The habitual, spatial and temporal conditions of everyday youth intergroup contact in an ethnically diverse city

There is substantial evidence that positive intergroup contact can reduce prejudice. Most everyday interactions, however, are not deliberately structured to be positive, and individuals do not always engage in intergroup contact even when there is opportunity. The present research adopts a qualitative approach to understand how youth negotiate everyday contact with outgroup friends and acquaintances in the ethnically diverse city of Bradford, England. We explore how youth intergroup interactions manifest in everyday life, how urban spaces facilitate or inhibit them, and the psychological processes involved. A total of 33 youth aged 16-18 (16 Asian, 14 White, 1 Black, 1 Arab, 1 mixed race) took part in a photography project and focus group sessions, and nine of those youth (4 Asian, 3 White, 1 Black, 1 Arab) took part in follow-up walking interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings demonstrated the habitual nature of everyday intergroup contact and the complex negotiations youth engage in to socialise with outgroup friends. They also highlight how space perceptions influence the maintenance of cross-ethnic friendships and are shaped by past experiences and memories. Our research has implications for understanding everyday unstructured interactions and the spatial and temporal factors that influence youth intergroup contact.