Title: Can tolerance of diverse groups improve the wellbeing of societies?

Authors: Loay Alnaji; Mahmoud Yousef Askari; Ghaleb A. El Refae

Addresses: Al Ain University of Science and Technology, Building B. Al Ain, United Arab Emirates ' Al Ain University of Science and Technology, Building B. Al Ain, United Arab Emirates ' Al Ain University of Science and Technology, Building B. Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Abstract: People are different, regardless of their assumed similarities, and acknowledging this reality is important for proper communication and interaction. Failing to acknowledge the existence of differences among those with whom we interact could lead to miscommunication, or even conflict in some cases. Thus, a high level of sensitivity is needed to attain sustainable participation in groups and communities, even if those groups or communities are formed by only a few individuals. This paper explores the role of tolerance towards diverse groups on improving the wellbeing of citizens. The paper finds that there is a significant relationship between a society's wellbeing and its tolerance towards diverse groups. The paper is divided into three sections. The first section discusses the literature of tolerance and diversity, Section 2 addresses the sample data used in the study and the statistical analysis. The third and last sections introduce the analysis and the results.

Keywords: diversity; society wellbeing; allophilia; tolerance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEBR.2016.074428

International Journal of Economics and Business Research, 2016 Vol.11 No.1, pp.48 - 57

Received: 16 Sep 2015
Accepted: 26 Oct 2015

Published online: 29 Jan 2016 *

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