University of St Andrews

Professor Rhiannon Turner of Queen’s University, Belfast

Title : Crossing the Divide: Promoting Confidence in Contact in a Diverse World

‘Positive interactions with members of different groups can improve intergroup relations and change the way we think about the world. Yet people often fail to engage in such interactions. To navigate the diverse environment in which we live, it is important to develop skills and beliefs that will enable positive cross-group relationships. The talk will highlight some of the many benefits of engaging in intergroup contact, and discuss interventions that can help to make people more confident in, and in turn more likely to successfully engage in, successful interactions with people from different backgrounds.’