Realistic Conflict Theory

Question 1

Describe realistic conflict theory

Answer 1

• States that the presence of another group will lead to conflict if they have conflicting goals or competition over limited resources
  3 key components:
  1- Intergroup competition - when 2 groups are aiming for the same goal so prejudice and hostility increases
  2- Negative interdependence - when 2 groups of people who are both trying to achieve the same goal but only one can so obstruct each other’s effort to achieve the goals
  3- Limited resources - competition for: scarce materials (e.g. food), physical resources (e.g. clothes) and symbolic resources (e.g. medal)
• States that superordinate goals (goals achieved through teamwork) can be a solution to competition causing prejudice

Question 2

Supporting research?

Answer 2

P - Sherif’s (1954) study supports
E - He found that when he introduced competition to the boys they became hostile
E - Showing that prejudice can come from competition

Question 3

Criticism of supporting research?

Answer 3

P - Sherif’s study has low generalisability
E - The sample of 12 year old boys from America, matched as closely as possible
E - Not generalisable to whole population or other countries and so isn’t representative of prejudice arising as a result of conflict

Question 4

Application?

Answer 4

P- Social identity theory
E- Suggests that individuals tend to categorise other people on the basis of characteristics such as educational attainment as a means of self-comparison
E- Accounts for the violent behaviour towards our group which SIT doesn’t so RCT is better

Question 5

Weakness of theory?

Answer 5

P - Reductionist
E - Reduces cause of prejudice down to competition for resources and conflict of interest
E - Humans are very complex and so there must be more detail to why prejudice occurs