Realistic Conflict Theory

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Realistic Conflict Theory

• Political Psychology

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Mustafa Sherif Realist Conflict Theory

• The theory states that intergroup conflict and
  co-operation are the result of responses to real
  or imagined group interests
• Conflict results from conflicting interests.
• Co-operation from sharing the same objective.
• psychclassics.yorku.ca/Sherif/index.htm

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Main Proposition

• Group members behaviour and attitudes will tend
  to reflect the objective interests of groups
  against other groups.
• Brown, R. J., Condor, S., Mathews, A., Wade, G.
  Williams, J. A. (1986). Explaining intergroup
  differentiation in an industrial organisation.
  Journal of Occupational Psychology, 59, 273-86.

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Coal Miners Strike

• Weve always been brought up to respect
  policemen but Ive got no respect for any of them
  now. There was a time when if I saw a policeman
  have a hammering Id go and help him. Id walk
  past and spit in his eye now

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Intergroup Conflict and Intragroup Dynamics

• solidarity and cohesion
• differentiated intragroup structure
• Scapgoating

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Success Breed Cohesion, Failure Lowers Morale

• Myers, A. (1962). Team competition, success, and
  the adjustment of group members. Journal of
  Experimental Social Psychology, 65, 325-32.
• Turner, J. C. , Hogg, M. A., Turner, P. J. and
  Smith, P. M. (1984). Failure and defeat as
  determinants of group cohesiveness. British
  Journal of Social Psychology, 23, 97-111.

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Intergroup Contact

• Intergroup has been seen as a method of improving
  intergroup relations since the 1950s. We have
  witnessed racial desegregation in America and in
  areas of political conflict such as Northern
  Ireland the use of contact between groups has
  been used as a tool to improve community
  relations.
• Sherif (1966, p.88) reports Far from reducing
  conflict , theses situations served as occasions
  for rival groups to berate and attack each
  other.

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Intergroup Co-operation Superordinate Goals

• Positively interdependent Relationships.
• Sherifs Superordinated Goals
• Ryan, A. H. Kahn, A. (1975). Effects of
  intergroup orientation on group attitudes and
  proxemic behaviour. Journal of Personal Social
  Psychology, 31, 302-310.

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The Outcome

• Worchel, S. (1977). Intergroup co-operation and
  intergroup attraction. The effects of previous
  interaction and outcome of combined effort.
  Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 13, 2,
  131-140.