Intergroup Contact and Belonging Among Ethiopian Jews in Ethiopia

Drawing on intergroup contact theory, this study examines whether intergroup anxiety and perceived discrimination mediate the relationship between intergroup contact and a dual sense of belonging: to mainstream society and to one’s ethnic ingroup. Data were collected through a paper-based survey of 513 Ethiopian Jews in Ethiopia (mean age = 24; the sample consisted primarily of single men with secondary education). Moderated mediation analyses indicate that intergroup contact is positively associated with belonging to mainstream society but unrelated to ingroup belonging. Intergroup anxiety shows a divergent pattern: higher anxiety is associated with lower belonging to mainstream society and stronger ingroup belonging. Contrary to expectations, intergroup contact is positively associated with perceived discrimination. Mediation analyses show that intergroup anxiety significantly mediates the relationship between contact and belonging, whereas perceived discrimination does not. These findings suggest that intergroup contact may foster integration but also heighten awareness of discrimination in stratified social contexts.