Keywords: News, media, journalism and public opinion

Context. A decade ago, Putnam (2007) found that increased neighborhood diversity is associated with reduced social cohesion. Against the backdrop of rising migration, this finding causes concern and might fuel arguments of the radical right that diversity and immigration foster social enclaves, mutual distrust and intergroup conflict. Putnam claims that "diversity, at least in the short run, seems to bring out the turtle in all of us" but also acknowledges that the provocative conclusion is based only on bivariate analyses of a single dataset, and thus requires more rigorous empirical testing in different geographical and social contexts. In times of rapidly increasing migratory flows worldwide, it is important to test the validity of this claim and contribute theoretically and empirically to the intergroup relations literature. Europe’s current refugee crisis provides a fertile study context given the changes in racial/ethnic composition of many communities across Europe.

Theoretical Framework. Drawing on scholarship in sociology, specifically intergroup relations and social capital, this study focuses on two related concepts, constrict and contact theory. Constrict theory, based on Putnams (2007) core proposition, states that ethnic diversity reduces social cohesion. It is worth highlighting that most studies on this subject have utilized objectively measured (actual) neighborhood diversity while this study shifts the focus on subjectively experienced (perceived) neighborhood diversity. Contact theory states that intergroup contact reduces prejudice and outgroup derogation, which may translate into more favorable attitudes towards outgroup members. Two fundamental questions guide this study: Revisiting Putnam’s claim, is greater neighborhood diversity associated with less social cohesion and less favorable attitudes toward outgroups? Do individuals with increased interethnic/interracial contact and those richer in social capital have more inclusive attitudes toward outgroup members?

Data/Analyses. Crossnational data from 20 countries included in the 2014/15 European Social Survey are used for hypothesis testing. Key outcome variables are inclusive attitudes toward non-European and Muslim immigrants. Predictor variables include measures of intergroup contact (frequency, valence), social capital (ties, trust), neighborhood diversity, sociodemographics, and various interaction terms. Tentative results from OLS regression analyses indicate that social capital and intergroup contact were positively associated with inclusive attitudes toward both immigrant groups. Those who rely more heavily on their strong ties in their personal networks and enjoy frequent casual contact with ethnic/racial others tend to have more inclusive attitudes. Individuals with many strong ties and frequent interethnic/interracial contact were most inclusive toward non-European immigrants while for individuals with only few strong ties the frequency of intergroup contact barely made a difference. The pattern regarding Muslims is similar, except that intergroup contact frequency did matter for individuals with only few strong ties. The effect of neighborhood heterogeneity on attitudes, however, produced mixed findings: While perceived diversity is negatively associated with attitudes toward non-Europeans, it is positively associated with attitudes toward Muslims, thus partly resonating with Putnam’s claim. These relationships will also be examined using hierarchical/multilevel modeling. Directions for future research and implications for contemporary public discourse, policymakers and educators are discussed.