A MULTILEVEL EXAMINATION OF THE MODERATING ROLE OF DIVERSITY AND TUTORIAL LANGUAGE ON INTERGROUP CONTACT IN THE FIRST-YEAR PSYCHOLOGY TUTORIAL PROGRAMME AT STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY. KAYLA HUMAN Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Psychology) at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Dr Hermann Swart December 2017 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za DECLARATION By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own original work, that I am the authorship owner thereof (unless to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Signature: KAYLA HUMAN Date: December 2017 Copyright © 2017 University of Stellenbosch All rights reserved. * The financial assistance of the DAAD National Research Foundation (NRF) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the DAAD NRF. ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ABSTRACT Given South Africa’s long history of ethnic segregation and violence, improving ethnic relations remains an important goal for this country. Evidence suggests that intergroup contact is one of the most effective methods for reducing prejudice and improving intergroup attitudes (Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006). Furthermore, research has shown that an increase in diversity is positively related to intergroup contact, and subsequently improved intergroup relations. The present study investigated the extent to which diversity (opportunity for contact) within a first-year psychology tutorial class influenced the direct intergroup contact taking place within the tutorial classes. Furthermore, the present study aimed to examine the moderating role of language of tuition on the relationship between diversity and direct contact. A cross- sectional multi-level design was implemented to test the effects of diversity and language of tuition. Data were collected from students registered for the first-year Psychology 144 module at Stellenbosch University (N = 1,154). The findings from the present study show that diversity within the tutorial classroom significantly predicts an increase in direct contact, for both the majority and minority groups. Moreover, students in Afrikaans tutorials experience significantly less direct intergroup contact, compared to those in English tutorials. Tutorial language was also found to significantly moderate the relationship between diversity and direct contact for the white majority group only. For the white majority group the relationship between diversity and direct contact was significantly stronger in the English tutorials compared to the Afrikaans tutorials. The present study contributes to the existing literature of intergroup contact in South Africa, examining the effects of diversity within a smaller everyday setting. Learning how to take advantage of the increasing diversity will enable us to harness the prejudice-reducing effects of intergroup contact. iii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za OPSOMMING Gegewe Suid-Afrika se lang geskiedenis van etniese segregasie en geweld, is die verbetering van etniese verhoudings steeds 'n belangrike doelwit vir hierdie land. Bewyse dui daarop dat intergroepkontak een van die doeltreffendste metodes is om vooroordeel te verminder en intergroep houdings te verbeter (Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006). Daarbenewens, navorsing het getoon dat 'n toename in diversiteit positief verband hou met intergroepkontak, en gevolglik intergroepverhoudinge verbeter. Die huidige studie het ondersoek ingestel na die mate waarin diversiteit (geleentheid vir kontak) in 'n eerstejaar sielkunde tutoriaalklas die direkte intergroepkontak wat in die tutoriaalklasse plaasgevind het, beïnvloed het. Verder het die huidige studie daarin gepoog om die modereringsrol van onderrigtaal op die verhouding tussen diversiteit en direkte kontak te ondersoek. 'n Dwarssnit veelvuldige-vlakontwerp was geïmplementeer om die effekte van diversiteit en onderrigtaal te toets. Data was ingesamel van studente wat geregistreer is vir die eerstejaar Sielkunde 144-module aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch (N = 1,154). Die bevindings uit die huidige studie toon dat diversiteit in die tutoriaalklaskamer 'n toename in direkte kontak voorspel vir beide meerderheid- en minderheidsgroepe. Daarbenewens ervaar studente in Afrikaanse tutoriale aansienlik minder direkte intergroepkontak, in vergelyking met die Engelse tutoriale. Tutoriaaltaal was bevind om 'n beduidende invloed op die verhouding tussen diversiteit en direkte kontak vir die blanke meerderheidsgroep uit te oefen. Vir die Blanke meerderheidsgroep was die verhouding tussen diversiteit en direkte kontak