Realistic Conflict Theory: The Theory Of Prejudice In Society

Prejudice can be defined as a negative, hostile attitude toward members of another group, simultaneously resulting in detrimental behaviour towards them. This form of discrimination ranges from minor, unpleasant social exclusions and restrictions to more violent actions, such as ethnic cleansing. People who are prejudiced may or may not display discriminatory behaviour while those who do discriminate may or may not be prejudiced. This entails whether attitudes predict behaviour, a validity of assumption which serves as significant motivation and has also been comprehensively questioned. Such idiosyncrasy, therefore, implies that prejudice and discrimination is not restricted to any particular society.

In modern society, as societies continue

The relative deprivation theory- frequently used to explain ethnic conflict and riots- entails the sense of having less than that to which a person is entitled. Members of a given social group share a sense of injustice and may engage in some form of protest when they perceive a discrepancy between what they believe their group deserves and what they have actually attained. Realistic conflict theory, in contrast, underlies majority of the prejudice and hostility observed between groups. This is further exemplified by Sherif’s summer camp field experiment, which illustrates the creation of intergroup conflict and ethnocentrism through the introduction of real resources. On the one hand, groups competing for scarce assets become unreceptive to each other; on the other hand, people who possess familiar aims have a propensity to cooperate to achieve their common objectives. Similarly, Tajfel’s experiment in intergroup discrimination demonstrates that merely putting people into groups is sufficient enough to introduce conflict and discrimination in favour of one’s own group against the out-group, as both groups aimed to maximise the difference in allocation between them. A sense of superiority and safety can be met by belonging to a preferred in-group and discriminating against the out-group, implying the ease with which intergroup favouritism can be triggered. The mere awareness of the presence

It is unfortunate that prejudices against target groups, such as racial and ethnic minorities, exist and continue to flourish, despite the “informed” modern mind. During the apartheid era, racially segregated sport was a highly conflict-ridden issue, as exemplified by the case of Cape Town cricketer Basil D’Oliviera, a world-class talent who just happened to have the “wrong” skin colour. Disqualified from local first-class cricket on the grounds of race, D’Oliviera went to live in England in 1960, becoming one of the stars of the English team. When he was selected for a 1968 tour of South Africa, the apartheid government barred him – an act of folly that turned South Africa into an international sporting pariah. More than 20 years after the fall of Apartheid, isolation inflicted damage still exists as blacks remain under-represented in cricket, a popular sport in a nation where blacks account for approximately eighty percent of the population. Since South Africa’s readmission to international cricket in 1992, only five blacks have reached the “Test” status, that is, they have played at the highest