Social contexts of exclusionary reactions: study on Muslim and Christian relation in the city of Ambon

This study aims to answer the question of what social context related to attitudes of exclusionary reactions between Muslims and Christians. The data used in this research is resulted from interviews in the city of Ambon. The conceptual framework used to analyze findings of fieldwork is about relationship between ethno-religious identification and exclusionary reactions. In addition, actual or symbolic competition in the political, economic, social and cultural behaviour contributes to exclusionary attitudes. Likewise, the collective memory of the conflict led individuals to have prejudices against out-group members. Based on interview data, this study indicates that exclusionary reactions present in the city of Ambon in the form of social avoidance between Muslim and Christian students and the support for residential segregation. Both of these phenomena related to political and symbolic competition in public institutions such as public universities. Also, social processes of implanting ethno-religious identity in their families have roles in the creation of prejudicial attitudes against out-group members. The collective memory of the conflict also contributes unto the phenomena of social avoidance and support for residential segregation.