Predictors of Macro Socio-Ecological Factors Affecting Minority-Muslims and Majority Non-Muslim Anglo Communities’ Perceptions of Each Other

This study was carried out to determine if macro-level factors (namely, demographic and ecological factors) influence self-perceived social distance and actual social practice with individuals of different faith communities among tertiary students in Australian universities. The response drew several critical revelations, including 2 key findings: 1. Muslim and non-Muslim respondents largely befriend individuals of similar faith backgrounds, although non-Muslims were far more likely to be indifferent towards the religious beliefs of their immediate social circle. 2. Respondents with highly religious social circles reported a clear preference against befriending individuals of different faiths. Muslims were mainly reluctant to befriend non-Muslims, whereas non-Muslims were slightly less apprehensive. The findings presented in this study demonstrate the complexity and dynamism of intergroup contact, traditionally termed social distance, that has distinct implications for social integration. Whereas negative attitudes provide insight into the affective evaluation of a particular group, measures of social distance directly assess the impact of contact on the structural integration of groups. Given its inherently relational focus, this is an important direction for work on intergroup contact.