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Contact theory and the multiethnic community of Riace, Italy: An ethnographic examination.

ABSTRACT: This article uses the case of Riace, a small multiethnic community in Southern Italy, as a lens to evaluate key theoretical and methodological aspects of the influential Intergroup Contact Theory. The article draws upon 10 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Riace, Italy, a town that for more than 20 years has hosted and integrated refugees into the local community. We analyzed the ethnographic material in light of assumptions underlying intergroup contact theory. Findings demonstrate that friendly everyday interactions between inhabitants of different ethnic backgrounds serve as the critical "social glue" for the Riace community, but that there are social inequalities, as well as group stereotypes, group-based friendships, and spatial segregation. The different interpretations and nuanced outcomes of everyday social interactions demonstrate the importance of a contextualized understanding of the nature and implications of intergroup contact in real-world settings for future research and policies.

SUBMITTER: Driel EY

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9299725 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Contact theory and the multiethnic community of Riace, Italy: An ethnographic examination.

Driel Ester Y EY Verkuyten Maykel M

Journal of community psychology 20211218 5

This article uses the case of Riace, a small multiethnic community in Southern Italy, as a lens to evaluate key theoretical and methodological aspects of the influential Intergroup Contact Theory. The article draws upon 10 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Riace, Italy, a town that for more than 20 years has hosted and integrated refugees into the local community. We analyzed the ethnographic material in light of assumptions underlying intergroup contact theory. Findings demonstrate that frien ...[more]

PMID: 34921733

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Project description:Community Advisory Boards (CABs) have been frequently used to engage diverse partners to inform research projects. Yet, evaluating the quality of engagement has not been routine. We describe a multi-method ethnographic approach documenting and assessing partner engagement in two "virtual" CABs, for which we conducted all meetings remotely. Two research projects for increasing equitable COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and clinical trial participation for underserved communities involved remote CAB meetings. Thirty-three partners representing 17 community groups participated in 15 sessions across the two CABs facilitated by a social change organization. We developed ethnographic documentation forms to assess multiple aspects of CAB member engagement (e.g., time spent speaking, modality used, types of interactions). Documenters were trained to observe CAB sub-groups via virtual sessions. Debriefing with the documentation team after CAB meetings supported quality assurance and process refinement. CAB members completed a brief validated survey after each meeting to assess the quality and frequency of engagement. Content and rapid thematic analysis were used to analyze documentation data. Quantitative data were summarized as frequencies and means. Qualitative and quantitative findings were triangulated. A total of 4,540 interactions were identified across 15 meetings. The most frequent interaction was providing information (44%), followed by responding (37-38%). The quality and frequency of stakeholder engagement were rated favorably (average 4.7 of 5). Most CAB members (96%) reported good/excellent engagement. Specific comments included appreciation for the diversity of perspectives represented by the CAB members and suggestions for improved live interpretation. Debriefing sessions led to several methodological refinements for the documentation process and forms. We highlight key strategies for documenting and assessing community engagement. Our methods allowed for rich ethnographic data collection that refined our work with community partners. We recommend ongoing trainings, including debriefing sessions and routinely reviewed assessment of data to strengthen meaningful community engagement.

Project description:Background and Objectives:Clinic-based studies of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have demonstrated the value of assessing dependence when characterizing patients' functional status. The Dependence Scale, a validated tool to assess level of caregiving needs, is associated with markers of disease severity, cost, and progression, while offering independent functional information about patients. This study examines whether such associations between the Dependence Scale and markers of disease severity demonstrated in clinical cohorts are similarly exhibited in a multiethnic community population of individuals with AD. Research Design and Methods:One hundred fifty four elders with AD enrolled in the Predictors 3 cohort were assessed with the Dependence Scale, modified Mini-Mental State Examination (mMMS), instrumental (IADL) and basic (BADL) activities of daily living, and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale, and were assigned an Equivalent Institutional Care (EIC) rating. Cross-sectional associations were examined using bivariate correlations and one-way analysis of variance analyses. Fisher-z tests examined differences in strengths of associations across previous clinic and current community cohorts. Results:Dependence Scale scores were associated with CDR (r = .20, p = .013), mMMS (r = -.23, p = .005), IADL (r = .39, p < .001), BADL (r = .65, p < .001), and EIC (r = .51, p < .001). Dependence was unassociated with ethnicity (F[3,144] = 1.027, p = .3822), age (r = .120, p = .145), and education (r = -.053, p = .519). The strength of the correlations was comparable across cohorts except that BADLs were more strongly associated with dependence (z = -4.60, p < .001) in the community cohort, and living arrangement was not associated with dependence (r = .13, p = .130). Discussion and Implications:Associations between the Dependence Scale and markers of disease severity in a clinic-based cohort of AD patients are similar to associations in a multiethnic community cohort of individuals diagnosed with AD. The Dependence Scale relates to markers of disease severity rather than demographic factors, and may offer an unbiased assessment of care required in multiethnic and community populations.

Dataset Information

Contact theory and the multiethnic community of Riace, Italy: An ethnographic examination.

Publications

Contact theory and the multiethnic community of Riace, Italy: An ethnographic examination.

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