Is Intergroup Contact Desired by Migrants? The Case of Unaccompanied Minors in Switzerland.
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| Title: | Is Intergroup Contact Desired by Migrants? The Case of Unaccompanied Minors in Switzerland. |
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| Authors: | Fasel, Rachel, Rey, Sylvain, Burkhart, Anaïs, Jelic, Margareta, Čorkalo Biruški, Dinka, Stanković, Nikolina, Vrdoljak, Antonija, Decollogny, Solenne, Domingues‐Mendonça, Ana, Faivre, Aurélie, Jobin, Baptiste, Petit, Floriane, Romerio, Margaux, Rothenbuehler, Garance, Russo, Laure‐Anne, Valle, Ana, Teklu, Yordanos, Burger, Kaspar, Csupor, Isabelle, Darbellay, Fréderic |
| Source: | Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology. May/Jun2025, Vol. 35 Issue 3, p1-12. 12p. |
| Subjects: | Immigrants, Intellect, Language & languages, Research funding, Qualitative research, Interviewing, Descriptive statistics, Social integration, Research methodology, Interpersonal relations, Social support, Refugees, Cultural pluralism |
| Geographic Terms: | Switzerland |
| Abstract: | Intergroup contact has been shown to reduce prejudice and promote positive relationships between members of different groups, as in the case of the integration of migrants. Nevertheless, extant research has not explored the crucial question of whether members of the migrant group express a desire for contact with the host group. To explore this question, we collected and collated a rare set of data to create a substantial corpus of semi‐structured interviews conducted with a specific migrant group, namely unaccompanied minors (UAMs) residing in Switzerland (N = 49). Qualitative analysis revealed UAMs' strong desire for intergroup contact. We identified four reasons for this desire for contact: bonding, support, knowledge and identity enhancement; and five barriers to contact: language, intercultural differences, network impermeability, mismatch and individual characteristics. These dimensions are discussed as avenues that may help facilitate the emergence of intergroup contact, contact whose positive potential is known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Intergroup contact has been shown to reduce prejudice and promote positive relationships between members of different groups, as in the case of the integration of migrants. Nevertheless, extant research has not explored the crucial question of whether members of the migrant group express a desire for contact with the host group. To explore this question, we collected and collated a rare set of data to create a substantial corpus of semi‐structured interviews conducted with a specific migrant group, namely unaccompanied minors (UAMs) residing in Switzerland (N = 49). Qualitative analysis revealed UAMs' strong desire for intergroup contact. We identified four reasons for this desire for contact: bonding, support, knowledge and identity enhancement; and five barriers to contact: language, intercultural differences, network impermeability, mismatch and individual characteristics. These dimensions are discussed as avenues that may help facilitate the emergence of intergroup contact, contact whose positive potential is known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 10529284 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/casp.70100 |
