How do we counter antisemitism? How do we lessen the normalization of antisemitism? How do we cultivate a disposition of allyship among people who appear neutral?
Established by ADL in 2022, the Center for Antisemitism Research (CAR) is designed to answer those questions, and more. Building upon ADL’s century-plus years of antisemitism expertise, CAR leads scholarly investigations and empirical studies to test and develop effective interventions in decreasing antisemitic prejudice. CAR is a convener of academics, fellows and thought leaders collectively advancing the field of antisemitism research.
By studying and testing interventions, we can apply these learnings toward impactful messaging strategies and the development of educational programs and initiatives. By sharing and making public these findings, we create an open forum so other Jewish communal organizations and professionals in the space can leverage tested strategies to reduce antisemitism and shape their own messaging and campaigns.
Through this quarterly series, CAR will communicate its research insights and share the most promising interventions assessed to date.
Predicting Antisemitism | CAR
From 2022 to 2024, CAR researchers ran several studies to isolate and identify cross-demographic predictive factors that correlate with antisemitic sentiment. These factors include levels of conspiratorial thinking, a rigid world view or binary thinking, and an anti-Jewish social environment, among others. These predictive factors indicate the increased probability an individual will agree with anti-Jewish tropes and anti-Israel positions.
Narratives to Reduce Antisemitism | CAR Research Fellows: David Broockman, PhD (UC Berkeley) and Josh Kalla, PhD (Yale)
Sharing narratives about marginalized communities (outgroup members) reduces prejudice.
By showing survey participants brief videos with specific messaging, CAR Research Fellows learned that two narratives specifically were particularly impactful: 1) the featured character has a bad experience clearly associated with discrimination against their identity and 2) the featured character has economic success due to a policy designed to help that identity group. While all the narratives were effective, the videos with those two messages especially resonated, as did videos with a clear conclusion, recapping the issue and presenting a policy recommendation. The research shows the power of storytelling and strategic messaging when it comes to decreasing prejudice.
Narratives to Reduce Antisemitism: Humor as Treatment | Catie Bailard, PhD (GWU), Andrew Thompson, PhD (GWU), and Rebekah Tromble, PhD (GWU)
Using a humorous and a serious version of a narrative, researchers found that the humorous storytelling resulted in greater feelings of sympathy toward Jewish people among conservative Americans, particularly around the perception that they shared values with Jewish people. This research highlights the importance of customizing narratives to specific audiences for maximum impact.
For information on our methodology, click here.
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