RSW 2

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RSW 2

• Intergroup Contact and Conflict Reduction

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Last Week

• Social Identity Theory
• Identity as a continuum
• Identity and religion
• Applying SIT to Northern Ireland

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Categorisation and Self-enhancement

• Categorisation
• Defines group boundaries
• Produces stereotypical and normative group
  perceptions
• Self-enhancement
• Ensures that stereotypes produced in
  categorisation favour the in-group

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Negative Stereotypes and Prejudice
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Intergroup Conflict

• Brewer (2001) - Competition for resources
  promotes negative out-group attitudes
• Change from in-group identification to
  co-operative interdependence to intergroup
  conflict is progressive

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Realistic Conflict Theory (Sherif, 1962)
Limited resources
Conflict between groups
Prejudice and Discrimination
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Robbers Cave (Sherif, 1961)

• Eagles vs. Rattlers
• Reduction of intergroup contact
• Group cohesion increased
• Competitive activities introduced
• Intergroup hostility ensued

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The Contact Hypothesis

• Concerned with reducing intergroup prejudice and
  discrimination
• Necessary conditions for success
• Support of authority figure
• High levels of acquaintance potential
• Equal status interactions
• Co-operative interdependence between groups

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Robbers Cave
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Contact Hypothesis 2 Further Conditions

• Multiple members
• Disconfirms stereotypes of entire group
• Informal setting
• Groups interact in a relaxed way where
  understanding and knowledge sharing are
  facilitated

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Decategorisation

• Brewer Miller (1984)
• In- and out-group categorisations cause
  deindividuation
• Out-group members viewed as undifferentiated
  representatives of a social category
• Interactions should therefore focus on personal
  characteristics

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Recategorisation

• Promotes a new, inclusive identity of which both
  groups can claim membership
• Us and Them become We
• But there are problems with both
  decategorisation and recategorisation

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Mutual Differentiation

• Hewstone Brown (1986)
• Co-operative interactions promote intergroup
  distinctiveness
• Seeks to maintain social identities and positive
  distinctiveness
• Groups should have distinct but complimentary
  roles

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Conflict Contact in Northern Ireland

• Conflict based on the interrelation on multiple
  social, economic, and political aspects
• Limited opportunities for contact
• Segregation is important in perpetuating the
  conflict

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Conflict Contact in Northern Ireland

• Cairns Dunn (1995) positive correlation
  between cross-community contact and attitudes to
  the out-group
• Pettigrew (1997) cross-group friendships reduce
  prejudice
• Stephen Stephen (1985) contact related to
  reduced intergroup anxiety

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Conflict Contact in Northern Ireland

• Hewstone et al. (2005) cross-community
  friendships related to reduced prejudice,
  increased trust and forgiveness

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Summary

• Negative stereotypes and prejudice
• Prejudice and intergroup conflict
• Realistic Conflict Theory
• Sherifs Robbers Cave Experiment
• Contact Hypothesis

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Summary

• Conditions necessary for success of Contact
  Hypothesis
• Decategorisation, recategorisation, mutual
  differentiation
• Conflict and contact in Northern Ireland