Intergroup contact and religiosity as predictor of between group attitudes in conflict environment

• Main Authors: Lalić Bojan R., Ranđelović Dušan J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Philosophy, Kosovska Mitrovica 2013-01-01
• Series: Zbornik Radova Filozofskog Fakulteta u Prištini
• Subjects: Contact quality; contact quantity; religiosity; intergroup attitudes; attitudes towards Muslims
• Online Access: http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0354-3293/2013/0354-32931302213L.pdf

The aim of this research was to identify relations between level of religiosity and level of contact on one side and social attitudes towards members of religious out-groups in conflict environment on the other side. This research was conducted on the sample of Christian Orthodox students in Kosovska Mitrovica (which is partially conflict environment) and the Muslims were the out-group towards whom attitudes were analyzed. Attitudes measures we used were social distance scale and semantic differential. Likert type scale was used for religiosity measure, quantity and quality of contact. Controlled variables in this research were: gender, age and social status. Results showed that significant amount of variance was explained by independent variables (R2=.270, F(7,779)=9.241, p=.000 for semantic differential and R2=.306, F(5,105)=9.241, p=.000). However, there is no significant correlation between religiosity and attitude level towards Muslims. Most of the variance for semantic differential was explained by quality of contact (R2=.255, F(1,109)=37,285, p=.000) and this was the only significant predictor for this attitude measure. Quantity of contact was significant predictor for social distance attitude measure, with highest incremental value - calculated by hierarchical linear regression (R2change=.216, F(l,109)=30,076, p=.000). Following predictor was quality of contact (R2????????=.049, F(l,108)=7,269, p=.008) and the last predictor was sex, with the lowest incremental value (R2=.034, F(1,107)=5,159, p=.025). These results are interpreted by probable existence of several types of religiosity. There is possibility that general religiosity we measured in this research, was influenced by different types of religiosity, which could be the reason why correlation was not identified. Correlation between quality of contact confirms results published by other authors (Allport, Pettigrew) who claimed that contact by itself cannot diminish prejudices and lead to change of social attitudes, but quality of contact with specific individuals. Finally, correlation between quantity of contact and social distance scale scores is explained by regular contact which participants have with Muslims on the daily basis. Since they have this contact, they do subordinate to it, which consequently leads to lower scores on this attitude measure.