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The role of perspective‐taking and low social class prejudice on cross‐ethnic friendship formation
Author(s) -
Chávez Daniela,
Palacios Diego,
LuengoKanacri Bernadette Paula,
Berger Christian,
JiménezMoya Gloria
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
new directions for child and adolescent development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1534-8687
pISSN - 1520-3247
DOI - 10.1002/cad.20403
Subject(s) - friendship , prejudice (legal term) , ethnic group , psychology , social psychology , perspective (graphical) , multiculturalism , psychological intervention , social class , developmental psychology , sociology , political science , pedagogy , artificial intelligence , psychiatry , anthropology , computer science , law
Abstract Cross‐ethnic friendships offer a unique opportunity for improving intergroup relations and reduce prejudice, yet ethnic segregation of friendship networks is often seen as a major obstacle to the integration of immigrant students in educational contexts. This article examines the role of perspective‐taking abilities and prejudice towards low social class peers on the probability of cross‐ethnic friendships in a sample of 242 students from five multicultural classrooms in Chile ( M age = 12.3; SD = 0.69, 45% girls). It was expected that students who reported high levels of perspective‐taking abilities and low levels of prejudice towards low social class peers were more likely to form and maintain cross‐ethnic friendships. Longitudinal network analysis (RSiena) was used to examine these hypotheses, confirming the role of both variables in fostering (and reducing) friendships among Chilean and immigrant adolescents. Results are discussed in light of an intersectional framework between social class and ethnicity. Implications for social‐emotional interventions in multicultural educational contexts are also discussed.