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Where you live matters more than who you know: Context‐level contact as a stronger predictor of post‐war reconciliation than individual‐level contact

Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Intergroup contact theory and research argue and demonstrate that intergroup relations, even in post-war societies, could be improved by individuals' positive contact experiences with outgroup members. This study extends this argument by investigating whether post-war reconciliation is determined by the amount and quality of individuals' personal contact experiences with members of former adversary groups (individual-level contact) and/or by the amount and quality of contact that occurs within the context in which they live (context-level contact). Using multilevel analyses among large representative youth samples from ethnic majorities (N = 2758) and minorities (N = 1751) nested across 40 administrative regions in five post-war countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina; North Macedonia; Kosova; Montenegro; Serbia), we provide substantive evidence that context-level contact is a stronger determinant of reconciliation, surpassing the influence of individual-level contact. Evidence from this research demonstrates the critical influence of the social context, particularly the amount and quality of intergroup contact that occurs within individuals' immediate surroundings, on post-war reconciliation, and provides important guidelines for policies and interventions fostering positive intergroup relations.
DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12913
Language: English
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,970
OpenAlex ID: W4411292351
FWCI: 12.57
Cites: 64
Cited by: 7
Related to: 10