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Improving intergroup relations through actual and imagined contact: Field experiments with Malawian shopkeepers and Chinese migrants

Smyth, Russell; Gu, Jun; Mueller, Annika; Nielson, Ingrid; Shachat, Jason

Improving intergroup relations through actual and imagined contact: Field experiments with Malawian shopkeepers and Chinese migrants Thumbnail


Authors

Russell Smyth

Jun Gu

Annika Mueller

Ingrid Nielson



Abstract

We examine the ability of intergroup contact to ameliorate intergroup relationship in an entrepreneurial and developing world context. Specifically, we provide a simple decision model of how an entrepreneur chooses to invest time to extend their professional network. The model accommodates two distinct channels, and generates alternative predictions based upon which is activated by intergroup contact. One is the knowledge of the necessary time investment to forge a network connection with a member of another group and the second is the preference driven disutility of that time spent with that individual. We then employ randomized experiments to test whether actual and imagined contact effectively reduces prejudice between indigenous Malawian shopkeepers, and their Chinese migrant counterparts and test the stability of these changes over time. Actual contact produced differing results. Local Malawians’ attitude towards Chinese migrants did not improve, but their willingness-to-spend time with them did. In contrast, actual contact led to improvement in the Chinese migrants’ attitude toward local Malawians, but did not increase their willingness-to-spend time with them. These effects persisted over a time period of at least ten days. Imagined contact had no impact on Malawians’ attitude towards or willingness to spend time with Chinese migrants. These results are consistent with contact activating informational channels more so than preference ones.

Citation

Smyth, R., Gu, J., Mueller, A., Nielson, I., & Shachat, J. (2019). Improving intergroup relations through actual and imagined contact: Field experiments with Malawian shopkeepers and Chinese migrants. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 68(1), 273-303. https://doi.org/10.1086/700569

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Dec 31, 2017
Online Publication Date Sep 24, 2018
Publication Date Oct 31, 2019
Deposit Date Jan 26, 2018
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Economic Development and Cultural Change
Print ISSN 0013-0079
Electronic ISSN 1539-2988
Publisher The University of Chicago Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 68
Issue 1
Pages 273-303
DOI https://doi.org/10.1086/700569
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1340081

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Copyright Statement
© 2018 by The University of Chicago.





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