International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

Intergroup contact occurs when a member or members of one social group come into contact with member(s) of another social group. Research has focused on whether such contact can influence attitudes about social groups, and whether certain types of contact yield the most positive prejudice-reduction outcomes (→  Attitudes ; stereotypes ). Typically, the specific group memberships have significance in the local social milieu (e.g., in North America, race and sex would constitute meaningful dimensions for intergroup contact, whereas hair color would not). To qualify as “intergroup,” the contact event generally requires at least minimal awareness of group difference among the participants (see “Typicality/Salience,” below). An interaction between a Catholic and a Protestant in Northern Ireland in which both were completely unaware of the other's religious affiliation would not constitute intergroup contact (unless/until they became aware). Work in this area typically makes reference to ingroups and outgroups. Ingroups are the groups in which individuals would categorize themselves, or into which they might legitimately be categorized by others. Outgroups are those to which the individual does not belong (e.g., for a Muslim man, outgroups might include Hindus, women, or children). The primary focus of this entry is on the implications of intergroup contact for intergroup attitudes: ... log in or subscribe to read full text