To this very day, the world has been subjected to all sorts of atrocities due to stereotype and prejudice. Several theories, including the social identity theory have been put forward as an attempt to explain these conflicts. The objective of this paper is to illustrate the role that social identity theory and its components play in explaining how group comparisons can often lead to inter-group competition and discrimination. Social identity is a model for the psychology of social structure which lays emphasis on inter-group competition. Social categorisation and the self-esteem motive are constituents of social identity theory which are precursors to inter-group conflicts as they nurture stereotyping and prejudicial behaviour. An unstable status quo leads to direct inter-group conflict.
             Social identity theory is essentially a person's sense of membership in a certain social group, to which he/she attaches some emotional or value significance (Abrams & Hogg, 1990). Tajfel (1974) indicated that social identity is a possible representation of the psychology of social structure where it stresses that real social groups and categories are in constant competition with one another for wealth, rights and power and that they stand in a status relation to one another (Abrams & Hogg, 1990). Subsequently, conflicts tend to involve social identity issues derived from differences in the policy preferences and attitudes of ethnic groups in the struggle to improve social identity (Jussim, Ashmore & Wilder, 2001). For example, one of the reasons for the ongoing strife between the Israeli and Palestinians is for territorial and freedom rights. The typical Palestinian views the Israelis as dictators who deny them rights to freedom and to their homeland; seeing that they cannot obtain an improved social identity peacefully, they resort to conflict. This demonstrates that competition between groups can be attributed to social identity.
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