A longitudinal multilevel analysis of individual- and contextual-level predictors of cross-ethnic friendships in the UK

Abstract

Intergroup contact plays a central role in fostering positive intergroup attitudes; yet, factors promoting intergroup contact are less understood. Using three waves of data from a nationally representative UK household panel study (N = 18,807), we applied longitudinal multilevel models to examine how individual- and objective neighbourhood-level indicators jointly predict cross-ethnic friendships. At the individual level, higher openness and agreeableness, stronger neighbourhood belonging and a left-leaning political orientation were associated with more cross-ethnic friendships. At the contextual level, intergroup friendships were more common in neighbourhoods with more structural opportunity for contact (i.e., areas with a lower proportion of same-ethnic residents), and in areas with lower anti-immigration norms (as indicated by local Brexit ‘Leave’ vote share). Crucially, cross-level interactions highlighted the interplay of person and place: neighbourhood diversity fostered more cross-ethnic friendships, especially among those with strong neighbourhood belonging, suggesting that people who feel embedded in their community are more likely to translate diverse surroundings into meaningful intergroup ties. Differences between the ethnic majority and minority groups also emerged. For example, higher objective area-level racial hate crime incidence predicted more intergroup friendships among majority members, suggesting a possible repair response, but showed no association for minority members. Findings underscore the multilevel and group-specific pathways to sustained intergroup friendships.