Examining the Effects of Contact on Non-Aboriginal People’S Attitudes Toward Aboriginal People

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Examining the Effects of Contact on Non-Aboriginal People’S Attitudes Toward Aboriginal People CAN CONTACT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?: EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF CONTACT ON NON-ABORIGINAL PEOPLE’S ATTITUDES TOWARD ABORIGINAL PEOPLE A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research For the Degree of Master of Arts In the Department of Political Studies University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon By Erin Lashta Copyright Erin Lashta, April 2015. All rights reserved. Permission to Use In presenting this thesis/dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis/dissertation in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis/dissertation work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis/dissertation or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis/dissertation. Requests for permission to copy or to make other uses of materials in this thesis/dissertation in whole or part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of Political Studies University of Saskatchewan 9 Campus Drive Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada S7N 5A5 OR Dean College of Graduate Studies and Research University of Saskatchewan 107 Administration Place Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada S7N 5A2 i Abstract Utilizing survey data collected through the City Planning and Indigeneity on the Prairies (CPIP) Project in the summer of 2014 this thesis examines what, if any, affect contact between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people has on non-Aboriginal people’s racial attitudes. Two hypotheses are tested: contact with Aboriginal people reduces new and old-fashioned racism attitudes amongst non-Aboriginal people; and contact has greater effect on the racial attitudes of those with lower education levels than those with higher education levels. Key findings indicate that both hypotheses are in fact correct but each with its own caveats. ii Acknowledgements Thank you to my supervisor, Dr. Loleen Berdahl, for ensuring I stayed focused and on track throughout the entire program- without your guidance and encouragement I would still be writing. Thank you also to Dr. Ryan Walker, who allowed me to be part of the CPIP project and helped me to grow as a researcher. Thank you also to Dr. Dave McGrane and Dr. Melanie Morrison for asking tough questions and holding me accountable as a researcher. I would also like to thank LaVina Watts for always being able to find the answers to my questions. I would also like to thank the members of my cohort for their help and support, whether it was holding each other accountable for deadlines, having group writing sessions, practicing presentations, or even simply movie nights to stay sane. The program would not have been the same without you, particularly Jenn Morgan, Megan Ross, Bryn Rees, and Mike Roche. An enormous thank you goes out to my amazing boyfriend, Josh Tuchelt, for all the love, support, patience, and for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Finally, thank you to my parents, Hank and Cathy Lashta, who have read over every paper I have written since elementary school, your unwavering support and confidence in me throughout all of my education means more to me than I can express. iii Table of Contents Chapter 1. Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction to Research Topic ......................................................................................... 1 1.2. Research Question ................................................................................................................... 2 1.2.1 Hypotheses ......................................................................................................................... 2 1.2.2 Methods ............................................................................................................................. 3 1.2.3 Findings in Brief .................................................................................................................. 3 1.3 Context ...................................................................................................................................... 4 1.3.1 Statistics ............................................................................................................................. 4 1.3.2 Why Understanding Racial Attitudes Matter: Answering The “So What” Question .......... 7 1.4 Road Map ................................................................................................................................ 14 Chapter 2. Literature Review ..................................................................................... 16 2.1 Defining Concepts ................................................................................................................... 16 2.1.1 Challenges in Researching Racial Attitudes ...................................................................... 18 2.2 Explaining Racial Attitudes: Contact Theory and Other Theories Explained ........................... 20 2.2.1 Contact Theory ................................................................................................................. 21 2.2.2 Addressing Contact Theory Criticisms .............................................................................. 23 2.3 Additional Determinants and Understandings of Racial Attitudes: Other Theories ............... 25 2.3.1 Individualism .................................................................................................................... 26 2.3.2 Human Capital Theory ..................................................................................................... 27 2.3.3 Collective Contact Theory ................................................................................................. 29 2.3.4 Intergroup Conflict Theory ............................................................................................... 30 2.3.5 Additional Factors Influencing Racial Attitudes ............................................................... 31 2.3.6 Summary: Theories of Racial Attitudes ............................................................................ 31 2.4 Canadian Studies of Attitudes Towards Aboriginal Peoples .................................................... 32 2.4.1 General Studies on Attitudes Towards Aboriginal Peoples .............................................. 32 2.4.2 Contact Theory Studies in Canada .................................................................................... 35 2.4.3 Summary of Existing Studies ............................................................................................ 37 2.5 Summary and Hypothesis ........................................................................................................ 37 Chapter 3. Data and Analysis ..................................................................................... 39 3.1 Methodology ........................................................................................................................... 39 3.1.1 The CPIP Survey ................................................................................................................ 39 3.1.2 Dependent and Independent Variables ............................................................................ 40 3.1.3 Control Variables .............................................................................................................. 42 3.2 Analysis .................................................................................................................................... 44 3.2.1 Bivariate Analysis ............................................................................................................. 44 3.2.2 Multivariate Analysis ........................................................................................................ 48 3.3 Discussion ................................................................................................................................ 54 3.3.1 First Conclusion: The Type of Contact Matters ................................................................. 54 3.3.2 Second Conclusion: Individuals’ Conceptualization of Racism Varies ............................... 56 3.3.3 Third Conclusion: Individualism is a Significant Predictor of Racial Attitudes .................. 57 3.3.4 Fourth Conclusion: The Affect of Education Varies for New and Old-fashioned Racism .. 58 3.3.5 Sociodemographic Variations .......................................................................................... 59 3.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 62 Chapter 4. Conclusion ................................................................................................ 64 iv 4.1 Research Question, Hypotheses and “So What?” ................................................................... 64 4.2 Summary of Study ..................................................................................................................
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