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Can Appeals For Peace Promote Tolerance and Mitigate Support for Extremism? Evidence from an Experiment with Adolescents in Burkina Faso

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  • Grossman, Allison N.
  • Nomikos, William George
  • Siddiqui, Niloufer

Abstract

Recent efforts to improve attitudes toward outgroups and reduce support for extremists in violent settings report mixed results. Donors and aid organizations have spent millions of dollars to amplify the voices of moderate religious figures to counter violent extremism in West Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Despite this investment, we know little about whether such messaging persuades the primary recruits of violent extremist organizations: at-risk youth in fragile settings. In this paper, we consider whether pro-peace religious messaging can promote social cohesion among school-age respondents in Burkina Faso. Using a survey experiment, we find little evidence that such messages affect reported attitudes or behaviors towards religious extremism and find instead that it can have the unintended effect of increasing intolerance towards ethnic others. Our findings carry lessons about the inadvertent priming of ethnic identities that can result in a backlash effect among certain societal segments.

Suggested Citation

  • Grossman, Allison N. & Nomikos, William George & Siddiqui, Niloufer, 2021. "Can Appeals For Peace Promote Tolerance and Mitigate Support for Extremism? Evidence from an Experiment with Adolescents in Burkina Faso," OSF Preprints 49na5, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:osfxxx:49na5
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/49na5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. William Nomikos, 2020. "Peacekeeping and the Enforcement of Intergroup Cooperation, Evidence from Mali," Empirical Studies of Conflict Project (ESOC) Working Papers 20, Empirical Studies of Conflict Project.
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    4. Scacco, Alexandra & Warren, Shana S., 2018. "Can Social Contact Reduce Prejudice and Discrimination? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Nigeria," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 112(3), pages 654-677.
    5. Condra, Luke N. & Isaqzadeh, Mohammad & Linardi, Sera, 2019. "Clerics and Scriptures: Experimentally Disentangling the Influence of Religious Authority in Afghanistan," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 49(2), pages 401-419, April.
    6. Scacco, Alexandra & Warren, Shana S., 2018. "Can Social Contact Reduce Prejudice and Discrimination? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Nigeria," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 112(3), pages 654-677, August.
    7. Siegel, Alexandra A. & Badaan, Vivienne, 2020. "#No2Sectarianism: Experimental Approaches to Reducing Sectarian Hate Speech Online," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 114(3), pages 837-855, August.
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    1. Grossman, Allison Namias & Nomikos, William George & Siddiqui, Niloufer, 2021. "Can Appeals For Peace Promote Tolerance and Mitigate Support for Extremism? Evidence from an Experiment with Adolescents in Burkina Faso," OSF Preprints 49na5_v1, Center for Open Science.

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