Rekindling family history can trigger empathy for refugees, study shows

Descendants of refugees are more likely to back measures in support of incoming asylum-seekers if they are reminded of their forefathers' experience, according to a new study which suggests that leveraging past experience can be an effective way of increasing empathy and reducing out-group discrimination.

"Our study shows that perspective-taking, in other words making someone see the world through the eyes of an out-group, actually does work and that it works better - and more cheaply - when we are able to harness history and family background," said Elias Dinas, political scientist at the European University Institute (EUI) currently on leave from Oxford University, who conducted the survey with Vasiliki Fouka of Stanford University.

The survey was carried out in Greece's northern Macedonia region, which received the largest numbers of Greek Orthodox refugees...