Conflict is a very comprehensive concept. Many sciences study it from different perspectives and in various aspects: philosophy, sociology, psychology, jurisprudence, history and political science. Conflict is the basis of any contradiction, and it, in turn, is an incentive to any changes, sometimes constructive and progressive, and sometimes destructive, destructive. Most often, the concept of conflict is considered in the relationship between people and social groups, in psychology, conflict is also deep intrapersonal experiences and contradictions that give rise to life crises, depression, but this does not always lead to negative consequences. Very often, internal conflict is an incentive for development, the opening of new horizons of life and a person’s unconscious hidden potential.
The basis of the study of conflict is a set of different concepts that make up this complex phenomenon: the structure of the conflict, its dynamics, methods of conflict management and its typology. Moreover, these concepts can be correlated with various conflicts - social, interpersonal and intrapersonal, but in each of them they will have their own characteristics.
Conflict dynamics
Conflict is a dynamic, evolving process. The following main stages of its development are distinguished: pre-conflict situation (latent, latent stage), open conflict and the stage of its completion.
The latent stage preceding an open conflict is the formation of all its structural elements. First of all, the cause of the confrontation arises and its participants appear, and then the parties become aware of the opposition to the situation as a conflict. The dynamics of the conflict can develop further if, at the first stage, the main contradictions are not resolved peacefully and amicably.
The second stage is the transition of its participants to conflict behavior, the features of which are defined in psychology and conflict resolution. The dynamics of the conflict at this stage is characterized by an increase in the number of participants in the confrontation, disruptive actions of the parties directed against each other, a transition from solving problems by business methods to personal accusations, very often with a sharply negative emotional attitude, as well as a high degree of tension leading to stress.
The dynamics of the development of the conflict at this stage is indicated by the term escalation, i.e. an increase in the destructive, destructive actions of the conflicting parties, often leading to irreversible catastrophic consequences.
Finally, the dynamics of the conflict in the last stage is the search for ways to resolve it. Various methods, techniques and strategies for conflict management are used here, conflict specialists and psychologists are involved. As a rule, the resolution of a conflict situation is carried out in two ways: by transforming the causes underlying it, and by restructuring the subjective ideal perception of this situation in the minds of its participants.
It should be noted that conflict resolution strategies do not always lead to complete success. Quite often, everything ends with a partial result, when the visible forms of the emergence and course of the conflict situation are eliminated, and the emotional stress of the participants is not removed, which may cause new confrontations.
A full resolution of a conflict situation occurs only when all its external contradictions and causes have been removed, and all internal, emotional and psychological factors have been eliminated.
The most difficult task at the last resolving stage of the conflict is the transformation, change in the subjective ideal perception of the causes of the confrontation in the minds of the participants in each of the parties. If this goal is achieved by intermediaries or organization management, then the resolution of the conflict will be successful.
The dynamics of social conflict, interpersonal or intrapersonal, proceeds according to the standard scheme and has the same stages and methods of resolution, only, of course, with its own specifics.