Types of social conflicts

Concept of social conflict

The concept of social conflict is much broader than it might seem at first glance. Let's figure it out together!

In Latin, conflict is translated as “clash.” In sociology, conflict is the highest stage of contradictions that arise between people or social groups. The reason may be opposing goals or interests. There is even a separate science that studies this issue - conflictology.

Within the subject of social science, social conflict is a form of social interaction between people and groups.

Functions of social conflicts:

positive:
informing about social tensions;

stimulation of problem solving, social change;

relieving social tension;

negative:

creating stressful situations;

disorganization of social life;

destruction of the social system.

Possible stages of conflict:

Pre-conflict situation - the parties feel emotional tension, strive to overcome it, understand the reasons, evaluate their capabilities, choose a strategy of behavior and methods of influencing the opposite side.
Conflict is a situation where it is impossible for the parties to agree, open and hidden actions of the parties to the conflict.
Conflict resolution - finding out the causes of the conflict and eliminating them.

Let's continue to learn what social conflict is and move on to the topic of causes and structure.

What is conflict management and resolution?

The settlement and resolution of conflicts is usually understood as a system of measures aimed at preventing conflicts and finding optimal ways out of them. For many years, this problem has not received due attention either in the theory of social psychology or in its practice.

Only in recent years have communities of conflictologists and various organizations involved in applied conflictology begun to form, and thematic literature has also begun to be published. However, even now it is impossible to talk about the fact that there is any effective system in the field of conflict resolution.

We can even speak with confidence about the opposite state of affairs, because when resolving conflicts, a number of mistakes are often made.

Typology of conflicts

The structure of any conflict:

Subjects of conflict: intrapersonal, group, interpersonal, intergroup.
Object of conflict: values and interests.
Foundation: ethnic, economic, political.
Conflict type: rivalry, competition, confrontation.
Consequences: constructive and destructive.

Subjects of the conflict situation:

witnesses - people who observe the development of the conflict from the side;
instigators - people who push others into conflict;
accomplices - people who help (consciously or not) the development of the conflict in different ways (advice, technical or organizational assistance, etc.);
Mediators are people who try to prevent, stop or resolve conflict.

The subject of the conflict is the possession of one or another resource

The cause of the conflict is the circumstances that led to the clash between the two sides. The reason is expressed in the need to use resources.

The reason for the conflict is an event after which a contradiction appears. Reasons can be spontaneous or deliberate.

Contradiction is a disagreement between the points of view of the conflicting parties on economic, cultural, and political issues.

Let's talk in more detail about the reasons, and then consider the types of social conflicts.

Maladaptive mental states

The criterion for identifying maladaptive mental states is a decrease or loss of a person’s control over his condition, which in terms of the intensity of the experience or duration exceeds the person’s regulatory capabilities.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Prevention of adverse mental conditions

Basic mechanisms:

The first mechanism is associated with the inclusion of volitional regulation;

The second mechanism involves cognitive reappraisal along the lines of “Not really necessary”;

The third mechanism includes indirect cognitive control (involves the involvement of additional organizational, group, and personal resources).

Causes of social conflicts

The most common causes of conflicts:

Beliefs and personal interests. A clash of views, including religious principles, differences in cultural, political or economic worldview.
Ways to satisfy needs. The process of eating and methods of organizing safety may infringe on the interests of others or cause public censure.
Social disorganization. The problem of social inequality causes conflict between social groups from year to year.

Let us list the main types of social conflicts.

By the number of participants in the conflict:

intrapersonal (interesting to psychologists and psychoanalysts);
interpersonal (for example, between friends);
intergroup (for example, competition between firms).

According to the direction of the conflict:

horizontal (between people of the same level, for example, manager versus manager);
vertical (employee versus management);
mixed (both).

According to the function of social conflict:

destructive (a fight on the street, a fierce argument);
constructive (a duel in the ring according to the rules, an intelligent discussion).

By duration:

short-term;
protracted.

By means of resolution:

peaceful or non-violent;
armed or violent.

According to the content of the problem:

economic;
political;
production;
household;
spiritual and moral, etc.

By the nature of development:

spontaneous (unintentional);
deliberate (pre-planned).

By volume:

global (World War II);
local (Chechen war);
regional (Israel and Palestine);
group (managers versus accountants);
personal (household, family).

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Issue 041. Reason and reason for the conflict.

Is it possible to prevent conflict? Is it possible to resolve a conflict before its destructive consequences occur?

It is possible if you learn to see the conflict not from the point of view of the reason for its occurrence, but from the point of view of the cause . There is a significant difference between reason and reason. They are as different as black and white, earth and sky, effect and cause.

The reason is what lies on the surface and seems obvious. He is always manifested. The reason never lies on the surface, is not obvious to the parties to the conflict and requires the ability to be honest, first of all, with ourselves. Since it touches on “pain points” that subconsciously we often try not to know, not notice, and avoid. The cause is not manifested.

Conventionally, this can even be taken as a criterion: if a cause is manifested, then it is not a cause.

For example, the cause of an allergy in a child is a cat. The cat is manifested, obvious, which means that it cannot be the cause, but the reason for the manifestation of allergies.

Or, the reason for our quarrel with a friend is her words addressed to me. Words are manifested, they cannot be a reason, they can only be a reason.

Or, the reason for my dismissal was a quarrel with my boss...

Working with a reason takes away from resolving the conflict, creating the illusion of a solution, which further aggravates the conflict. Only working with the cause leads to a solution to the conflict.

For example, if we consider illness as one of the types of conflicts at the level of the physical body, it becomes obvious why modern medicine is often powerless against diseases (medicine itself recognizes this fact). After all, pills only relieve symptoms, but do not remove the cause of the disease, thereby transforming the conflict that has arisen into a chronic one and changing only the form of manifestation. It is well known that when we begin to treat one disease, we acquire a whole bunch of concomitant diseases, which often flow into each other.

