The role of perspective‐taking and low social class prejudice on cross‐ethnic friendship formation

Abstract

Cross-ethnic friendships offer a unique opportunity for improving intergroup relations and reduce prejudice, yet ethnic segregation of friendship networks is often seen as a major obstacle to the integration of immigrant students in educational contexts. This article examines the role of perspective-taking abilities and prejudice towards low social class peers on the probability of cross-ethnic friendships in a sample of 242 students from five multicultural classrooms in Chile (Mage = 12.3; SD = 0.69, 45% girls). It was expected that students who reported high levels of perspective-taking abilities and low levels of prejudice towards low social class peers were more likely to form and maintain cross-ethnic friendships. Longitudinal network analysis (RSiena) was used to examine these hypotheses, confirming the role of both variables in fostering (and reducing) friendships among Chilean and immigrant adolescents. Results are discussed in light of an intersectional framework between social class and ethnicity. Implications for social-emotional interventions in multicultural educational contexts are also discussed.