Racism, Antisemitism, and the Schism Between Blacks and Jews in the United States: A Pilot Intergroup Encounter Program (original) (raw)
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Journal of Social Issues, 2004
This article presents a paradigm of process evaluation of intergroup contact interventions that has two objectives: (a) to classify intergroup encounters by their ideology and (b) to define and apply criteria that evaluate the quality of intergroup interaction, focusing on symmetry between members of both groups in active participation in the encounter. This paradigm was applied to evaluate 47 encounters programs between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs that were classified into two major approaches-those that emphasize coexistence and similarities between the sides and those that emphasize conflict and confrontation. Equality in participation of Jewish and Arab participants was found in the vast majority (89%) of programs. However, symmetry between Jewish and Arab facilitators varied and was higher in programs including confrontational elements. This article presents a paradigm for evaluating intergroup contact interventions that focuses on symmetry or equality in the interactions between the two groups in these encounters This paradigm is applied here to evaluate a sample of 47 different programs of planned encounters between Jews and Arabs in Israel that were conducted in the year 1999-2000 and supported by the Abraham Fund for Jewish-Arab coexistence. The first part of the article presents the conceptual
Intergroup Contact: Introduction
Journal of Social Issues, 1985
The articles in this issue examine the contact hypothesis in intergroup relations. Although intergroup relations have been an abiding concern of many SPSSI members, the last JSI number to deal with intergroup relations (Ashmore, 1976) had only one article (Hamilton & Bishop, 1976) that even mentioned the pioneering theoretical work on the contact hypothesis (G. W. Allport, 1954; Watson, 1947; Williams, 1947). Given the crucial role contact plays in intergroup relations and the ongoing debate over the outcomes of intergroup contact, the present issue fills a critical need. The articles in this issue substantiate, extend, and modify the contact hypothesis. The contact hypothesis has always been at the heart of the study of intergroup relations. The following are two statements of this hypothesis made almost 25 years apart. Prejudice may be reduced by equal status contact between majority and minority groups in the pursuit of common goals. The effect is greatly enhanced if this contact is sanctioned by institutional supports (i,e., by law, custom, or local atmosphere). and provided it is of a sort that leads to the perception of common interests and common humanity between members of the two groups. (G. W. Allport. 1954, p. 281) Attitude change favorable to a disliked group will result from equal status contact with stereotype-disconfirming persons from that group, provided that the contact is cooperative and of such a nature a5 to reveal the individual characteristics of the person contacted and that it takes place in a situation characterized by social norms favoring equality and equalitarian association among the participating groups. (Cook, 1978, pp. 97-98
Is it just talk? Understanding and evaluating intergroup dialogue
Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 2008
Intergroup dialogues are lauded as a way to increase understanding and reduce prejudice, but a limited amount of published research explores the effectiveness of these processes. This article examines the evaluation of a yearlong dialogue program for African American and Jewish high school students, considering both consistently found attitudinal changes and others that appear dependent on the nature and extent of relationships formed among dialogue participants. D ialogue processes are used to improve intergroup relationships, encourage discussion and exploration of issues, and enhance public and community decision making. Intergroup dialogues, those between members of different social identity groups, occur in communities, schools and colleges, and organizations. Practitioners lead dialogues and encourage involvement, promising participants increased understanding of, knowledge about, and comfort with those different from themselves. They will develop better relationships, resolve conflicts, and work toward building fairer and more inclusive communities. But we still do not know enough about whether, how, and why these dialogues work. Conflict resolution and dialogue practitioners undertake these interventions without the benefit of systematic and rigorous research concerning their effectiveness (
Intergroup Relations & Conflict: A Survey of Foundational Research & Theory
The essay includes a section from my doctoral dissertation titled, “Black and Off-White: An Investigation of African American and Jewish Conflict from Ashkenazi Jewish American Perspectives.” The essay presents a foundational overview of early research and theory addressing the causes for intergroup conflict. Though it focuses on specifically the bitter-sweet social relationship between African American and Ashkenazi (European heritage) Jewish communities, it has application for intergroup conflict more generally.
The Irony of Harmony Intergroup Contact Can Produce False Expectations for
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 lowpower 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.
The Social Psychology of Intergroup Reconciliation, 2008
Intergroup tension and con ict are universal and occur at virtually every level of collective organization, from small groups in the workplace to racial, ethnic, and cultural divides within and between nations. Rarely are relations between groups characterized by equal group status. Hierarchical relations between groups are typical across cultures and across time . us, strategies and interventions designed to improve intergroup relations need to consider the perspectives and motives of both the higher status (i.e., majority) group and the lower status (i.e., minority) group to understand their relations. e current chapter examines the potential roles of intergroup representations, threat, and trust in the dynamics of intergroup relations between Whites and Blacks.