Diversity and Contact

"With a complex research design, the large research team ventured to analyze what factors are decisive for this. Especially in difficult times, with conflicts of various kinds and with the risk of failure, it is exceptionally commendable to carve out the factors of a successful combination of "Diversity and Contact". ... This has undoubtedly been highly successful, which is why this book deserves a great resonance in both academic and societal discussions." (Wilhelm Heitmeyer, Bielefeld University, Germany) "In Diversity and Contact, an extraordinary team of investigators applies a diverse array of research methodologies to show that distrust and isolation are not inevitable byproducts of ethnic diversity within urban neighborhoods. On the contrary, in Germany where ethnic segregation is limited, diversity turns out to be just another feature of urban normality. Levels of intergroup interaction are high, trust in foreigners is strong, diversity is appreciated, and over time contact with immigrants generates feelings of liking and trust. The book thus offers scholars and the public a superb demonstration the benefits of promoting residential integration in multiethnic societies." (Douglas Massey, Princeton University, USA) "Germany's impressive leadership around contemporary migration to Europe demands that scholars everywhere better understand the challenges and successes of living in increasingly diverse cities. Diversity and Contact provides thoughtful analysis and hard data to show that casual interactions in diverse neighborhoods do not produce inevitable social tensions. Essential reading for academics and policymakers!" (Irene Bloemraad, University of California, Berkeley, USA)

This book analyzes how the socio-demographic and cultural diversity of societies affect the social interactions and attitudes of individuals and groups within them.This book analyzes how the socio-demographic and cultural diversity of societies affect the social interactions and attitudes of individuals and groups within them. Focusing on Germany, where in some cities more than one third of the population are first or second-generation immigrants, it examines how this phenomenon impacts on the ways in which urban residents interact, form friendships, and come to trust or resent each other. The authors, a distinguished team of sociologists, political scientists, social psychologists, anthropologists and geographers, present the results of their wide-ranging empirical research, which combines a 3-wave-panel survey, qualitative fieldwork, area explorations and analysis of official data. In doing so, they offer representative findings and deeper insights into how residents experience different neighbourhood contexts. Their conclusions are a significant contribution to our understanding of the implications of immigration and diversity, and of the conditions and consequences of intergroup interaction. This ground-breaking work will appeal to scholars across the Social Sciences.