Engaging race and racism for socially just intergroup relations: The impact of intergroup dialogue on college campuses in the United States

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study examines the impact of interracial/interethnic dialogue, a model of intergroup contact that highlights the salience of racial and ethnic group membership, to improve intergroup relations on college campuses. A field experiment involving 737 participants demonstrated that participants randomized to enrol in an intergroup dialogue course increased thinking about and understanding of race and racial/ethnic group membership more than the randomized control group participants who were wait-listed for the course. This effect of intergroup dialogue was found both at the end of course and a year later. Furthermore, such racial engagement was associated with greater (a) motivation to bridge intergroup differences, (b) structural understanding of racial and ethnic inequality, and (c) behavioural commitment to redress inequality 1 year later. The study highlights a colour-conscious, as opposed to colourblind, model for multicultural and social justice education and provides causal evidence for its effects.