PART D: THEMES & CONTEXTS OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOG Y
CHAPTER 19: RACE AND INTERGROUP RELATIONSHIPS
Using contact theory to study & intervene in situations to improve intergroup relationships
Progressive psychologists working for social change in a racially oppressive society developed Contact Theory
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF CONTACT THEORY
20th century: African Americans in Southern states lived in system of apartheid with a segregated schooling system
Civil rights lawyers & social scientists challenged segregation in BROWN vs. BOARD of EDUCATION case
Psychological evidence persuaded supreme court justices to stop school segregation
Psychologists had to show court whether it was possible to desegregate schools immediately/first change prejudice attitudes so
social conflict wouldn’t result
Contact theory developed as psychologists obtained evidence showing intergroup contact itself can reduce prejudice
1955: supreme court mandated racially segregated schools be eliminated
The ruling set scene for 1960s USA Civil Rights Movement & gave impetus to social psychological research on intergroup contact
Allport’s 1954 book ‘The Nature of Prejudice’ championed intergroup contact as a tool for prejudice reduction
Text was culmination of applied work by psychologists to effect social change = in doing so the discipline of
social psychology was changed
Book changed focus of study from the prejudice target to the prejudiced perceiver = question how ‘they’ differ
from ‘us’ & how ‘their’ difference is problematic was changed regarding such perceptions as problematic
Allport’s Contact Hypothesis suggested intergroup contact would only reduce prejudice under optimal conditions:
Prejudice may be reduced by equal status contact between majority/minority groups in pursuit of common goals
Effect is greatly enhanced if contact is sanctioned by institutional supports (ex. law, custom/local atmosphere)
that leads to perception of common interests/common humanity between members of the 2 groups
Yinger & Simpson 1973: prejudice is sometimes explained as result of the lack of contact with members of a minority
group & sometimes explained as result of the presence of such contact
Intergroup contact could produce both positive/negative outcomes = aim of contact research has been to uncover
the social psychological conditions that lead to favourable intergroup contact
Fostering positive attitudes & reducing conflict potential include intergroup contact characterised as:
Between groups of equal status
Occurring regularly/frequently
Having a balance of in-group & out-group members
Being intimate enough for potential friendship development
Being cooperative or (at least) free from competition
Being normatively/institutionally supported
Studies shown increased intergroup contact is associated with decreased levels of prejudice
Contact interventions are a vital tool community psychologists can use to plan interventions to reduce intergroup
conflict in organisational, institutional & community settings
Various contact models used as interventions in conflict situations
a. De-categorisation Model (DCM)
Contact interventions seeking to create intergroup friendships seen as subscribing to DCM of social change
Proposes categorisation of people into distinct groups can result in bias = category salience should thus be
reduced in intergroup contact situations
Typically attempt to create intergroup situations where Allport’s (1954) optimal contact conditions apply = namely
cooperation, common goals, intimacy & equal status
These situations create opportunities to know out-group members as individuals & facilitate friendship
formation/reduction of prejudice/conflict
CHAPTER 19: RACE AND INTERGROUP RELATIONSHIPS
Using contact theory to study & intervene in situations to improve intergroup relationships
Progressive psychologists working for social change in a racially oppressive society developed Contact Theory
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF CONTACT THEORY
20th century: African Americans in Southern states lived in system of apartheid with a segregated schooling system
Civil rights lawyers & social scientists challenged segregation in BROWN vs. BOARD of EDUCATION case
Psychological evidence persuaded supreme court justices to stop school segregation
Psychologists had to show court whether it was possible to desegregate schools immediately/first change prejudice attitudes so
social conflict wouldn’t result
Contact theory developed as psychologists obtained evidence showing intergroup contact itself can reduce prejudice
1955: supreme court mandated racially segregated schools be eliminated
The ruling set scene for 1960s USA Civil Rights Movement & gave impetus to social psychological research on intergroup contact
Allport’s 1954 book ‘The Nature of Prejudice’ championed intergroup contact as a tool for prejudice reduction
Text was culmination of applied work by psychologists to effect social change = in doing so the discipline of
social psychology was changed
Book changed focus of study from the prejudice target to the prejudiced perceiver = question how ‘they’ differ
from ‘us’ & how ‘their’ difference is problematic was changed regarding such perceptions as problematic
Allport’s Contact Hypothesis suggested intergroup contact would only reduce prejudice under optimal conditions:
Prejudice may be reduced by equal status contact between majority/minority groups in pursuit of common goals
Effect is greatly enhanced if contact is sanctioned by institutional supports (ex. law, custom/local atmosphere)
that leads to perception of common interests/common humanity between members of the 2 groups
Yinger & Simpson 1973: prejudice is sometimes explained as result of the lack of contact with members of a minority
group & sometimes explained as result of the presence of such contact
Intergroup contact could produce both positive/negative outcomes = aim of contact research has been to uncover
the social psychological conditions that lead to favourable intergroup contact
Fostering positive attitudes & reducing conflict potential include intergroup contact characterised as:
Between groups of equal status
Occurring regularly/frequently
Having a balance of in-group & out-group members
Being intimate enough for potential friendship development
Being cooperative or (at least) free from competition
Being normatively/institutionally supported
Studies shown increased intergroup contact is associated with decreased levels of prejudice
Contact interventions are a vital tool community psychologists can use to plan interventions to reduce intergroup
conflict in organisational, institutional & community settings
Various contact models used as interventions in conflict situations
a. De-categorisation Model (DCM)
Contact interventions seeking to create intergroup friendships seen as subscribing to DCM of social change
Proposes categorisation of people into distinct groups can result in bias = category salience should thus be
reduced in intergroup contact situations
Typically attempt to create intergroup situations where Allport’s (1954) optimal contact conditions apply = namely
cooperation, common goals, intimacy & equal status
These situations create opportunities to know out-group members as individuals & facilitate friendship
formation/reduction of prejudice/conflict
