Neighbourhood Ethnic Diversity: Explaining Perceived Ethnic Threat and Interethnic Contact

Abstract

While previous research typically assumed perceived ethnic threat and interethnic contact to be opposing mechanisms for the relationship between neighbourhood ethnic diversity and interethnic attitudes, this study actually examines the direct effect of ethnic diversity on perceived ethnic threat and on interethnic contact for Dutch natives. Secondly, it is investigated whether collective efficacy and economic circumstances of neighbourhoods influence these relationships. The Netherlands is a suitable research setting because of the presence of non-western minorities that are often contested in public debate, much alike the situation in other European countries. The paper utilizes data from the Netherlands Life Course Study (NELLS), which is a large-scale survey study on attitudes and living conditions of the Dutch population between ages 15-45. Findings indicate that native residents of more ethnically diverse neighbourhoods actually perceive less threat from non-western minorities and have more contact with them than native residents of less diverse neighbourhoods. Moreover, social aspects of the neighbourhood combined in the concept of collective efficacy appeared to have no influence on the found relationships between ethnic diversity and perceived ethnic threat and interethnic contact. On the other hand, better economic circumstances in an ethnically diverse neighbourhood seem to be associated with even less perceived ethnic threat and even more interethnic contact. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.