In this Unit, we try to assess the level of tolerance towards people from different cultural backgrounds when it comes to having neighbours, work colleagues, school mates, and relationships with people from the other shore. The question was put to the level of how much, or how little, they would mind cultural diversity. 

The survey revealed that 82% of European and 75% of southern and eastern Mediterranean participants consider that they would not mind at all having a person from a different cultural background as a work colleague. We then see 78% and 74%, respectively, confirm that they don’t have any objection to having a neighbour from a different cultural background. Finally, when it comes to close relatives marrying people from a different cultural background, the percentages are quite similar at 65% and 60%.

Let’s explore in this unit our experts’ analyses.

Ricard Zapata-Barrero shows the correlation between the level of people’s appreciation of diversity and the kind of intercultural interaction they have experienced. He highlights that “we register among European respondents that interactions happening through online chatting and within the schools are more likely to produce a positive change of view about the ‘other’ (37% and 32% respectively) and propensity of people to see diversity as a source of prosperity for society (74% and 78.5% respectively) and refuse the idea of it as a potential threat (74% and 80.5% respectively). Among SEM respondents we register a similar level of positive change of view about Europeans when the interaction has taken place in the school, in the neighbourhood or in the public space (57%, 57% and 60% respectively).  However, views about diversity as a source of prosperity for society are mainly registered among those having been exposed to interactions via business and tourism (78%)”.

Femke De Keulenaer observes that respondents with a higher level of tolerance towards the other, compared to those with lower, were more likely to believe that culturally diverse schools would play an efficient role in helping people live better together.

Alpaslan Özerdem finds that respondents in southern and eastern Mediterranean countries with a high level of tolerance have a much stronger belief in the efficiency of the different dialogue measures than respondents in European countries with a similar level of tolerance. These were at the level of 67% for exchange programmes and 63% for inter-religious dialogue programmes, with European levels of 39% and 36%.