Date: Tuesday, 18 March 2025, at 12:15 pm
Venue: Seminar Room Bruguier Pacini, DEM
Speaker and Title:
Nitsuh Mengist Nega (University of Siena)
Social Cohesion among Refugees and Host Communities in Ethiopia: A Comparative Analysis
Abstract:
This study applies contact theory to explore how refugee-host interactions are related to their perceptions and attitudes toward each other. Using data from the 2022/23 Socio-Economic Survey of Refugees in Ethiopia (SESRE), it examines two key forms of interaction: economic interactions through Iqqub (informal saving groups) and social interactions through Iddir (traditional Ethiopian social support systems).
The results show that social interaction through Iddir is positively associated with improved perceptions of refugees by hosts, and vice versa. In contrast, economic interactions through Iqqub show no significant correlation with indicators of social cohesion for either group. Notably, the positive association of Iddir with social cohesion persists even among rural and literate host households, who often hold negative views toward refugees.
Therefore, these findings highlight the potential for integrating informal practices like Iddir into policies aimed at promoting social cohesion and provide valuable insights for further research on the nuanced effects of social and economic interactions.