Explaining Natives' Interethnic Friendship and Contact with Colleagues in European Regions

In this study we focus on underlying determinants of interethnic contact of natives within a large number of European regions. We use the 'opportunity-preference-third parties' framework to explain differences between social groups and distinguish interethnic contact with colleagues from i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of ethnic and migration studies 2015-04, Vol.41 (5), p.683-709
Main Authors: Savelkoul, Michael, Tolsma, Jochem, Scheepers, Peer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
'Opportunity-preference-third Parties' Framework
Colleagues
Curriculum selection
Desegregation
Determinants
Education discrimination
Education reform
Europe
European Regions
Friends
Friendship
Immigrants
Indigenous peoples
Interethnic communication
Interethnic Contact
Men
Preferences
Residents
Social groups
Social surveys
Stress
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Summary:In this study we focus on underlying determinants of interethnic contact of natives within a large number of European regions. We use the 'opportunity-preference-third parties' framework to explain differences between social groups and distinguish interethnic contact with colleagues from interethnic friendship. Using the first wave of the European Social Survey (2002/2003), we found clear differences between social groups in terms of how likely they are to have interethnic contact. Men have more interethnic contact in terms of both colleagues and friends. Older residents in Europe have fewer immigrant friends, but hardly differ in terms of immigrant colleagues. Opportunity plays a significant role in fostering interethnic contact in terms of both friends and colleagues. Preference and third parties predominantly affect the chances of having interethnic friendships. The three mechanisms partly explain differences between social groups. Although social groups tend to differ in their probability of having interethnic contact, they 'profit' more or less equally in terms of increased interethnic contact if objective opportunities rise. Our results stress the importance of distinguishing both dimensions of interethnic contact, i.e., with friends and colleagues, and shed more light on underlying determinants and mechanisms of interethnic contact.
ISSN:1369-183X
1469-9451
DOI:10.1080/1369183X.2014.931802