An Adaptationist Framework to Examine Intergroup Contact

Abstract

Background. Many culturally-plural societies like Canada or Russia seek ways to manage their cultural diversity in order to promote harmony among coexisting groups. ! e social sciences have long viewed intergroup contact as a bene" cial intervention to achieve such harmony. Objective. ! is paper proposes an adaptationist framework within which to explain how and why intergroup contact contributes to the positive and negative outcomes for individuals who live together in a plural society. We employed this framework in a case study that may serve as an example of the conceptualization and analysis of these issues in international research. Its structural framework included both positive and negative contact and the role of this contact in the distribution of intercultural and psychological adaptation among a large representative sample of the Canadian population. Design. We used a correlational design with a representative sample of Canadians from a survey carried out by Environics in 2019, which was strati" ed according to the most current population statistics. ! e total sample was 3,111 persons age 18 and over and included the largest racialised groups in the country. Results. Our main " nding was that intergroup contact (both positive and negative) related to both psychological and intercultural adaptation. ! ese " ndings have implications for improving intercultural relations, especially through the role of positive contact. Conclusion. ! e experience of negative contact (e.g., discrimination) in the near term is an important factor in undermining both forms of adaptation. Nonetheless, while intergroup contact can bring both positive and negative experiences during intercultural interactions, it leads to mutual adaptation over time.

The Search for Some General Psychological Principles for Improving Intercultural Living in Plural Societies

“…In my own work, I have sought to direct our findings to those in applied fields, especially to an international applied psychology audience. This is has led to my publishing much of this work in Applied Psychology: An International Review (Berry & Grigoryev, 2022;Berry et al, 1989Berry et al, , 2006Berry, 1997). I have also engaged policy makers and government officials in a number of countries in order to 'translate' my findings into policy-relevant findings for their possible use.…”

“…Based on a review of numerous studies, Berry (1997) made the generalisation that this double engagement (termed ‘integration’) was the most successful strategy for both psychological well-being and sociocultural adaptation. Since then, much research has demonstrated that the integration strategy is usually associated with better psychological well-being (e.g., Berry & Hou, 2016; Berry et al, 2006, 2022). This generalisation has been examined in a meta-analysis by Nguyen and Benet-Martínez (2013) who concluded that integration (‘biculturalism’ in their terms) was associated with the most positive outcomes for migrants’ well-being.…”

“…This study (Berry & Grigoryev, 2022) focused on four main classes of phenomena within the framework: intergroup contacts among individuals of differing cultural backgrounds; the experience of discrimination, for both individuals and their group; intergroup attitudes; and psychological and intercultural adaptation. We asked the question: does the quantity and quality of intergroup contact (positive contact) and their experience of discrimination (negative contact) impact individuals’ well-being (their psychological adaptation) and their attitudes towards others (their intercultural adaptation)?…”

“…The discipline has also been culture-blind, largely ignoring the influence of the role of culture in shaping the development and display of human behaviour. These two limitations were the motivation for the development of the field of cross-cultural psychology, including the writing of textbooks and reviews (Berry et al, 1992, 2011, 2022).…”

Living together in culturally diverse societies.

“…Guided by these frameworks, I have been investigating three of these four hypotheses in Canada and internationally. If they are supported, then they may move from simply being hypotheses to being principles of acculturation and intercultural relations (Berry & Grigoryev, 2022b). And if they are widely supported in many societies, they may also qualify as universal principles that may form the basis for answering the question "How shall we all live together in many plural societies"?…”