Learning the narrative of the other: what type of encounter is more effective?

Efrat Zigenlaub and Shifra Sagy’s contribution: Learning the Narrative of the Other. What Type of Encounter is More Effective? compares two types of dialogue groups (intra- and intergroup), among students at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in the academic year of 2016–2017. The intra-group included only Jewish students, whereby the inter-group included Jewish and Bedouin students. Aiming to measure the increase of willingness to reconcile, the authors tested whether interpersonal contact constitutes an advantage or might inhibit the processes of acknowledging the other and their narratives. The findings indicate that the legitimacy of the Palestinian narrative and trust towards Palestinians increased in both groups, while hatred, fear, and anger toward Palestinians decreased. Moreover, feelings of shame among Jewish participants towards Palestinians increased in the intra-group and decreased in the inter-group. Correlations between the different variables strengthened in the intra-group and not in the inter-group, indicating the possibility of developing a more coherent and less confused stance regarding the conflict in the intra-group but not in the inter-group.