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By comparing data from three experiments in the UK and the Netherlands, PhD researcher Yi Sheng and her co-authors found that when ethnic issues are more salient - often triggered by major social events - majority group tends to act more kindly toward individuals from minority groups. Yi: "The research showed that after events that brought high salience to ethnic issues - such as the rise of the worldwide #BlackLivesMatter movement - people with majority background were more likely to treat individuals from ethnic minority groups with greater kindness.

People who live near a refugee center tend to develop a more positive attitude to asylum seekers compared to people who live further away. They are also less likely to support anti-immigration parties. This is the conclusion of research conducted by economist Sigrid Suetens and her team. The study suggests that this positive attitude is a result of contact between local residents and refugees.

Today, the Netherlands is holding its elections, a crucial opportunity for every Dutch citizen to express their satisfaction or discontent with society through vote. Unfortunately, there is a tendency for marginalized groups, including Muslims, to abstain from voting despite the significance of this democratic process.

In a couple of weeks, Dutch citizens aged 18 and above will be participating in an upcoming election. What are the opinions of adolescents and young adults when it comes to politics'. Erasmus SYNC Lab investigated this in collaboration with the Hot Politics labs from the University of Amsterdam. The findings reveal that less than one in three young people (30%) are interested in Dutch politics.

People often feel strongly about politics and this drives their behaviour. For instance, anxiety often motivates people to learn more about a political issue and anger brings us to the voting booth. But we know relatively little about where these emotions come from or how to predict them. Political scientist Isabella Rebasso studied political emotions and found they do not follow the usual pattern of emotions, as we know them in everyday life.

In a collaborative effort involving researchers from the Hot Politics Lab and the SYNC Lab EUR have unveiled intriguing insights into the political attitudes of Dutch adolescents and young adults aged 10 to 25 residing in Rotterdam. The findings shed light on how the youth perceive and engage with politics, offering valuable implications for the future of democracy.

What is the dynamic between political debate in the Dutch House of Representatives and reactions, commentary and framing on social media? Academics of the Utrecht University Faculty of Humanities and Data School, investigated this question. The researchers analysed data from various public sources: publicly accessible groups and accounts on X (previously Twitter) and Telegram where the Dutch language is used.

According to research by linguists Leo Lentz and Henk Pander Maat (Utrecht University), a simpler speech from the throne is better understood and more positively assessed. Lentz and Pander Maat rewrote the 2022 Dutch speech from the throne, leaving the content unchanged but the wording more accessible.

More and more often Utrecht researchers experiment with citizen science, research that involves collaboration with citizens. For instance, by having them collect data. PhD candidate Fleur Froeling went one step further: she asked Dutch people which subject they would like to research scientifically, and involved a group of citizens in every step of the process.

An anti-gay protest by Muslims elicits more sympathy for the LGBTQ+ community than when it is organized by natives. This is especially true if the observer already held a negative view of ethnic minorities, according to an experimental study conducted by political scientists Alberto López Ortega and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte (University of Southampton) among over 2,300 British and Spanish citizens.

There is reasonably broad support among Dutch voters for a basic income, according to new research by sociologists at Tilburg University. However, this must be subject to conditions. Most proponents favor a "participation income," available to everyone on the condition that a social task is performed, like volunteer work, informal care or an education.

marks the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Historians Harm Kaal and Jelle van Lottum are presenting a 180-page edition of the Journal of Applied History devoted in its entirety to the Russio-Ukrainian war and how history is being used as a weapon in this conflict.

Historian Lorena De Vita unravels impact of local and global security issues of 1952 In 1952, now 70 years ago, Wassenaar was the scene of a historic breakthrough.

With flags hanging upside down all over the country, trust in politics seems to have reached an all-time low. The nitrogen crisis, along with the housing crisis, problems around asylum housing, the settlement of the benefits affair, the Covid-19 crisis and the Groningen earthquake damage, are all major challenges for the government's reputation.