Doctoral Dissertation Research: Native and Non-Native Group Interactions

哈佛大学威廉·威尔逊杰弗里·丹尼斯虽然许多研究都考察了黑人和白人的关系以及大城市中新移民的融入问题，但最近很少有人关注土著和非土著之间的关系。这个项目调查了安大略省北部一个小镇的原住民、梅蒂斯人和非原住民在日常生活中如何建造和谈判边界和桥梁。最初的观察揭示了一个悖论：高水平的跨群体婚姻、友谊和合作似乎与普遍的偏见和歧视共存。这一发现似乎违反了社会科学中的主导范式，即持续的群体间接触应该打破种族偏见(Allport，1954；Pettigrew&Amp；Tropp，2006)。为了理解这种矛盾局面背后的机制，调查者采用了三种研究方法，包括对当地志愿团体和社区活动的18个月的参与者观察，对该地区居民的120次深入采访，以及一个创新的“照片之声”项目(Wang等人，1996)，在该项目中，12名原住民、梅蒂斯人和白人居民被给予相机，并要求他们以“身份”和“边界和桥梁”为主题拍照并讨论照片。这项研究的结果将有助于说明，在其他情况下(例如奴隶制和种族隔离或移民排斥的历史)，为解释种族关系而发展的理论在多大程度上改善了我们对这种情况的理解或需要修改。更广泛地说，北美的未来取决于今天土著和非土著人民修复他们之间关系的能力，他们的关系在历史上受到殖民主义和强迫同化政策的破坏。这项研究的见解可能对在安大略省北部以外的地区改善群体互动和克服种族主义具有实际意义，在那里土著人口和非土著人口在类似的历史背景下共存。

SES-0927042William WilsonJeffrey DenisHarvard UniversityWhile many studies have examined black-white relations and the incorporation of new immigrants into big cities, few recently have focused on indigenous-non-indigenous relations. This project investigates how First Nations, Métis and non-Native residents of a small town in Northern Ontario construct and negotiate boundaries and bridges in their daily lives. Initial observations reveal a paradox: high levels of inter-group marriage, friendship and collaboration appear to co-exist with pervasive prejudice and discrimination. This finding seems to violate the dominant paradigm in social science whereby ongoing inter-group contact should break down racial bias (Allport, 1954; Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006). To understand the mechanisms underlying this paradoxical situation, the investigator applies three research methods, including 18 months of participant-observation in local voluntary groups and community events, 120 in-depth interviews with area residents, and an innovative "photovoice" project (Wang et al, 1996) in which 12 First Nations, Métis and white residents were given cameras and asked to take and discuss pictures on the themes of "identity" and "boundaries and bridges." The results of this study will help illuminate the degree to which theories developed to explain race relations in other contexts (e.g., histories of slavery and segregation or immigrant exclusion) improve our understanding in this case or require revision. More broadly, the future of North America depends on the ability of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people today to repair their relationship, historically damaged by colonialism and forced assimilation policies. Insights from this study may have practical implications for improving group interactions and overcoming racism in settings well beyond Northern Ontario where indigenous and non-indigenous populations co-exist in similar historical contexts.