realistic conflict theory Flashcards
RCT AO1 shopping list
- hostility and prejudice is due to conflicting goals and competition overtime over limited resources
- zero-sums fate
- length and severity of the conflict is based upon the
perceived value and shortage of the given resource - superordinate goals
what is RCT?
social psychological model of intergroup conflict. It explains how intergroup hostility and prejudice occurs due to conflicting goals and competition overtime over limited resources. For example, money, land, political power, military protection and social status
prejudice + discrimination
a fixed, pre-determined, usually negative stereotype about a group or an individual based on limited information. It can lead to discrimination where someone acts on their prejudiced attitudes.
zero-sums fate
only one group is the winner and the other is the loser
what does zero-sums fate lead to?
resentment towards the outgroup due to competition over resources
what is the length and severity of the conflict based upon?
the perceived value and shortage of the given resource
superordinate goals
- restores positive relationships
- the rival groups work towards a common goal
why does RCT occur?
when people are competing for survival, they want people like them to survive so their
genetics and beliefs will be passed on to the next generation
give 2 strengths of RCT
Supporting evidence from Sherif et al, matched 2 groups of boys and made them compete against each other to win a trophy to cause conflict. He found that the competition the boys to characterise in group with favourable terms and out-group with words like “stinkers and sissies” and they became physical. Therefore, showing that competition over resources causes zero sums fate, which leads to groups being hostile and prejudiced to one another.
Real life evidence that supports RCT. For example, in times of high unemployment there is usually more racism in people who believe asylum seekers have taken their jobs, which belong to them. Therefore, showing that prejudice and discrimination occurs when people compete for scarce resources like jobs, which are needed in order to survive.
weakness of RCT
there are alternative theories such as social identity theory which may be a better explanation. For example, it suggests the mere presence of another group is enough to cause prejudice, no direct competition is needed. This can be shown by Tajfel who placed schools boys into arbitrary groups and had them allocate points to their group or the other, he found that they consistently awarded more points to their own team. Therefore, suggesting that RCT is narrow and a reductionist explanation and cannot be the sole cause of prejudice as it doesn’t explain why prejudice occurs when there is no competition for resources.
application
High application to society. For example, it offers an explanation to the origin of prejudice, so offers ways to reduce it. You can get rival groups to work towards a common goal, to remove competition (superordinate goals). This is seen in the jigsaw classroom method. Therefore, decreasing discriminatory acts in schools and public between groups
