realistic conflict theory Flashcards
realistic conflict theory
- explanation of prejudice which sees competition for limited resources as a key determinant of intergroup relation
- explains feelings of prejudice and discrimination towards the outgroup
4 components of realistic conflict theory
- intergroup competition
- negative interdependence
- limited resources
- positive interdependence and superordinate goals
intergroup competition
- prejudice arises from competition
- when 2 groups are striving for the same goal, prejudice and hostility will intensify
example of competition
political power
winning pub quiz
when is intergroup competition seen often
- competitive sports
- e.g, 2 teams compete for place in regional finals, animosity between players and fans increases
negative interdependence
occurs in situations where 2 groups of people are both seeking to achieve a goal that is important for both of them, but only 1 group can acheive the goal
what does negative interdependence cause
conflict of interest
when negative interdependence arises, what will members of of the opposing group feel towards each other
- hostile
- antagonistic
when negative interdependence occurs what will members of the same team feel towards each other
- solidarity
- cooperative
what can lead to being treated unfavorably or favourably
- whether you’re perceived as a collaborator or a competitor
limited resources
competitions between groups may be for :
- scarce material
- physical resources
- symbolic resources
with limited resources, where will the highest levels of discrimination occur
physical and scarce resources
how can prejudice that arises through intergroup conflict be reduced
- working cooperatively to accomplish a common goal
positive interdependence
occurs when neither group can reach its goal unless the other group reaches theirs
superordinate goals
goals which can only be achieved through intergroup cooperation
what do superordinate goals help to do
- reduce prejudice
- encourages favourable perceptions of the opposing groups
- encourage harmonious intergroup interactions
example of intergroup competition Sherif et al
prejudice arose between rattlers and eagles by tug of war, baseball in friction phase
example of negative interdependence Sherif et al
- discrimination occured between the 2 groups as they both wanted to win
- they threw rocks at each other
- eagles burnt rattler flag
- ‘stinkers’
limited resources Sherif et al
winners of competitions won trophies, medals, pocket knifes - both teams wanted this prize but only 1 could get it = limited
positive interdependence and superordinate goals - sherif
- fixing broken water tank
- pull broken truck back to camp
- pooling resources to watch a film
- groups couldn’t do this separately so had to work together - reduced friction, e.g they could sit together at meal times
zero sums fate
only 1 group can win and the belief that the ingroup should win at all costs
strengths - evidence
sherif
strengths - real life evidence
- when people compete for jobs, houses
- rise in hostility
- in times of high unemployment, there may be higher levels of racism
strengths - compared to social identity theory
- more optimistic
- suggests prejudice can be reduced
- if resources were plentiful, prejudice would be minimal
evidence appliaction
Aronson’s jigsaw classroom -
- divides work between groups by assigning 1 member of each 1 piece of information they must learn and teach to rest of group
- members will cooperate and encourage each other by asking questions as they need this info too
weaknesses
- though RCT says scarce resources causes prejudice, it is just a theory
- there isn’t a way to measure the exact cause of prejudice so it is hard to say if scarce resources are the cause or consequence of prejudice
weaknesses - Tyerman and Spencer
- divided English boy scouts who all knew each other into 4 patrols
- competition remained friendly throughout and friendship ties remained across groups
- prejudice may be caused by factors other than competition
weakness - competition
- competition may not be necessary to create prejudice, as in-group identification can account for intergroup hostility, e.g Sherif
how can social identity theory contradict RCT
- prejudice can be explained by our tendency to classify ourselves as part of a group
- mere presence of another group could cause prejudice
