Key Question

Question 1

Identify your key question

Answer 1

How can knowledge of social psychology be used to reduce conflict in situations such as rioting and crowd behaviour

Question 2

Describe your key question

Answer 2

Examples of negative situations in society:
-rioting behaviour is public disturbance involving 3 or more persons engaging in acts of violence with a clear and present danger of damage to properly or injury to people
-football hooliganism is when rivalry between 2 teams can spill into violence after a match. The teams wear colours to identify them on the pitch. An example of this happening is when Manchester City fans invaded the pitch after winning the premiere league and a Villa keeper got assaulted, resulting in 2 men being charged.
-protests can also cause conflict- incidents like George floyd’s death can become a triggering moment because it symbolises a broader experience amongst a larger group of people about the relationship between the police and the black community

Question 3

Why is this an important issue for society?

Answer 3

-crowd behaviour has negative effects that are damaging to local businesses and property as well as resulting serious injury and death. Also if it is not controlled and managed early on in the situation, it can escalate very quickly as more people hear about it and join in causing more damage

Question 4

Explain how social identity theory can be used to explain rioting and crowd behaviour

Answer 4

-an in group is the group you believe to belong to and identify with, an out group is everyone else who is not in your group
-social categorisation is when we categorise ourselves and others as members of particular social groups to aid understanding. It tells us things about other people and we find out things about ourselves. Next is social identification where we adopt the identity of the group we categorised ourselves as belonging to. We behave in ways we believe are appropriate to the identity, by dressing or acting in accordance. Finally social comparison where we compare ourselves with other groups, showing ingroup favouritism and out group negative bias. Outgroups need to compare well against others to maintain self esteem

Question 5

Explain how realistic conflict theory can explain rioting and crowd behaviour

Answer 5

-Inter group competition is when 2 or more groups are striving for the same goal, causing prejudice and hostility to intensify. Negative interdependence occurs in situations when two groups of people are both seeking to achieve a goal which is important for them both but only one can win. Therefore football groups competing for same goal of winning.

Question 6

Evaluate your key question

Answer 6

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