Intergroup contact and intergroup conflict

University of UlsterIntergroup contact theory is enjoying a renaissance; positive contact does reduceintergroup prejudice, but intergroup contact has generally been studied in relativelybenign settings. With a number of countries either still experiencing or having justemerged from periods of pervasive intergroup animosity, contact theory is, nowadays,being put to its most stringent test as contact theorists try to uncover ways in whichintergroup conflict can be reduced and reconciliation fostered. This article draws onresearch conducted at the Oxford Centre for the Study of Intergroup Conflict incountries including South Africa, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, and Bosnia. We report onour efforts to add to the emerging body of literature by (a) exploring the possible rolesthat direct and extended contact play in (post-) conflict societies; (b) asking when wemight—or might not—expect contact to positively affect more demanding outcomes(such as intergroup trust and forgiveness); and (c) by investigating the processes bywhich contact achieves these outcomes. We then outline a research program that aimsto further study both the benefits and limitations of intergroup contact in societies thatare immersed in or emerging from protracted intergroup conflict.