Overcoming differences – The impact of joint extra-curricular activities on the acceptance of the multi-ethnic character of the society through the perception of the youth in the Republic of Macedonia.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibilities for sustainability of the UNICEF activities within the UN Joint Program for Inter Ethnic Dialogue and Collaboration. Based on previous research, inter-ethnic contact needs to meet several conditions to lead to positive outcomes: equal status, broader environment for support, close and sustained contact, and cooperation towards common goals. Processes for positive outcomes are: learning about the other group, existing attitudes, and feelings of belongingness to their own group. Conditions that should be avoided are competition, inequality, involuntary contact, and opposite values. Indications for sustainability are self-esteem and feelings of empowerment. The sample was taken from the Youth Center Multi Kulti in Kumanovo and consisted of 79 young people (M age = 17.3) with diverse ethnic background (26 Albanian, 43 Macedonian, 9 Serbian). A questionnaire was created based on the MEIM-R complemented with relevant questions. To determine indications for sustainability, the youth was asked to answer the RSE to measure their self-esteem, and some of the youth was questioned on their feelings of empowerment. A document analysis and interviews with stakeholders were conducted to determine the differences between the joint extra-curricular activities at school and the out-of-school activities in the youth center. The results show that the conditions and processes for positive outcomes and the processes for positive outcomes are generally available in both schools and the youth center. The youth centers are not always able to provide for equal groups, but this does not seem to influence the feelings of the youth, for results indicate that the youth center is contributing to their positive feelings towards the other groups. The attendance at the youth center is decreasing the negative feelings they have about each other, and it is mainly the Albanian youth that has contact with other ethnic groups. Conditions for negative outcomes of contact are mainly absent. However, the facilitators of the schools are not voluntarily facilitating, which might influence the outcome of the workshops. The youth center is significantly contributing to the self-esteem of the youth attending the youth center. Moreover, the answers from the interviews indicate that the youth in the youth center feels empowered. Both of these results together give a strong indication towards sustainability.