Biculturalism, Contact, and Conflict: The Case of the Ultra-Orthodox Community in Israel

Contact between social groups has been shown to be an influential way to promote understanding and reduce prejudice. According to Intergroup Contact Theory, even groups who are engaged in conflict are able, under certain conditions, to benefit from getting acquainted with their adversarial out-group and enhance their ability to empathize with its members. However, little is known about how a minority group which, while being distinct and separate, shares a common link with the majority group, perceives the intergroup conflict. The current work focuses on the Ultra-Orthodox religious community in Israel, which are a useful example of such a case. On the one hand, this group perceives itself as separate from the secular majority; on the other hand, the common bond of the Jewish faith is an unbreakable link. Accordingly, we examined whether bicultural identity integration (i.e., perceiving oneself as both Ultra-Orthodox and Israeli) is connected with conflict perception among this group. Moreover, we examined the mediating role of quality of contact with the secular majority group.

Data was collected from 332 Ultra-Orthodox Jewish participants (age range 18-70, M=32.02, SD=11.04), who filled out scales examining bicultural identity integration, quantity/quality of contact with secular Jews, and conflict perception. Surprisingly, results demonstrated that high levels of bicultural integration were associated with increased perceptions of intergroup conflict. We explained this connection by focusing on the mediating role played by participants’ quality of contact with secular Jews. The discussion highlights the relevance of biculturalism in the context of intergroup contact and conflict.