Contact as collective action: Positive and negative contact experiences of disadvantaged group members

Abstract

Intergroup contact programs worldwide strive to combat prejudice by promoting encounters between socially advantaged and disadvantaged groups. Despite their prevalence, little is known about how disadvantaged group members experience participation in such programs. We present qualitative field data from the German contact program Meet a Jew . In this program, Jewish volunteers engage in dialogue with attendees and share insights into their Jewish life to address antisemitism. Drawing on N  = 450 volunteer responses (age range: 16–77 years) collected over five years (2020–2025), we examine the positive and negative experiences of volunteers with the arranged encounters. A qualitative content analysis shows that volunteers experienced contact as positive when their engagement and perspectives were met with interest, their efforts were socially recognized, and they perceived their engagement as effective in contributing to social change. However, volunteers also reported negative experiences, including disinterest from attendees, interference by authorities, and various conflicts. By providing the perspective of Jewish individuals who are both targets of prejudice and actors of prejudice reduction, we address the understudied perspective of disadvantaged group members who engage in contact interventions as agents of collective action. We discuss how our work contributes to contact theory and advances research on social change.