic society and for scholars interested in the role of education and school environments.

"At a time when hostility towards immigrants and refugees appears to be growing on both sides of the Atlantic, this book offers a valuable contribution to fuel the fight against prejudice, starting from educational contexts. It has three great merits: to bring sociology, psychology and pedagogy into dialogue; to compare the experiences of different European countries; to combine theoretical reflection with experiences and operational proposals. I strongly recommend reading it not only to academic scholars, but also to teachers, educators, social workers, people committed to building more open and inclusive societies."

Maurizio Ambrosini, Professor of Sociology of Migrations, Department of Political, Economic and Social Sciences, University of Milan, Italy

"In this groundbreaking new book, the authors address a critical topic: how schools can play a role in helping societies adjust to demographic change brought about by immigration.  The issues raised in the book are complex and controversial, but the authors address them thoughtfully, bringing theoretical sophistication and empirical evidence to analyze the changes that are occurring in European nations as a result of immigration.  Policy makers, educators and anyone seeking to understand what to expect in the future as a result of the demographic changes occurring today will find this book to be insightful and informative."

Pedro Noguera, Sociologist, Distinguished Professor of Education and Emery Stoops and Joyce King  Stoops Dean, University of Southern California, USA

"This exciting new edited volume brings together research studies and theoretical insights from the social sciences to explore the contours of intergroup friendship. What I especially appreciate is that the book editors and contributors recognize how many individual and contextual factors may foster the development of cross-group friendships, on the one hand, and how additional factors may challenge their existence and longevity, on the other. Given that young people have grown to recognize themselves and others in relation to many lines of difference—including differences associated with race, ethnicity, culture, religion, language, and national origin, among others—it has become all the more important to enhance our understanding of how young people navigate friendships across group lines, and how the nature and effects of their friendships may vary depending on features of the social, cultural, and political contexts in which they are embedded." 

Linda Tropp, Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Director, Psychology of Peace and Violence Program; Faculty Associate, School of Public Policy University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA

"This timely volume illuminates the intricate pathways through which intergroup contact and friendship formation shape young people's developmental trajectories in increasingly diverse educational spaces. Through rigorous cross-national evidence, the contributors masterfully reveal how institutional structures, group dynamics, and individual experiences intersect to create—or impede—opportunities for meaningful connection and belonging. At a time of rising global xenophobia, this essential work provides both a theoretical framework and practical roadmap for educators and policymakers committed to fostering the kind of deep cross-cultural connections that allow all children — and societies — to flourish."

Carola Suárez-Orozco, Psychologist, Professor in Residence, Harvard Graduate School of Education and Director of the Immigration Initiative at Harvard, USA

Table of Contents:

Foreword - The Policy Implications of the Contact Hypothesis: Interculturalism as a Strategy for Citizenship Making in Diverse Schools

Preface

1. Intergroup Contact, Friendships, and Prejudice: Epistemic and Theoretical Underpinnings for Dialogue Between Psychology and Sociology

2. Is the Contact Effect Related to Age? An Empirical Investigation of French Multilevel Data   

3. The Interplay of Minority Group Members’ Positive and Negative Intergroup Contact and its Implications for Intergroup Relations and Inequality

4. Intergroup Friendships and Prejudice: Longitudinal Mediation Effects in German School Children

5. Challenges and Opportunities: Intergroup Contact and the Reduction of Prejudice in Hostile Normative Context

6. Interreligious Friendships in Multicultural Italian Schools  

7. Fostering Cross-Ethnic Friendship and Inclusion in Schools: Potential Avenues for Educational Programs

8. The Singularity of Physical Education in Creating Positive Intergroup Contacts in Multi-Ethnic Schools

9. Intergroup Contact, Friendships and Prejudice Reduction in Increasingly Culturally Diverse Communities and Institutions: Final Thoughts