The Contact Hypothesis in Intergroup Relations

Abstract

This chapter discusses a major experiment in intergroup contact in American society–school desegregation. It considers both its short-term and long-term effects. The chapter examines a particular contact technique–the use of racially mixed cooperative groups–that has been used to improve intergroup relations in desegregated schools. The initial versions of the contact hypothesis focused primarily on the effects of factors within the contact situation on subsequent prejudice. Considerable controversy exists in the literature concerning whether there should be equal status on demographic factors external to the contact situation or equal status within the contact situation. The efficacy of the model for understanding an applied setting can be illustrated by considering the effects of school desegregation in the United States. The effects of school desegregation are examined in considerable detail because it is an important natural experiment that tests many of the ideas put forth in the contact literature.

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