ABSTRACT
How people construct their identities has important implications for those who are included and excluded from the social group. Therefore, when seeking to bring together divided groups, a powerful intervention strategy is to draw upon a sense of similarity or shared identity with those considered the “other”. In this chapter we will explore interventions which attempt to redraw the boundaries between opposing groups by highlighting a sense of shared values, memberships, and identities. We provide an overview of the theoretical rationale underpinning these interventions’ design and review empirical evidence attesting to their effectiveness for both minority and majority status groups. We then draw from applied research conducted in multicultural environments, as well as conflict and post-conflict societies, to discuss the potential challenges faced by practitioners designing and implementing policies and interventions that induce members of differing groups to see themselves as members of a common, more inclusive, group.
