Could we improve the relationships between different groups?

We aren't born hating one another and not being accepting of differences. That is something learned. We cannot possibly automatically know to dislike someone just because they are different. We learn that type of behavior from people around us, such as family or friends. Gordon Allport's contact hypothesis raised questions about whether it was possible to improve relationships between people that come from different groups.

There are five conditions that need to be met.

1) Mutual interdependence

2) Common goal

3) Equal status

4) Interpersonal contact

5) Multiple contact

Instead of explaining these one by one, let's add a very interesting study. The Robber's Cave study of 1954. Social psychologists took over a summer camp and asked this question. Can social conflict be created from scratch? Could these boys have conflict with each other without even knowing each other or having any bias toward each other?

The study took place in 1961. There were 22 boys who spent the summer at Robber’s Cave. They were split into two groups (each with 11 boys). None of them knew each other or knew about the existence of the other group. They were similar, coming from Protestant families. The first step was forming identities. The boys had to bond with each other, which they did. They had the group names of (Eagles and Rattlers).

The next part was having competitions between the two groups. Everyone had an identity and stuck with it. The competitions became interesting. They would raid each other’s cabins and sabotage items. Each group retaliated against the other group.

Now that the groups fought with each other, could the conflict be reduced? This is where Gordon’s hypothesis comes into play.

The social psychologists told the boys that they had to work together to get drinking water. This helped, for some time. They had to depend on each other which was the first condition of Gordon’s hypothesis. The common goal was to get the drinking water. At this point in time, they were not Eagles and Rattlers, they were boys who needed water which put them at equal status. They had interpersonal contact and multiple contacts. This helped reduce the tension between both groups.

The idea came that putting people in conflict could become at harmony with each other, only if those five conditions were met. Of course, some boys still saw a division but others were more at peace.

https://www.facinghistory.org/sounds-change/gordon-allports-contact-hypothesis

http://www.understandingprejudice.org/apa/english/page24.htm

http://www.apa.org/monitor/nov01/contact.aspx

https://www.simplypsychology.org/robbers-cave.html

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/literally-psyched/revisiting-the-robbers-cave-the-easy-spontaneity-of-intergroup-conflict/#