In a world increasingly shaped by globalization, understanding and fostering good cross-group relations became crucial to mitigating intergroup differences and potential conflicts. Drawing on...Show moreIn a world increasingly shaped by globalization, understanding and fostering good cross-group relations became crucial to mitigating intergroup differences and potential conflicts. Drawing on intergroup contact theory, the goal of this paper is to investigate whether the well-established effects of intergroup contact on prejudice reduction hold true in non-Western countries as it does in a Western context. The paper further criticises prior literature on its lack of generalizability beyond Western perspectives, and argues that cultural specificities and diversity of human behaviour globally should be considered when examining the dynamics of prejudice. The central hypothesis posits that intergroup contact with outgroup members generally leads to lower prejudice levels among the dominant group. This is further operationalized by using interfaith meeting attendance among Muslims as an indicator of intergroup contact with Christians, as well as using social distancing levels as indicators of prejudice. Final results indicate a significant negative relationship between intergroup contact and prejudice levels, supporting the central hypothesis. In return, this contributes to a broader understanding of prejudice dynamics and the effectiveness of intergroup contact as a tool for prejudice reduction in non-Western contexts. By focusing on Muslim-Christian interactions in the "Global East," the research sheds light on the nuances of cross-group relations in diverse cultural settings, emphasizing the need for a more inclusive approach in intergroup contact research.Show less
Once considered a purely elite-driven process far removed from the public, EU integration has become subject to mass politics in recent years. As a result, scholarly work on public opinion toward...Show moreOnce considered a purely elite-driven process far removed from the public, EU integration has become subject to mass politics in recent years. As a result, scholarly work on public opinion toward EU integration has expanded. While existing research has primarily centered on factors like identity, immigration stance, and economic interest to explain attitude variation, this paper highlights the underexplored role of personal values. Drawing on Schwartz’s theory of basic human values, it contends that individuals’ personal values significantly shape their attitudes toward EU integration. To mitigate cognitive dissonance, people align their actions and thoughts with the motivational goals prescribed by their personal values. Consequently, an individual’s stance on EU integration hinges on whether integration is conducive to the motivational objectives linked to their personal values. Conducting a cross-national study of 24 EU member states using data from the 9th round of the European Social Survey, the study finds mixed support for this argument. While human values generally influence attitudes toward EU integration, a noticeable discrepancy in impact magnitude between socially focused values (Conservation and Self-Transcendence) and personally focused values (Openness to Change and Self-Enhancement) emerges, with the latter exhibiting a diminished impact. Overall, the findings of this study support the idea that people rely on their personal values to make decisions and form attitudes on EU integration.Show less
Political knowledge is one of the most important determinants of the political behavior of citizens and their ability to participate in the democratic system. The amount of political knowledge that...Show morePolitical knowledge is one of the most important determinants of the political behavior of citizens and their ability to participate in the democratic system. The amount of political knowledge that citizens possess, and the process of political learning has been changed by the rise and use of Facebook. It has affected users’ Motivation, Opportunity, and Ability to learn about politics. Previous research on the effect of Facebook on political knowledge has yielded divergent results, suggesting there might be another aspect influencing the relationship between the two. This thesis argues that Facebook use affects users’ political knowledge through the influence it has on their partisan perceptual biases. Using data from the ANES 2020 Social Media Survey, this thesis shows that partisan bias is strongly present and affects the knowledge level of people. In general, increased Facebook use tends increase knowledge about party congruent information, while decreasing knowledge about party incongruent information. But more importantly, results show that this effect varies for different questions and issues, suggesting that further and more detailed research is needed to isolate the effects of Facebook use on partisan biases and political knowledge.Show less
