Interminority attitudes: The roles of ethnic and national identification, contact, and multiculturalism

Abstract

This study examined interminority attitudes among a large sample (N = 1,987) of two minority groups (of Turkish and Moroccan origin) in the Netherlands. The focus is on their attitudes toward each other, toward a third ethnic minority group, and toward the native majority group. The aim is to simultaneously test theoretical predictions related to group categorization and group identification, intergroup contacts, and endorsement of multiculturalism. More social distance was reported toward the less-similar ethnic outgroup than the more-similar Muslim one. More contact with a particular outgroup was associated with less social distance toward that outgroup. There was evidence for secondary transfer effects of contact in relation to other ethnic minority outgroups, but not in relation to the native majority group. Stronger national identification and stronger endorsement of multiculturalism were both associated with less social distance toward all ethnic outgroups.