November 26, 2018

Media and Ethnic Cooperation

Today

1) Recap: Non-violence

2) Media Interventions and Ethnic Trust

3) Evidence on Media Interventions

Recap: Non-Violence

Non-violent tactics can compel less violence

Depends on media attention and coverage of protesters

May be limits to its efficacy

  • un-shamable opponents
  • ethnically/racially divided societies

Media to rebuild
multi-ethnic communities

Media and ethnic peace:

Like study of media and violence…

Interested in persuasion or coordination

persuasion: people convinced of different ideas about other ethnic group, new beliefs/attitudes

coordination: changing understanding about norms and behaviors that are appropriate (about social costs and consequences of behavior)

Media and ethnic peace:

What kinds of media interventions most effective?

Why are these media interventions potentially effective?

Media and ethnic peace:

Entertainment/narratives likely to be effective

Why entertaining narratives?

Beliefs/Attitudes:

  • beliefs about facts regarding other ethnic group/ethnic issues
  • attitudes/prejudice toward ethnic groups

narratives better at persuasion b/c

  • less selection into messages;
  • better for remembering

Why entertaining narratives?

Beliefs/Attitudes:

  • beliefs about facts regarding other ethnic group/ethnic issues (changing resonance)
  • attitudes/prejudice toward ethnic groups (persuasion)

narratives better at persuasion b/c

  • less selection into messages;
  • better for remembering

Why entertaining narratives?

motivation/emotion:

  • more attention and involvement when there is a narrative
  • can lead to more persuasion due to personal investment in story

Why entertaining narratives?

vicarious relationships with out-group (persuasion)

  • Contact Hypothesis (Allport)
  • Empathy with beloved characters on-screen

Why entertaining narratives?

social norm diffusion (coordination)

  • shows alter perceived socially desirable norms (e.g. how widely they are used)
  • shows provide basis for real-life conversations (diffuse norms further)

Does this really work?

Sounds like
"after-school special"

Evidence from Paluck (2009)

Experiment in Rwanda

  • Exposed communities to soap-opera addressing ethnic cooperation post-genocide
  • Examines:
    • shifts in beliefs
    • shifts in norm perception
    • shifts in empathy
    • shifts in behaviors

Evidence from Paluck (2009)

  • Soap-opera following fictional but similar genocide
  • Locals cross ethnic lines to defy leaders encouraging violence

Soap Opera (New Dawn) messages

beliefs: violence based on psychological responses, lack of independent thought and dissent, insufficient group interactions

norms: positive portrayal of inter-ethnic cooperation, expression of dissent

Evidence from Paluck (2009)

Experiment:

  • 14 communities; 7 pairs with strong similarities, randomly assigned within pairs
  • "Treatment" gets reconciliation soap-opera; "Control" gets health-themed soap opera
  • Listened to show over course of a month in groups

Evidence from Paluck (2009)

Beliefs:

  • causes of violence (no change)
  • bystanders responsible for violence (no change)
  • intermarriage brings peace (no change)
  • views on trauma (no change)
  • views on reconciliation (no change)

Evidence from Paluck (2009)

Norms:

Treatment shifted norms:

  • in favor of inter-ethnic marriage
  • trusting ethnic out-group not naive
  • more willing to discuss lack of trust
  • more support for expressing dissent

Evidence from Paluck (2009)

Empathy:

  • During shows, verbal expressions of empathy for characters
  • surveys showed more empathy for various groups in Rwandan society

Evidence from Paluck (2009)

Behavior:

Secret observation of how groups handled reward:

  • "Control" groups had no dissent/discussion
  • "Treatment" groups: listening group keeps stereo, solve problems themselves, belief in inter-ethnic cooperation

Evidence from Paluck (2010)

Similar experiment in Democratic Republic of the Congo:

  • Treatment group gets soap opera + talk-show; control group gets soap opera

Does discussion after a show increase its efficacy?

Evidence from Paluck (2010)

"Treatment"/Discussion group showed:

  • more contentious discussions
  • more negative attitudes toward outgroup
  • less willingness to help ethnic out-group

Key lessons:

Effective media intervnetions have

  1. Engage attention (narratives more effective)
  2. Subtle / not too obvious (narratives work well)
  3. Tell audience what others think (narratives reveal social norms/preferences)
  4. Create behavioral channels (narratives show what to do)