aansienlik sterker in die Engelse tutoriale, in vergelyking met die Afrikaanse tutoriale. Die huidige studie dra by tot die bestaande literatuur van intergroepkontak in Suid-Afrika, en ondersoek die effekte van diversiteit binne 'n kleiner alledaagse omgewing. Die verbetering van kennis om voordeel te trek uit die toename in diversiteit sal ons in staat stel om die vooroordeelverminderende effek van intergroepkontak te benut. iv Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my genuine appreciation to all those who supported, motivated, aided and encouraged me through the writing of this dissertation. Many of you know, from my endless complaining, the effort extended in its production. My heartfelt thanks goes, first-and-foremost, to my mother without whom I would not be where I am today, nor have the confidence to do what I do. Thank you for your unwavering love, advice and support. Know that you are loved beyond measure. I wish to say a special thanks to my international support system, more specifically Prof. Miles Hewstone and Dr Ralf Wölfer for their invaluable input, advice and guidance in the production and output of this study. To the DAAD- NRF scholarship thank you for making this degree a possibility and ensuring that I could provide it with my full attention. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to those friends who kept me sane during this long process. Stephan Rabie, and the tutor group of 2016, you may not know this but your encouragement, praise, and reassurance meant the world to me. Lastly, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Hermann Swart, for his guidance and contributions. Thank you for inspiring my love of intergroup contact, and the ultimate goal of improving intergroup relations. It will forever be appreciated. In the words of Albus Dumbledore, "Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open" (p. 723)1. 1 Rowling, J. K. (2000). Harry Potter and the goblet of fire. London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. v Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za CONTENTS DECLARATION……………………………………………………………………. ii ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………....... iii OPSOMMING………………………………………………………………………. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………… v CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………… vi ABBREVIATIONS…………………………………………………………………. x LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………. xi LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………… xii APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………....... xiii CHAPTER ONE…………………………………………………………………… 1 THE STATE OF INTERGROUP RELATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA……....... 1 South Africa’s History of Intergroup Relations………………………….. 2 Intergroup Relations Before Apartheid (1600-1948)…………… 2 Intergroup Relations During Apartheid (1948-1994)…………… 5 The Current State of South African Intergroup Relations……… 8 The University Context……………………………………………………. 10 The Present Study…………………………………………………………. 11 Thesis Overview……………………………………………………………. 12 CHAPTER TWO………………………………………………………………........ 14 INTERGROUP CONTACT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY……... 14 The Contact Hypothesis…………………………………………………… 15 Early Intergroup Contact Research…………………………........ 15 The Formulation of the Contact Hypothesis…………………….. 17 vi Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za The Contact Hypothesis as a Fully Fledged Theory…………… 18 Support for the contact hypothesis in South Africa…….. 21 Intergroup contact research pre-1994…………… 21 Intergroup contact research post-1994………….. 23 Factors Influencing the Effects of Intergroup Contact…………………. 25 Individuals’ Prior Level of Prejudice……………………………… 26 Group Status……………………………………………………….. 28 Quality of Intergroup Contact…………………………………….. 31 The importance of cross-group friendships……………... 32 Cross-group friendships and the South African context………………………………………………. 35 The Diversity Paradox……………………………………………………... 36 Conflict Theory……………………………………………………... 37 The Opportunity Hypothesis………………………………………. 39 Diversity and the University Context…………………………….. 41 Chapter Summary………………………………………………………….. 42 CHAPTER THREE………………………………………………………………… 44 DIVERSITY AND INTERGROUP CONTACT AT UNIVERSITY……………... 44 Size and Ethnic Composition……………………………………………... 45 The Importance of the University Context………………………………. 47 The Research Setting……………………………………………………… 49 The Language Policy at Stellenbosch University………………. 50 The Psychology Department’s Tutorial Program at Stellenbosch University……………………………………………. 51 vii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za The Present Study…………………………………………………………. 52 Hypotheses………………………………………………………….