Realistic Conflict Theory- Prejudice

Question 1

Who proposed the Realistic Conflict Theory and when?

Answer 1

Sherif in 1966

Question 2

What does RCT state about prejudice?

Answer 2

States that when there is conflict between groups, there is prejudice

Question 3

When does conflict occur?

Answer 3

Whenever two or more groups are in competition for the same resources, conflict will occur and prejudice occurs.

Question 4

Describe in/ out groups and conflict.

Answer 4

There will be negative stereotyping against the ‘other’ group and discrimination can occur too.
Any groups competing for the same resources will tend to be in- group and out-group (with the out threatening the in for resources).

Question 5

What supporting evidence does the RCT have?

Answer 5

Supported by sherifs investigation called The Robbers Cave Experiment.

Question 6

When does conflict occur?

Answer 6

Sherif argued that inter group conflict (between groups) occurs when two groups are in competition for limited resources.

Question 7

What application to real life does RCT have? (Aronson et Al 1978, sherifs robbers cave, Rwandan genocide)

Answer 7

-Aronson et Al 1978 introduced competition in classrooms where competition was rife. Using the jigsaw technique, where students were divided into small groups that had to succeed in one group task to ensure the success of the overall class project, they found that levels of competition decreased. This shows removal of competition decreases prejudice and increases likeness.

• Sherif supports this as he also found a reduction in inter group conflict as a result of the removal of competition. Therefore RCT can be applied to real life by helping reduce prejudice between groups in society through the use of superordinate goals.
• RCT can be used to explain real life situations such as the Rwandan genocide. The Tutsi tribe settled peacefully and intermarried with the Hutu tribe of Rwanda, until political rivalry between the groups caused the mass genocide of almost one million Tutsis.

Question 8

AO3- weaknesses of RCT as an explanation of prejudice

Answer 8

• This correlative evidence only shows a link between these factors, other factors could be involved in prejudice and offers no cause and effect explanation.
• However, evidence from Sherif’s own writings about the experiments indicate that groups of boys were becoming hostile towards each other even before the introduction of organised competitive events. So, perhaps the mere presence of another group was sufficient to bring about prejudice, as social identity theory suggests.

Question 9

AO3- strengths of RCT as an explanation of prejudice.

Answer 9

• Carol and Marvin Ember 1992 observed that in tribal societies intergroup hostility increases when social or natural conditions mean that competition for these resources are necessary. During periods of famine or natural disasters, warfare was more likely to ensure access for available scarce resources.
• Similar studies have suggested that when populations expand and land becomes in short supply, conflict and violence increases.
• Sherif’s Robbers Cave experiment found that competition increases hostility between the two groups of 13 year old boys.
  -The study is high in ecological validity as it is based on a summer camp and involves activities commonly carried out on these camps, which strengthens the results.

Question 10

How does the theory suggest to reduce prejudice?

Answer 10

If competing groups work together as one group with the shared goal of achieving the scarce resources, and also increasing the likelihood of the resources being achieved there will be no competition and that will reduce prejudice. To reduce prejudice, superordinate goals can be set up, where the goal can only be achieved by people working together.

Question 11

What increases the likelihood of prejudice?

Answer 11

More likely if the resources are finite. This is called ‘zero sum’ where there is one winner and one loser.

Question 12

What are scarce resources?

Answer 12

Water
Food
Jobs
Territory
Finance

Question 13

What study shows group conflict?

Answer 13

Sherif’s Robbers Cave Experiment

Question 14

Why is RCT significant?

Answer 14

It opposes the social identity theory which suggests that conflict is not realist but based on the irrational needs for identity.

Question 15

What are superordinate goals?

Answer 15

Mutually desirable goals that cannot be obtained without two or more groups participating. This can help reduce conflict, negative stereotypes and discrimination.

Question 16

What is Doty et als 1991 study to support RCT?

Answer 16

They found that in the US levels of authoritarianism varies in the late 70s-80s, depending on the perceived threat from external threats, ie Cold War & Russia, with authoritarianism lower in times when the perceived external threat was perceived to be lower, supporting RCT.

Question 17

Compare SIT and RCT.

Answer 17

-SIT, unlike RCT, suggests competition between groups is not necessary to elicit prejudice between groups.
-RCT can explain why levels of prejudice change, due to raised tensions/conflict; whereas SIT explains differences due to different levels of social identification (reichar and haslam).
-SIT is based on minimal group experiments- conditions ensure that competition is not the main driving force being behaviour in the group. In RCT the groups know each other & competition between groups is actively promoted.
-Both theories have considerable research evidence to support them- SIT has laboratory experiments , RCT have field experiments.
-Both have real life examples to support them & both can be applied to reducing prejudice & have implications for reducing prejudice.
-Both reject dispositional, or personality traits, as an explanation of prejudice & minimise the role of individual differences in prejudice. Both focus on intergroup conflict as a result of social processes & the role of others.