Ethnic Diversity in Schools and Work Places - Its Effects on Tolerance and Trust
Description: Research findings show ethnic diversity to lower out-group trust and tolerance. But few studies have focused on the effects that ethnic diversity has in school and work-places - arenas which offer a more positive environment for interethnic contacts. To amend this oversight in the previous research we ask which effects ethnic diversity has on trust and tolerance in 3000 schools from Sweden and 27 other countries and 150 work-places from Sweden. We also ask why the effects are more positive in some milieus than in others. The project builds on data from the 1999 Civic Education Study, the 2009 International Civic and Citizenship Study and a unique data-set to be collected in the project in collaboration with the MOD research group at the University of Gothenburg. First, we will statistically explore which effects ethnic diversity has in general. Results from two pilot studies confirm the existence of sizeable effects and considerable variation between countries and schools. Second, we will test various ideas from the Political science literature on why some countries, schools and work-places are better at integrating natives and immigrants. Our approach is expected to contribute to the knowledge on what factors politicians, educators and managers ought to consider when meeting increasingly ethnically diverse countries, schools and work-places.
Funder: Vetenskapsrådet
Amount: SEK 3,588,000
Funding type: research
Funder scheme: Project grant
Start date: 2011-01-01
End date: 2013-12-31
Investigator: Peter Esaiasson
Institution: University of Gothenburg
Funded outputs count: 3
Funder award ID: 2010-01469
OpenAlex ID: G8619083547