Intergroup Processes

The term intergroup processes refers to what happens between groups of people or between people who are in different groups—how they behave and relate towards one another. Wherever you have groups, small groups such as sports teams, medium-sized groups such as organizations, or large groups such as nations, you have intergroup processes. Intergroup processes affect all aspects of our lives. They play a significant role in prejudice, discrimination, social disadvantage, stereotyping, social protest, political competition, team sports, organizational mergers, and so forth, and even affect the way we define ourselves and form a concept of who we are, an identity. The most widely adopted definition of intergroup processes and intergroup relations comes from the social psychologist Muzafer Sherif: “Intergroup relations refers to relations between two or more groups and their respective members. Whenever individuals belonging to one group interact, collectively or individually, with another group or its members in terms of their group identifications, we have an instance of intergroup behavior” (Sherif 1962, 5).

Relations among people differ dramatically depending on whether those people belong to the [Page 741]same group or to different groups. Within the same group relations tend to be positive: People like, support, and help one another in a general atmosphere of solidarity and cooperation. Relations between groups are entirely different: They tend to be competitive, ethnocentric, and often hostile. The sociologist William Sumner's description of ethnocentrism comments eloquently on the nature of intergroup relations:

From the perspective of leadership it is worth noting that leaders lead groups in the context of intergroup relations and often lead groups against other groups. It is very difficult to have a complete analysis of leadership that is divorced from some consideration of intergroup processes.