Intergroup relations and conflict Flashcards
What is meant by intergroup behaviour?
Any perception, cognition or behaviour that is influenced by peoples recognition that they and others are members of distinct social groups.
What is the important precondition for intergroup aggression to occur?
Relative deprivation
What is meant by relative deprivation?
sense of having less than we feel entitled to.
perceived gap between expectation or entitlements.
Arises from comparisons we make between experiences and expectations
How does relative deprivation lead to social unrest?
Attainments may fall short of rising expectations leading to intergroup aggression.
What does Berkowitz say intergroup prejudice and discrimination is a function of?
Aversive events - that prime the group to become aggressive.
Aggressive associations - e.g situational cues that intensify the feeling of anger.
What are the 2 types of relative deprivation?
Egoistic RD - Feeling of having less than we feel we are entitled to, relative to our personal aspirations or to others.
Fraternalistic RD - Sense that our group has less than it is entitled to, relative to the collective aspirations or other groups.
What is realistic conflict theory?
Groups compete over scarce resources so intergroup relations become marked by conflict and ethnocentrism arises.
What are the types of goals where groups will co-operate according to realistic conflict theory?
Common goal that requires interdependence.
mutually exclusive goals.
What is the Minimal Group Paradigm?
Experimental methodology to investigate effect of social categorisations alone on behaviour.
used to test intergroup conflict in an artificial environment
Describe findings from Minimal Group Paradigm studies.
The mere allocation to a group produced in-group favouritism and competitive intergroup behaviour
What is meant by the social identity theory?
Theory of group membership and intergroup relations based on self-categorisation, social comparisons and the construction of shared self-definitions in terms of in-group defining properties.
What are the features of social identity theory?
People have both social and personal ID
Show in-group favouritism - derive self-enhancements from achievements in the group.
Social categorise provide members with social ID.
What are the 2 key assumptions of Social ID theory?
People are motivated to feel good about themselves
People like to know who they are and how to behave in a social context - reduces uncertainty of not knowing how to behave - membership = prototype of behaviour
How can intergroup relations be improved according to the realistic conflict theory?
existence of super-ordinate goals gradually reduces hostility
- failure to achieve goals = relations worse
How can intergroup relations be improved according to relative deprivation?
lower expectations distract from realising they are frustrated - provide harmless activities to vent frustration