Similarly, in life, without resolving a conflict, trying to remove only the reason for its occurrence, we turn conflicts into chronic ones, changing only the form of their manifestations. If the reason remains, the conflict will constantly renew, although the reasons may be different.

What do you think is the cause of a cold, for example? Wet feet? – this is precisely the reason for the occurrence of the disease. It is on the surface and seems obvious. Besides, is it necessary that anyone who gets their feet wet will get sick? No, many people have gotten their feet wet and never gotten sick. And a lot of people who got sick without getting their feet wet. This means that the reason is not wet feet.

And what? The fact is that the human body is currently weakened. This is no longer so obvious. However, when the body is weakened, anything can serve as a reason: rain, draft, ice cream, a neighbor who sneezed nearby, etc., etc.

Then the question arises, why is the body suddenly weakened? The answer to this question implies access to the cause of this conflict - the cause of the disease. This is what we need to work with. Realize the reason and try to remove it.

On this topic, I recommend reading Natalia Vitorskaya’s book “Causes of Diseases and Origins of Health.” It will help you understand the causes of many diseases and find the path to recovery. This book is about symbols that carry various diseases that can help you understand yourself, find the causes of certain diseases and successfully prevent them.

It is not so easy to learn to distinguish between reason and reason, to learn to see the reason. To do this, you need to learn to see the manifestations of the universal laws of development in your life and be prepared for constant changes. After all, the cause of any conflict is a distortion of the laws of development, and the conflict itself is the source of development, and therefore of constant change. But it is useful and worth paying special attention to.

Let's continue. Let's assume an ordinary situation: two people are walking, communicating peacefully and suddenly..... CONFLICT!

When does this suddenly happen? What could cause such conflicts?

Conflict presupposes some kind of disagreement. However, disagreement itself is not a conflict. Until emotions turn on.

People, as a rule, communicate peacefully as long as their “vital interests” are not affected. While we are talking about general things, for example about the weather, about nature, about lyrics,….

Even if I don’t agree with something, it doesn’t cost me any effort; in general, I will agree with any point of view. But the closer we communicate, the more likely it is for our partner to “step on my pet peeve.”

Gradually, we begin to touch upon topics that relate to my value system, my worldview, which together constitute that “sacred” that I cannot allow to be violated. Then a simple phrase, for example, “you’re wrong”, ... can serve as a reason for an outbreak of conflict.

That is, an integral component of any conflict is emotional involvement when disagreements arise. However, disagreements themselves are not the cause of conflict. Disagreements are just an excuse .

The reason is my value system. Because a simple point of view, but one that does not coincide with mine, is perceived by me as an encroachment on my “I”, on my integrity. I begin to experience a subconscious fear of violating my integrity, my significance as a person. The feeling of danger turns on the mechanism of the self-preservation instinct, including the subconscious. As soon as the subconscious turns on, I begin to lose control over the situation: thoughts and behavior become aggressive (the best defense is an attack), emotions overflow.

Thus, a casually spoken word or phrase that touches my deepest values self-preservation mechanism in me . Can we say that the cause of the conflict is in a certain phrase, or in the person who said it? Of course not. But often we direct all our efforts towards them. The reason is that my value system has been shaken.

By the way, the value system is related to a person’s self-esteem. When a person is confident in himself (in his value system), he is less conflicted than an insecure person. He does not need to constantly defend his position and prove that he is right. Truly strong people are not conflicted, hot-tempered or irritable. It is easier for them to admit their mistakes and the merits of others.

To restore a shaken value system, there are two ways.

The first is to return everything to its original place. Which is what happens most often in life. We are trying to “restore justice.” Defend your position, prove that you are right. But in fact, we try to leave our value system unchanged. But in nature everything is subject to change. A person cannot have the same value system at 1 year, at 10 years, at 50 years,….

Therefore, situations where changes were not accepted “voluntarily” in a small conflict will be constantly repeated with an inevitable increase in complexity and tension until a person finally realizes the need for change.

Either voluntarily or forcibly (through conflicts, through pain and suffering), a person invariably comes to the need for change, to the need for development .

Secondly , we need to understand that we are ready to integrate the new into our already formed value system. That we can expand and supplement it. You just need to see how.

In fact, this process occurs in any conflict. For example, there is only one TV in the house, and a conflict breaks out over what show to watch.

Yes, the reason can be both the TV and the husband with his football. But what is the real cause of the conflict? For example, my husband says, “I want to watch football, but your TV series are complete nonsense.” The reason is in the words of the husband? No. Why?…

The words catch my value system : that is, what he looks at is important, but the fact that I am is nonsense... so my opinion does not count for anything, so I am “nobody” and “nothing” here...

You feel the difference between just changing the TV channel and feeling like a complete insignificance.

Thus, if we move towards a conscious resolution of the conflict, then its reason is the need to develop my value system. To do this, I need to determine which of my inner values are affected by the conflict.

What is really important to me and what I am ready to give up. What comes first for me is me with my complexes and pretensions, or my family and the ability to build relationships. What is more valuable to me - to defend my position and show who is boss, or to maintain and develop relationships? A family where everyone is on their own and only co-exist together, or a family where there are really deep relationships that become stronger and more harmonious over time...

The deeper the relationship and the closer people are, the more often they become potential “partners” in conflict. This is where the depth of the relationship appears. After all, conflict reflects the need to bring a new quality to a person’s life and is inextricably linked with the development of a person, relationships, family, team,...

With best wishes, Natalya Kharkevich .

The materials of this newsletter can be freely distributed in whole or in part, with obligatory reference to the author: Natalya Kharkevich.