Alperovich, V. D. Influence of Perception of Kalmyk and Russian Students of Others as ‘Friends’ on Formation of Discriminatory Attitude Towards Representatives of EthnoCultural Groups

Abstract: In today’s unstable social environment and escalation of ethnic conflicts researches of formation and development of ethnic identity supported by, inter alia, ethnic stereotypes and ethnic discrimination of other nations. Cognitive and emotional components of these phenomena create images of the Other from different points of view: Us — Them or Friend –Foe. Nevertheless, the influence of social and psychological aspects of us-them representations on formation of discriminatory attitude to members of other ethnic groups is understudied. The purpose of the present research is to define the interdependence between perceiving someone as the Friend (based on the example of Russian and Kalmyk students) and discriminatory attitude towards representatives of other ethnocultural groups. In this research the author used both quantitative and qualitative methods (subjective scaling, categorical, frequency and cluster analysis). It is shown that Russian and Kalmyk respondents who had different perceptions of the image of Friend had a different attitude to Slavic, Caucasian and Asian nations. This data proves the hypothesis about the influence of the perception of the Other as Friend on formation of discriminatory attitude to other nations. The results of the research can be used for preparation of trainings of interethnic and intercultural tolerance, conflict solution and creation of social and psychological technologies of anti-terrorist activities.

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