Ingroup and outgroup preference and rejection among young children of different ethnic groups in the Netherlands

Abstract

The current study investigated the ethnic hierarchy in ingroup and outgroup preference and rejection among 6to 10-year-old children of the dominant White Dutch group (n = 145), and the underrepresented Turkish-Dutch (n = 78), and Afro-Dutch (n = 57) groups (55% girls, M = 7.49, SD = .98) in the Netherlands. Results from a social preference task indicated that White Dutch children showed clearly more preference for their own ethnic group (ingroup preference) compared to the two outgroup preferences (Middle Eastern and Black), while Turkish-and Afro-Dutch children showed limited ingroup preference. Both White and Turkish-Dutch children showed less preference for and more rejection of the Black outgroup compared to Afro-Dutch children. Younger children showed more Black rejection compared to older children. This study provides much-needed evidence for the generalizability of prejudice patterns in children beyond the United States, and suggests that interventions aimed at improving interethnic relations are already relevant at primary school age.

Crisis and bias: Exploring ethnic prejudice among Chinese‐Dutch children before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Additionally, no differences were found between preference for their own ethnic group and preference for the White outgroup in the Chinese-Dutch children. This result is consistent with previous studies showing that ingroup favouritism is less strong in underrepresented ethnic groups, that is, limited ingroup favouritism, in comparison to their preference for the White dominant outgroup (Jensen & Tisak, 2020;Kurtz-Costes et al, 2011;Pektas et al, 2022).…”

“…We did not expect ethnic prejudice differences between the two underrepresented ethnic outgroups; however, the result implies that particularly Black children are at risk of being excluded by Chinese‐Dutch children. These results are consistent with previous research showing that White and Turkish‐Dutch children (6–10 years old) show more rejection and less preference towards the Black outgroup compared to White and SWANA groups (Pektas et al, 2022). This may be explained by the continuous societal debate in the past few years in the Netherlands about the figure of Black Pete (portrayed by White people in blackface) in a national children's festival (Sinterklaas; Lemmens, 2017), which was also covered by the national news broadcast specifically aimed at children (NOS Jeugdjournaal, 2019) and often watched by children in schools.…”

“…Ingroup favouritism is lower in stigmatized groups than in White dominant groups (Brown, 2010), as shown for example among Black children in the United States (3 and 5 years old, Kurtz-Costes et al, 2011) and among Black and South Asian children in the United Kingdom (7 years old, Leman & Lam, 2008;5, 9 and 13 years old, Leman et al, 2013). Limited ingroup favouritism has also been found among Black Dutch and Turkish Dutch children compared to White Dutch children (6-10 years old, Pektas et al, 2022). This is thought to reflect internalized knowledge of the ethnic hierarchy, leading to limited ingroup favouritism and White (dominant) group favouritism (Brown, 2010).…”

“…Another study indicated that Turkish‐Dutch and Black Dutch children showed less clear preference for their own ethnic group compared to White outgroup preference. Both White and Turkish‐Dutch children showed more rejection and less preference for the Black outgroup compared to Black Dutch children (aged 6–10 years, Pektas et al, 2022). Generally, outgroup prejudice differs for specific outgroups, likely depending on perceived social distance, ethnic hierarchy and religion.…”

“…In addition, research on the development of prejudice from one underrepresented group towards other underrepresented groups is limited. Also, the research results in the latest study, including young children (6–10 years) in the Netherlands, are inconsistent based on the specific ethnic group children belong to and prejudice is measured against (Pektas et al, 2022). In other words, the ethnic prejudice of underrepresented ethnic children and its (potential) developmental patterns seems to be population dependent.…”