Suchergebnisse

The effects of intergroup dialogues on intercultural relations in digital societies and the growing conflict, inflammatory and hate speech phenomena characterizing these environments are receiving increasing attention in socio-psychological studies. Based on Allport's contact theory, scholars have shown that online intercultural contact reduces ethnic prejudice and discrimination, although it is not yet clear when and how this occurs. By analyzing the role of the Dialogical Self in online intercultural dialogues, we aim to understand how individuals position themselves and others at three levels of inclusiveness—personal, social, and human—and how this process is associated with attitudes towards the interlocutor, intergroup bias and prejudice, whilst also considering the inclusion of the Other in the Self and ethnic/racial identity. An experimental procedure was administered via the Qualtrics platform, and data were collected among 118 undergraduate Italian students through an anonymous questionnaire. From ANOVA and moderation analysis, it emerged that the social level of inclusiveness was positively associated with ethnic/racial identity and intergroup bias. Furthermore, the human level of inclusiveness was associated with the inclusion of the Other in the Self and ethnic/racial identity, and unexpectedly, also with intergroup bias. We conclude that when people interact online as "human beings", the positive effect of online dialogue fails, hindering the differentiation processes necessary to define one's own and the interlocutor's identities. We discuss the effects of intercultural dialogue in the landscape of digital societies and the relevance of our findings for theory, research and practice.

In recent years psychosocial studies have given a growing attention to online intergroup contact in reducing prejudice. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of evidence on processes that could mediate this relation. The present study aimed to fill this gap. Focused on intergroup relationships between people with different sexual orientations, it examined whether and to what extent identity processes—i.e., sexual identity commitment and exploration—mediated the relationship between online intergroup contact and perception of mediated and vicarious sexual online discrimination on Facebook. Data was collected with a sample of 357 Facebook users (Mage = 26.07, SD = 8.37; females: 64.9%, males: 35.1%) who completed an online questionnaire. A full Structural Equation Modeling was tested. Results showed that: (a) Online contact was positively associated with perceived online sexual discrimination; (b) online contact was positively associated with identity exploration but not commitment; (c) exploration—but not commitment—was positively associated with perceived online sexual discrimination; (d) sexual identity exploration—but not commitment—mediated the relationship between online contact and perception of sexual discrimination, increasing the positive effect of contact on perceived discrimination. Limitations and directions for future research were discussed.

Background and aim: Medical and inclusion/exclusion settlement approaches are the two main approaches characterizing the reception practices into the Western host societies. These settlement approaches guide how professionals take care for forced migrants and favor or obstacle autonomy and integration of asylum seekers and refugees into host societies. Still, few studies have analysed how professionals perceive the settlement approaches that guide their work with forced migrants. This study aimed to analyse the representations that a sample of 256 Italian health professionals and social workers working in both governmental and non-governmental organisations had of the settlement approaches that guided their work in the Italian Asylum System (IAS). Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted and content and lexically analysed, focusing on the professionals' perceptions of the critical issues in the access of forced migrants into the IAS services. Results: Professionals perceived four types of critical issues, making more often reference to organisational weakness than to legal-normative-procedural, relational, and professional weakness. Such critical issues linked to four different perceptions of settlement approaches –social exclusion, medical, relational, and organisational– that guided, sometimes simultaneously, the professionals' practices depending on the work area, the institution/association in which they worked, and their role in the organisation. Conclusion and practical implications: Guiding the professionals' work, settlement approaches could favor or obstacle autonomy and integration of asylum seekers and refugees into host societies. The results may inform policy and future services highlighting potential prospects for services oriented toward autonomy and integration of this growing population. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Empirical attention on online intercultural contact and prejudice reduction are increasing. Nevertheless, still little is known on processes that could influence the contact–prejudice relation as well as the relation between online contact and anti-racist behavior. Based on literature on intergroup contact, the present study aims to fill these gaps, focusing on online intergroup relationships between people from different countries. Specifically, it examines whether and to what extent empathic feelings and online community commitment mediate the relationship between online intergroup contact and both perceived ethnic discrimination and anti-racist behavior on Facebook. We collected data from a predominantly Italian sample of 1018 Facebook users (Mage = 30.03, SDage = 11.09; females: 80.01%); participants filled in an online questionnaire. A semi-full Structural Equation Modeling was used to test hypotheses. The results confirmed that when intergroup contact was established, such contact was able to increase the sense of being committed to the online community, which increased the perception of online discrimination towards ethnic and racial minorities, which in turn was able to increase the anti-racist behavior. The ambivalent role of the empathy in online contexts will be discussed.

AbstractThe study aims to evaluate the usefulness and effectiveness of digital communication tools implemented by an Italian NGO during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency period, considering their relations with perception of health-related risk, sense of belonging to host community, psychological distress, and wellbeing of the refugees taken in charge by the association. The study was conducted through an anonymous questionnaire proposed to a group of 102 refugees. The results confirmed that by increasing the sense of belonging to the Italian community, the time refugees spent on digital communication negatively associated with their psychological distress and positively associated with their wellbeing. Refugees' access to digital communication also increased their health-related risk perception that in turn raised their psychological distress. It specifically occurred when digital communication has been perceived as less affordable, i.e. as less clear, easy and reassuring. The results will be used to improve digital communication for health, educational, and proximity services dedicated to refugees.

Men sometimes withdraw support for gender equality movements when their higher gender status is threatened. Here, we expand the focus of this phenomenon by examining it cross-culturally, to test if both individual- and country-level variables predict men's collective action intentions to support gender equality. We tested a model in which men's zero-sum beliefs about gender predict reduced collective action intentions via an increase in hostile sexism. Because country-level gender equality may threaten men's higher gender status, we also examined whether the path from zero-sum beliefs to collective action intentions was stronger in countries higher in gender equality. Multilevel modeling on 6,734 men from 42 countries supported the individual-level mediation model, but found no evidence of moderation by country-level gender equality. Both country-level gender equality and individual-level zero-sum thinking independently predicted reductions in men's willingness to act collectively for gender equality.

Men sometimes withdraw support for gender equality movements when their higher gender status is threatened. Here, we expand the focus of this phenomenon by examining it cross-culturally, to test if both individual- and country-level variables predict men's collective action intentions to support gender equality. We tested a model in which men's zero-sum beliefs about gender predict reduced collective action intentions via an increase in hostile sexism. Because country-level gender equality may threaten men's higher gender status, we also examined whether the path from zero-sum beliefs to collective action intentions was stronger in countries higher in gender equality. Multilevel modeling on 6,734 men from 42 countries supported the individual-level mediation model, but found no evidence of moderation by country-level gender equality. Both country-level gender equality and individual-level zero-sum thinking independently predicted reductions in men's willingness to act collectively for gender equality.