Սոցիալական հեռավորության չափման՝ Բոգարդուսի սանդղակի կիրառման յուրահատկությունները

Research methods employed in the study of inter-ethnic relations vary significantly. Modern information technologies have made data available to thousands of individuals, shaping their opinions about different ethnic groups. This, in turn, can have significant political, economic, and cultural implications. One commonly used research method for studying inter-ethnic relations is the social distance cumulative scale developed by E. Bogardus, an American sociologist who introduced this scale in 1925. The fundamental concept behind this scale is as follows: the willingness to engage in social interactions within a particular social environment is an indicator of the existence of social distance between individuals. Based on the extent of the distance, the following questions have been selected for the standardized questionnaire. 1. Would you accept individuals from other nationalities as your spouse or relative? 2. Do you accept individuals from other nationalities as friends? 3. Would you accept individuals from other nationalities as your neighbors? 4. Do you accept colleagues from other nationalities? 5. Can individuals from other nationalities be regarded as fellow citizens in your country? 6. Would you welcome individuals from other nationalities as guests in your country? 7. I prefer not to see them in my country. The sample of the research study conducted in the United States spanning 1926, 1946, 1956, and 1966 involved the participation of 40 ethnic communities, including the Armenian Diaspora. Comparative analysis of the data collected during the research studies conducted in 1926 and 1966 revealed a shift in the social distance ranking of Armenians, dropping from the 16th place to the 20th. Bogardus attributed this shift to the negative attitudes Armenians held towards Turkish people, despite no direct interactions with them. These negative attitudes had been influenced by accounts from witnesses of the Armenian Genocide. This information was gathered through interviews with survey participants following the scaling process. The author notes that those materials are more interesting, and the standardized data is “colorless”. In 2013, a study was conducted among students at the Archangelsk State University in the Russian Federation using this method. The questionnaire included 30 nationalities, including Armenians, and participants from various humanities disciplines, such as sociology, journalism, PR, and public relations, took part in the surveys. In that list of ethnic groups, Armenians were ranked 23rd (4.78 points). The results of this research provided evidence that even within specialized fields, ethnic stereotypes were challenging to overcome. These findings underscore the significance of taking ethnic stereotypes into account as a substantial element in shaping attitudes toward other ethnic groups when employing this scale for the study of inter-ethnic relations.