Social psychologists often ensure that groups achieve different required objectives in the required time and with which they were formed for. Therefore as groups constitute different members, there is often need to employ different tools to foster intergroup relations which are key towards working in unity towards fulfilling those particular objectives (Miles, Eleanor, " Richard, pg. 6). Contact, cooperation, and communication strategies have been one of the most integral tools that have been used by social psychologists in ensuring intergroup relations are enhanced. This paper is with modest effort to analyze contact strategies; cooperation strategies and communications strategies’ effectiveness in upholding intergroup relations which are constituted by different individuals hence acknowledgment and respectfulness are enhanced.
Discussion
Intergroup contact as illustrated in the contract theory is an integral tool that social psychologists use to foster and strengthen intergroup relations. Contact improves attitudes towards a wide of range of stigmatized groups such as homosexuals, individuals with psychiatric disorders, ethnic and racial profiling (Durrheim, Kevin " John, pg.367). As members interrelate and work together, intergroup prejudice is reduced to a greater extent compared to that group where contact is limited. As Allport 1954 eludes, contact positive results on intergroup relations greatly lie on four major conditions that automatically guarantee it as an effective tool by social psychologists to enhance intergroup relations. Equal status creates equality among the group, intergroup cooperation to unity all members, working towards achievement of same goals and support from institutional authorities for effective relations between member groups who are either different with regards to race, ethnic group or background are the four condition enhanced in contact strategies. This drives achievement and accomplishment of the general goals set up to be fulfilled by the groups implying that contact strategies as employed by the social psychologists are very integral in intergroup relations since each and every member is treated equally hence fostering positive relations(Durrheim, Kevin " John, pg.368).
.The potency of cooperation on improving intergroup relations has apparently been seen being used by social psychologists. This has been a key element in the Allport version. Cooperation through intergroup contact is beneficial in the in that it helps to reduce intergroup conflicts as well as helping in achieving intergroup harmony (Miles, Eleanor, " Richard, pg.7). This is enhanced by the fact that there exists equality of status within constituent members, cooperativeness of the members, common goals and efficient support from the authorities. In addition to that it reinforces members within a group due to its ability to arouse cognitivity juxtaposed with its typically negative attitudes that individuals who are group members hold towards out-groups. Therefore the attempts to have this dissonance resolved, initiation of rationalization as well as justification, improves attitudes against out group members especially those that are not involved acting as competitions to the group.This is perfectly explained during the World War II in the USA when the black and White soldiers integrated towards fighting a common enemy despite racial differences (Zoogah Raymond , " Oded, pg. 268).. This was simply because cooperation creates mutual interdependence as it creates positive interracial attitudes where each and every member in the groups aims towards achieving one common goal. Therefore he or she is supported by the group members in unison towards accomplishing the goals. Therefore cooperation is an effective tool for improving the intergroup relations within society as used by a social psychologist.
It is clear that communication and social psychology has vividly examined and illustrated which intergroup relations in terms of attitudes and stereotypes affect message production especially the linguistic details incorporated in the message (Zoogah Raymond , " Oded, pg. 244). In most occasions, the most productive paradigms revolve around the linguistic intergroup bias as well as its associated linguistic expectancy bias. Communication through language in form of ethnophaulisms manifests attitudes that enable different individuals to describe ethnic groups or individuals from a particular group helping in the strengthening of ties due to effective member identification hence respect for all. In addition to that communication prevents hate speech and enhances the idea of politically correct speech that portrays respect and appreciation of a particular group (Keblusek, Howard " Anne, pg. 632). Thus through communication, one particular group or individual is able to strengthen or weaken inter-group relations that results into various conflicts and hatred. This is the reasons why most ancient psychologists established a unique communication focused body of a variety of work to aid in the intergroup processes and relations due to its ability to foster stable and beneficial group interactions
Conclusion
Contact, cooperation, and communication strategies are integral elements that social psychologists adopt in fostering positive intergroup relations whereby the members within different individual groups are able to work in unison to accomplish common goals. Contact strategies are effective since they are enforced by the prevalence of equality status, intergroup cooperation, common goals and support from established institutional paradigms. Cooperation strategies create positive interactive strategies that enable diversified groups to work together in fulfillment of a given objective. Finally, communication strategy, on the other hand, ensures that all members are acknowledged and respected due to available information of various linguistics aspect hence encouraging cooperation and minimum conflicts within the group.
Work cited
Durrheim, Kevin, and John Dixon. "Intergroup contact and the struggle for social justice." The Oxford handbook of social psychology and social justice (2018): 367.
Keblusek, Lauren, Howard Giles, and Anne Maass. "Communication and group life: How language and symbols shape intergroup relations." Group Processes " Intergroup Relations 20.5 (2017): 632-643.
Miles, Eleanor, and Richard J. Crisp. "A meta-analytic test of the imagined contact hypothesis." Group Processes " Intergroup Relations 17.1 (2014): 3-26.
Zoogah, David B., Raymond A. Noe, and Oded Shenkar. "Shared mental model, team communication and collective self-efficacy: an investigation of strategic alliance team effectiveness." International Journal of Strategic Business Alliances 4.4 (2015): 244-270.
