A district officer arranges regular meetings between members of two communities to reduce prejudice between them. Which of the following statements about this strategy are correct?
(A) Such contact allows direct communication and the removal of mistrust between the groups.
(B) It succeeds when the two groups meet in a competitive rather than cooperative context.
(C) It succeeds when close interactions help the groups to know each other better.
(D) It succeeds when the two groups are different in power or status.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → A and C only
(A) Such contact allows direct communication and the removal of mistrust between the groups. — Correct. Regular meetings are increasing intergroup contact. Such contact allows direct communication and the removal of mistrust between the groups.
(B) It succeeds when the two groups meet in a competitive rather than cooperative context. — Incorrect. The context is reversed. Contact succeeds only if the groups meet in a cooperative rather than competitive context; competition can deepen the divide.
(C) It succeeds when close interactions help the groups to know each other better. — Correct. Contact works when close interactions between the groups help them to know each other better.
(D) It succeeds when the two groups are different in power or status. — Incorrect. The condition is reversed. The two groups must be not different in power or status for contact to reduce prejudice.
NCERT (2026-27): “STRATEGIES FOR HANDLING PREJUDICE … “mistrust between the groups, and even discovery of positive qualities in the outgroup. However, these strategies are successful only if :” “- the two groups meet in a cooperative rather than competitive context, - close interactions between the groups helps them to know each other better, and - the two groups are not different in power or status.” |