Interactional discrimination: field experiments
Interactional discrimination: field experiments
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Séminaire scientifique de l'OSC 2019-2020
98, rue de l'Université 75007 Paris - salle Annick Percheron
vendredi 31 janvier 2020 de 12h à 13h30
Interactional discrimination: field experiments
Martin Aranguren (Chargé de recherche CNRS)
Unité de Recherches Migrations et Société - URMIS
In this talk, I present evidence in support of the idea of interactional discrimination, which designates forms of disadvantageous treatment that are specific to the realm of social interaction.
I first recall why we need the idea of interactional discrimination.
Secondly, I articulate the logic of an ongoing project on interactional discrimination against Muslims that relies on a series of original field experiments in the metros of Brussels, Paris and Vienna. For simplicity, throughout the talk I focus on the following single question: do women who wear the hijab endure interactional discrimination when they interact with a stranger in a public place?
Methodologically, this question can be answered with two different types of experiment.
Third, I report the methods and results of the project. To date (January 2020), we have been able to complete a series of studies of the first type in Brussels, Paris and Vienna, and one study of the second type in Paris. All our experiments involve a confederate actor who interacts with a stranger on the platform of one from a series of selected metro stations; all interactions are videotaped (but only those that receive consent are processed).
The evidence available to date supports the hypothesis that women who wear the hijab do endure interactional discrimination in Paris.
However, the studies also indicate that the responses to the hijab vary greatly across groups defined by site and sex of the participant, including a number of zero and opposite-sign effects.
