Contact as a tool for peace education? Reconsidering the contact hypothesis from the children’s perspectives

Abstract

The contact hypothesis has arguably been the leading theoretical paradigm for educational interventions in divided societies. However most of the studies with children have been quantitative, focusing on contact outcomes and failing to take account of children’s views. Therefore this paper presents the findings of a qualitative study of 10–11‐year‐old Protestant children from two schools in Northern Ireland. The findings reveal children’s competency in engaging with exploration and explanation of broader societal factors, as well as the contact situation events. Therefore, this paper argues that broader context and children’s perspectives should be considered in any contact situation so that the quality of contact can be improved and planned contact interventions can lead to positive change.

Keywords:

• contact hypothesis
• children
• Bronfenbrenner
• divided societies
• qualitative methodology