Conflict is a contradiction that arises between people when they solve certain issues in social or personal life.
The word "conflict" comes from Latin, which means "clash". Social conflict is a social phenomenon.
General theory of conflict
Two approaches to the definition are conditionally distinguished:
Focused on current actions.
Focused on motives of action.
R. Mac, R. Snyder can be ranked among the followers of the first approach. They give a relatively narrow definition, considering the conflict to be just a social interaction between its participants, who have completely different views and values. At the same time, hostility, competition, rivalry, etc. they are considered as sources of conflict.
The representative of the second approach is R. Darendorf, who strongly opposed such a narrow approach. He believes that psychological states and various kinds of collisions should also be included in the conflict.
The theory of conflict received a significant contribution from K. Marx. He developed the doctrine of contradiction, and also developed a model of contradiction between different classes in society. Karl Marx is rightfully considered one of the creators of the theory of conflict.
From dialectical doctrine the following theses follow:
The more uneven the distribution of resources, the greater the contradiction between social groups.
The better the subordinates are aware of their own interests, the more doubts they creep in about the distribution of resources.
The deeper the gap between the dominant social groups and subordinates, the stronger the conflict will be.
The more violent the conflict, the greater the redistribution of resources.
There is a theory of conflict by G. Simmel, according to which a conflict in society is inevitable and cannot be prevented. If Karl Marx took "domination - submission" as the basis, then Simmel - the processes of dissociation and association, representing society as inextricably linked processes. He calls the source of the conflict not only a conflict of interests, but also a manifestation of hostility, which was originally laid within a person. Simmel singles out love and hate as the strongest factors that influence conflict. From his teachings, one can distinguish theses:
The more emotions the social groups involved in the conflict have, the sharper the conflict will be.
The better the groups themselves are grouped, the more acute the contradiction.
The contradiction is the stronger, the higher the cohesion of the participants.
The conflict is more acute if the groups involved in it are less isolated.
A conflict is more acute if it turns into an end in itself, if it goes beyond individual interests.
The conflict theory of R. Darendorf analyzes the confrontation both in a small group and in society as a whole, clearly separating roles and statuses.
Theses of the theory of Darendorf:
The more subgroups in an organization that recognize their own interests, the more likely a conflict will arise.
The more rewards are distributed to authorities, the sharper the contradiction will be.
If mobility between subordinates and managers is small, then the conflict is more acute;
The increasing impoverishment of subordinates aggravates the conflict.
The fewer agreements between the conflicting parties are concluded, the more violent the confrontation.
The sharper the contradiction, the more changes it will cause, and their pace will be higher.
The theory of social conflict L. Coser is the most extensive. It follows from it that the social inequality that exists in any society, the psychological discontent of members of society, the tensions between individuals and groups - all of the above, as a result, goes into social conflict. This state of affairs can be described as a tense state between the true state of things and between the way it appears to social groups or individuals. Social conflict - the struggle for values, status, possession of power, resources, in which opponents neutralize or destroy an opponent.
An analysis of the theory of social conflict suggests the following conclusions:
Conflict is a contradiction in different forms and activities to overcome them.
Competition as a special type of confrontation may be accompanied by conflict, or maybe not, but moral forms are used.
Rivalry can proceed calmly, and can turn into a conflict.
Competition is a peaceful type of rivalry.
Hostility as a readiness for confrontation, an internal attitude is not always present.
A crisis is a state of the system, but it is not always preceded by a conflict.
But not a single theory of the above can be called absolute or universal.