Prejudice is a complex social phenomenon, and understanding What Can Prejudice Be Guided By is crucial for developing effective strategies to combat it. This article delves into the factors that influence prejudice, focusing on the impact of guided mosque tours on anti-Islam attitudes among students.
Study Design: A Quasi-Experimental Approach
To examine the impact of mosque tours on attitudes towards Islam, a study was designed to isolate the effect of the tours while minimizing other influences. This was achieved through a quasi-experimental panel study, approaching a natural experiment setup. The study involved multiple measurements of attitudes over time, including a pre-tour measurement (t1), a post-tour measurement (t2), and a follow-up measurement several months later (t3). A comparable control group, who did not participate in the mosque tour, was also included to account for external factors that might influence attitudes.
This design aimed to address potential biases. It accounted for experiences before the tour that might influence initial attitudes and considered external events during the study period that might affect both the treatment and control groups. The guided tours were conducted by teachers, and the study didn’t influence the tour’s content, allowing for observation of real-world effects. Random assignment to treatment and control groups wasn’t feasible, requiring consideration of pre-existing differences between groups during analysis.
Sample Selection: Ensuring Diversity and Comparability
Mosques across Germany were contacted to identify schools registered for guided tours. Six mosques, representing different regions and mosque associations, were selected. Teachers and schools were then contacted, emphasizing voluntary participation. The students were in grades seven to nine from varied schools within the German system. Control groups consisted of parallel classes within the same school or a comparable class in a neighboring school. Data collection occurred between April 2016 and February 2017, with tours taking place between late April and early December.
The study included 20 classes from nine schools, with ten classes forming the treatment group and ten forming the control group. After exclusions based on participation, religious affiliation, and response patterns, the final analysis included balanced panel data for 324 respondents. The age of the respondents ranged from 11 to 16 years, with a slightly higher proportion of female respondents. The sample was not a random sample, and statistical controls for characteristics like school type and region were limited.
Measurement: Assessing Anti-Islam Attitudes
Anti-Islam attitudes were measured using a self-administered questionnaire with nine items. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a single factor, and an anti-Islam index was calculated as the average of the nine items. Responses were rated on a 5-point scale, with higher values indicating a stronger rejection of Islam. The questionnaire also included questions about contact with Muslims, assessing the number of Muslim friends and classmates. No significant differences in attitudes towards Islam or prior contact with Muslims were found between the treatment and control groups at baseline.
Results: Mosque Visits and Attitude Change
The study found almost no change in anti-Islam attitudes within the control group across the three time points. However, the treatment groups showed a decrease in anti-Islam prejudice between the first and second measurements, coinciding with the guided mosque visit. A trend of increasing anti-Islam prejudice was observed between the second and third time points, although levels remained lower than the initial time point.
A fixed-effects approach using a difference-in-difference estimator revealed that several mosque visits had a significant short-term impact on anti-Islam attitudes. A second model examined the long-term effect, finding only one mosque visit variable remained significant. However, the point estimates consistently remained below zero, suggesting a possible, albeit weak, long-term effect. This indicates what can prejudice be guided by in the long-term needs more support to create lasting change.
A third model, using anti-Islam attitudes at the second interview as the dependent variable, found that groups showing a significant difference between the first and second time points also had a significant influence on anti-Islam attitudes compared to the control group. The study found that pre-existing contact with Muslims did not significantly influence the effect of the mosque visit.
Conclusion: Potential and Future Directions
The findings suggest that guided mosque visits have the potential to alleviate anti-Islam prejudice, although the effects tend to diminish over time. This highlights that sustained contact and interaction are key to ensuring the long-term success of prejudice reduction initiatives. Further research is needed to identify the factors that contribute to sustained effects and to develop strategies for maximizing the impact of mosque tours.
The study also underscores the variability in the structure and content of mosque visits, which may influence their effectiveness. More interactive, cooperative, and personal visits may be more effective in fostering positive attitudes. Further research could examine the characteristics of mosque visits that contribute to the most significant and lasting reductions in prejudice. Addressing what can prejudice be guided by through targeted interventions remains a crucial goal.
