Prejudice and Social Distance of Diponegoro University Students in Establishing Inter-Personal Relationship with Members from Different Ethnic Groups

This study aims to measure the social distance and social prejudice of Diponegoro University students in terms of friendship and marriage based on gender. This study uses the intertwining conceptual perspective between identity and social distance. The research method used is a survey involving 415 students from various ethnic backgrounds, which are Javanese, Chinese, Sundanese, Batak, Minang, and Papuan. This study found that 415 students have low social distance in terms of friendship and marriage. In terms of friendship, almost all of the students of Javanese, Chinese, Sundanese, Batak, Minang and Papuan ethnicities do not question establishing friendship with individuals from any ethnic background. A relatively similar condition also occurs in terms of marriage. Both of male and female students are “willing” to marry people from different ethnic backgrounds. A fairly large percentage for “refusal” or unwilling to marry people from different ethnicity is seen in Chinese women, Batak women, Minang women, Papuan women, and Papuan men. Although the percentage of unwillingness to marry people from different ethnicity is relatively small, this finding indicates that there is still social prejudice in the form of avoidance and discrimination, which is rejecting individuals from different ethnic groups.