To help identify actionable solutions to the national social connection crisis, More in Common wants to know: Who is interested in connecting across lines of difference in the US and why? This pilot survey of 1,000 US adults is the first of several we will conduct in the coming months at the national and regional levels to further explore this question.
Key Takeaways
A majority of Americans (72%) agree that we have a responsibility to connect with people who are different from us.
Many Americans express interest in engaging in activities across lines of difference, though levels of interest vary somewhat by outgroup and type of connection.
The more people think others in their community are connecting across lines of difference (the more “normative” this behavior seems), the more interested they are to connect as well. This relationship is stronger for groups that are less inclined to engage, like the Politically Disengaged.
The number one reason cited by Americans who do not actively interact across racial, religious, or socioeconomic differences is lack of opportunity. Exhaustion is the top reason for lack of interaction across political divides.
Polling Firm: YouGov
Sample Size: n=1,000 US Adults (nationally representative)
Fieldwork Dates: August 4-15, 2023
Margin of Error: +/- 3.1 for US avg.
Overview
The United States is facing a crisis in social connection, a critical driver of both individual and community health. At the same time, the US is both increasingly segregated and polarized, making it even more challenging for fellow Americans to engage with one another, especially across lines of difference.
To help identify actionable solutions to this crisis, More in Common wants to know: Who is interested in connecting across difference in the US and why? By understanding the characteristics, beliefs, and behaviors of people based on their interest in connecting across difference, we can help communities develop strategies to strengthen social cohesion at the local level.
Our insights will also contribute to the creation of effective communication strategies that can reach and engage new audiences in bridging and connection work.
The findings in this report are from a national pilot study (N=1,000 US adults), conducted in August 2023, that was launched to aid in the development of a larger national survey. That survey (projected to launch late 2023/early 2024) will build off these findings and provide further insight into our research questions.
Additionally, in 2024, we will conduct regional surveys as well as focus groups in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Houston to understand dynamics of intergroup contact and connection across difference at the local level. We will share new insights as our research progresses over the coming year.
In the meantime, we hope these initial findings spark ideas for how to create new opportunities for connection across difference and inspire confidence that improving intergroup relations is possible.
Check out our webinar with Linda Tropp, PhD and the Walmart Foundation where we discussed the importance of building connections across difference and our initial findings from our research: Who is interested in connecting across difference and why?
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What unites and divides Americans today? This newsletter takes a closer look at issues pressing on America’s social and political fabric and provides recommendations for how to strengthen ties to keep us bound together.
