Contact

Abstract

Chapter 5, the second empirical chapter, explores the non-Roma parts of the exclusion cycle. It introduces the second Slovenian research site, Murska Sobota, which closely matches the first site, Novo mesto, in all relevant characteristics but one: the Roma-led NGO in Murska Sobota focuses on promoting intergroup contact, while its counterpart in Novo mesto provides goods and services to local Roma. In contrast to non-Roma from Novo mesto, non-Roma from Murska Sobota do not discriminate against the Roma. This is particularly true of non-Roma who are familiar with the contact-promoting Roma NGO or attend its events. Further, although non-Roma from both towns express anti- Roma sentiment and commit attribution errors, non-Roma from Novo mesto do so to a greater extent. In that town, non-Roma who express anti-Roma sentiment are more likely to discriminate against the Roma in the videogame. Overall, these results suggest that NGO-promoted intergroup contact can help reduce discrimination.