Scientific report

The research team of the project “Unpacking the relation between multiculturalism and support for collective action among different minorities and the majority group” brought together an international group of scholars from several European institutions: Francesca Prati (University of Bologna, Italy), Ana Urbiola (University of Granada, Spain), Xenia Poslon (Slovakia Academic of Science, Slovakia) and Jasper Van Assche (Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium). During the funding period, the research team conducted several activities in line with the objectives outlined in the original proposal. Specifically, first, the research team carried out preliminary qualitative exploration to refine the research instruments and ensure that the measures used in the survey would adequately capture participants’ perspectives. In particular, interviews with ethnic minority immigrants and professionals working with migrants were conducted in the different national contexts considered (Spain and Slovakia) as characterized by different immigration policies (according to the MIPEX index). These activities helped identify relevant themes regarding motivations for solidarity and collective action, as well as perceptions of multiculturalism in everyday contexts. Insights from this phase were used to refine questionnaire items and ensure cultural and contextual relevance across the different national contexts.
Second, the research team developed and finalized the quantitative survey instruments based on the theoretical framework of the AMIGAS (Achieving Multicultural Integration of Groups Across Society) model (Urbiola, McGarty & Costa-Lopes, 2022). The questionnaire included measures assessing key constructs such as multicultural/intercultural ideology, multiculturalist identity, perceived compatibility of national identity with diversity, intergroup contact (quantity and quality), intergroup emotions, perceived interdependence, zero-sum beliefs, intergroup attitudes, and support for collective action for social change or for the status quo. Individual-level ideological variables such as meritocratic beliefs were also included, together with contextual indicators.
Following the instrument development phase, the research team implemented large-scale data collection in the countries initially planned in the project. Data were collected using online questionnaires administered through Qualtrics and paying participants through recruitment agencies or NGOs in the different countries. In this regard, the EASP grant was crucial to finalize the data collections with ethnic minority participants in all countries. We first conducted the data collection in Spain, then in parallel in Slovakia and Belgium. We employed the EASP grant where we deemed it was most needed to complete the data collection. We were able to collect approximately 300 participants from ethnic minority non-Muslim groups in each country, resulting in a total dataset of approximately 900 participants across the participating countries. Data collections with 300 advantaged native non-Muslim group in each country are completed in Slovakia and Belgium, whereas we will start it in Spain in September.
Finally, the collected dataset was organized, cleaned, and prepared for statistical analysis. The research team is currently in the data analysis phase. Preliminary results from the ethnic minority sample in the Spanish context showed, as expected, that multicultural ideology and multiculturalist identity were related to lower prejudice toward ethnic and religious outgroup minority and to higher collective action participation in support of Muslims (higher inter-minority solidarity) directly and through intergroup emotions (empathy and hope toward their situation) and perceived discrimination of Muslims. Coalition support and the desire of being supported by Muslims were also predicted by multicultural ideology and multiculturalist identity. Shared victimhood and the perception of having a common enemy mediated these relations. Moreover, meritocratic beliefs moderated the relation of multiculturalism with coalition support, showing that, especially for migrant participants that have low meritocratic beliefs, multiculturalism was associated with greater inter-minority solidarity.
Overall, the project has successfully achieved the main operational goals outlined in the original proposal, including the development and implementation of the research instruments and the collection of a large cross-national dataset that includes both majority and minority group members, to allow for a comparative cross-national design. While one data collection and the data analysis and dissemination phases are still ongoing, the key empirical foundation required to address the research questions has been fully established. The supported activities contribute significantly to the broader research agenda of the grant recipients, which focuses on intergroup relations, multiculturalism, and the psychological mechanisms underlying social change. First, the project expands ongoing research on the AMIGAS model, providing new empirical evidence that includes both majority and minority perspectives as well as inter-minority dynamics. This represents an important extension of previous work that mainly focused on majority group members. Second, the project contributes to the development of new methodological tools, particularly the refinement and validation of measures assessing multicultural commitment across different social groups. These instruments may be used in future research examining multiculturalism, intergroup relations, and social mobilization. Third, the cross-national dataset generated by the project provides a valuable empirical resource for future cross-cultural studies. It enables further analyses on topics such as inter-minority solidarity, perceptions of national identity in diverse societies, and the role of contextual policy environments in shaping intergroup attitudes and collective action.
Finally, the project strengthens the grant recipients’ international research collaborations with scholars working in different European countries. In this vein, we have participated as an international collaboration group in the Spanish national call for research projects in order to continue advancing the work on this topic. Overall, these collaborations support the development of future joint publications, conference presentations, and research proposals focusing on social cohesion and equality in multicultural societies. The findings emerging from this project will therefore contribute not only to academic debates within social psychology but also to the design of evidence-based interventions aimed at promoting inclusive and egalitarian societies.