Unity in Diversity? How Intergroup Contact Can Foster Nation Building

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2019
Volume: 109
Issue: 11
Pages: 3978-4025

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We use a population resettlement program in Indonesia to identify long-run effects of intergroup contact on national integration. In the 1980s, the government relocated two million ethnically diverse migrants into hundreds of new communities. We find greater integration in fractionalized communities with many small groups, as measured by national language use at home, intermarriage, and children's name choices. However, in polarized communities with a few large groups, ethnic attachment increases and integration declines. Residential segregation dampens these effects. Social capital, public goods, and ethnic conflict follow similar patterns. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of localized contact in shaping identity.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:109:y:2019:i:11:p:3978-4025
Journal Field
General
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-24