Intergroup contact among majority and minority status groups in Turkey: extending theory and practice

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003182436-14

Intergroup Contact Theory (Allport, 1954; Pettigrew, 1998) has been known to function as a critical prejudice-reduction tool in most intractable conflicts for years. Later research has shown that the implications of intergroup contact do not only involve reduced bias between groups but also extend to a variety of outcomes beyond prejudice. The current review aims to explore how (direct and indirect) intergroup contact functions in various intergroup contexts in Turkey. Particularly focusing on Turkish–Kurdish relationships and using a comparative approach across group status and target outgroup, we structure outcomes at three different levels: intergroup level (e.g., intergroup attitudes, social distance), collective level (e.g., ingroup identification, collective action tendencies) and individual level (e.g., psychological well-being, socio-cognitive skills, ideologies). Findings demonstrate that, generally, positive contact experiences provide a number of benefits, especially for the intergroup- and individual-level outcomes, replicating previous research conducted in the rest of the world. Yet, other findings are inconsistent with previous research in other contexts, encouraging novel and thought-provoking research questions. As such, delving into the complex and largely underexplored intergroup dynamics in Turkey can advance theory and contribute to a more nuanced understanding of intergroup contact.