Personal Narratives Reduce Negative Attitudes Toward Immigrant Outgroups: Evidence From Kenya

Abstract

Public opposition constitutes an important barrier to refugee and migrant integration in many parts of the world. As a result, scholars have tested a variety of interventions to counteract negative views. We add to the literature on narrative strategies by demonstrating that a light-touch approach—listening to first-person personal narratives from members of an “immigrant outgroup”—can be effective even among those who hold more negative dispositions. We record two personal narratives developed by members of the Somali community in Kenya that highlight: (1) refugee hardships and (2) shared opposition to terrorism. Experimental data from a representative survey in Nairobi show that both treatments have positive effects on intergroup and policy attitudes. The effects are generally as large among those who have more negative predispositions toward Somalis. This approach holds promise as a low-cost, scalable strategy for advocacy organizations seeking to shift attitudes toward immigrant outgroups.