Eighteenth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

In this study, I look at the effects of racial and ethnic diversity on generalized trust in the USA. The study is guided by the following research questions: first, at which geographic level does ethnic diversity affect generalized trust? And second, can this relationship be explained by individual or contextual characteristics? Contact, conflict, and constrict theory predict very different outcomes from racial and ethnic diversity on social capital. Additionally, research shows highly inconsistent findings regarding this topic. The proposed outcomes and mechanisms, however, might be present at the same time on different geographic levels. To examine this topic, I use the restricted version of the 2012 dataset of the General Social Survey that includes detailed geographic identifiers, and so allows me to link the individual data to information on the respondents’ residential areas. I will use multi-level modeling and spatial analyses to investigate the research questions. The results of the analysis will contribute to a better understanding of how diversity and social capital are related.