SGM Open Lab Meeting – ENGAGE – Using contact interventions to promote engagement and mobilisation for social change

The next open lab meeting will be held online (Zoom), on 20th October, 2022, 15:00 (GMT+2)

Title of the talk: ENGAGE – Using contact interventions to promote engagement and mobilisation for social change

Presenters:

• Ana Urbiola (Centre for Migration Studies and Intercultural Relations, University of Almeria)
• Barbara Lášticová (Institute for Research in Social Communication, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• József Pántya (ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest)

You can register using the link below:

https://elteppk.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_etCSjjakiWfjTQG

You can join using the link below:
https://ppk-elte-hu.zoom.us/j/99541210583
Meeting ID: 995 4121 0583

About the project:

In the ENGAGE project social psychologists, sociologists, and social intervention professionals from three European countries with large populations of Roma people (Hungary, Slovakia, and Spain) aim to understand the factors underlying low sociopolitical participation of Roma and non-Roma people, and to examine the positive and negative effects of contact experiences between Roma and non-Roma people on their civic engagement.

Using randomised controlled experiments, we identified effective interventions and psychological conditions for increasing mobilisation among non-Roma people regarding support for Roma equality. In particular, we focused on the role of group efficacy—how successful a group of people can be in achieving their goals—in increasing collective action of the non-Roma allies (i.e. coordinated action to fight injustice and improve the situation of a group)

The results suggest the relevance of promoting group efficacy not only for actions conducted by Roma activists, but also conducted by the non-Roma allies.

When people believe in their capacity to bring about change in society, it leads to higher mobilization because it increases hopefulness. However, there is a danger of believing that the efficacy of a group for achieving social justice and equality is low, because this belief can decrease willingness to engage in proRoma actions. Meritocratic beliefs can buffer social mobilisation, which should be considered in interventions aimed to promote participation in social change movements. Moreover, recognizing and making visible the existing socio-economic inequality and discrimination of the Roma plays an important role in social change tendencies.

Note: You can also check the event on Facebook.