Proud but isolated? Effects of in-group favouritism and acculturation preferences on inter-ethnic attitudes and contact between German, Turkish and resettler adolescents

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 1990s the interaction between adolescents from migrant backgrounds and those from the German host society has again become widely discussed, and not only among social scientists. Thus this study will help to explain inter-ethnic attitudes (acceptance/rejection of out-groups) and inter-ethnic personal contact between German, Turkish and Resettler adolescents. The paper argues that aspects of in-group favouritism, although important (as many studies have shown), are not sufficient to explain the attitudes and encounters. As adolescents from two groups with migration experiences are involved, acculturation preferences are also of central relevance. Hence, in-group favouritism and acculturation preferences are analysed for their effects on inter-ethnic attitudes and contact. In addition, since the study is carried out in the context of immigration, two social factors, namely trust in the judicial system and the perception of societal support, are built into the explanatory model. In-group favouritism has substantial effects on inter-ethnic attitudes and behaviour, leading as expected to more out-group rejection and to decreasing contact with out-group members. The effects of acculturation preferences differ across the groups. For the German adolescents they are particularly strong. The influences of trust in the judicial system and perceived societal support consistently enhance acceptance of the out-groups. In comparison the effects are stronger for immigrant groups than for German adolescents.