Interreligious Friendships in Italian Multicultural Schools

Using Allport’s Contact Theory (ACT) and Intergroup Friendship Theory framework, this chapter delves into empirical research, promoted by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC) and conducted within Northern Italy’s multicultural secondary schools, where students with a migrant background are concentrated. We aim at exploring\r\nintergroup friendships in school environments, while considering the impact\r\nof religious identity on the attitudes of the students with different backgrounds\r\nattending Italian schools. The use of qualitative methods seems vital to grasp the intricate interreligious interactions in intergroup contacts, aiding the understanding of the complex relationships and perspectives shaping ethnic and religious divides.\r\nBased on seven focus groups with 74 adolescents aged 11–14, our analysis\r\nexplores whether student’s cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity facilitates\r\nor inhibits intergroup friendships, taking into accounts diverse factors (i.e.,\r\nethnicity, religion, gender, and citizenship) and attempting to sketch a more\r\ncomplex analysis of the dynamics between majority and minority groups\r\nwithin the institutional and regulated school environment.