NOVAFRICA in the News: Newspaper Interview with Professor Duncan Webb

NOVAFRICA Resident Member and Nova SBE Professor Duncan Webb was interviewed by Público newspaper on his recent Journal of Political Economy academic article:

“From Silence to Solidarity: How Communication About a Minority Influences Discrimination“

Professor Duncan Webb set out to understand why discrimination persists. His answer came from an unexpected place: neighbors talking to each other.

In Chennai, India, Webb recruited nearly 3,400 participants. He randomly assigned some to discuss with neighbours whether they would hire a trans person; others had no conversation. Then participants chose between a transgender or cisgender person for a free delivery service.

Those without discussions discriminated heavily accepting to lose twice their daily food budget to avoid a trans person. But among those who conversed, discrimination nearly disappeared, with three-person discussions increasing willingness to hire trans individuals by 17 percentage points.

“They persuaded each other not to discriminate,” Webb explains. “People supportive of trans rights were far more vocal.”

Webb also found that informing people about trans legal rights boosted hiring likelihood by 23%—evidence that progressive laws signal social acceptability, not just legal protection.

His takeaway for policymakers: “Identify people willing to speak against discrimination and give them a megaphone.”

Read the Público interview here.

Read the full paper and learn more about @Duncn Webb’s research here.