Ethnic Diversity and Social Trust: A Narrative and Meta-Analytical Review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ethnic Diversity and Social Trust

T2 - A Narrative and Meta-Analytical Review

AU - Dinesen, Peter Thisted

AU - Schaeffer, Merlin

AU - Sønderskov, Kim Mannemar

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Does ethnic diversity erode social trust? Continued immigration and corresponding growing ethnic diversity have prompted this essential question for modern societies, but few clear answers have been reached in the sprawling literature. This article reviews the literature on the relationship between ethnic diversity and social trust through a narrative review and a meta-analysis of 1,001 estimates from 87 studies. The review clarifies the core concepts, highlights pertinent debates, and tests core claims from the literature on the relationship between ethnic diversity and social trust. Several results stand out from the meta-analysis. We find a statistically significant negative relationship between ethnic diversity and social trust across all studies. The relationship is stronger for trust in neighbors and when ethnic diversity is measured more locally. Covariate conditioning generally changes the relationship only slightly. The review concludes by discussing avenues for future research.

AB - Does ethnic diversity erode social trust? Continued immigration and corresponding growing ethnic diversity have prompted this essential question for modern societies, but few clear answers have been reached in the sprawling literature. This article reviews the literature on the relationship between ethnic diversity and social trust through a narrative review and a meta-analysis of 1,001 estimates from 87 studies. The review clarifies the core concepts, highlights pertinent debates, and tests core claims from the literature on the relationship between ethnic diversity and social trust. Several results stand out from the meta-analysis. We find a statistically significant negative relationship between ethnic diversity and social trust across all studies. The relationship is stronger for trust in neighbors and when ethnic diversity is measured more locally. Covariate conditioning generally changes the relationship only slightly. The review concludes by discussing avenues for future research.

KW - Ethnic diversity

KW - context

KW - immigration

KW - meta-analysis

KW - social trust

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85082427841&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1146/annurev-polisci-052918-020708

DO - 10.1146/annurev-polisci-052918-020708

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1094-2939

VL - 23

SP - 441

EP - 465

JO - Annual Review of Political Science

JF - Annual Review of Political Science

ER -