Social conflict, its functions, typology and types / Directory

Typology of conflicts

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

The subjects of the conflict are

: witnesses (observers), instigators (people pushing others into a collision), accomplices (people who help develop the conflict with advice), mediators (people trying to resolve a conflict situation).

Subject of the conflict

– possession of one or another resource.

Cause of the conflict

Social and psychological causes of conflicts

In addition to objective reasons, there are also socio-psychological factors that cause many conflicts between people.

Unfavorable socio-psychological climate

Personal hostility between team members, oppressive environment, low cohesion among group members, etc. create an unfavorable atmosphere in which conflicts can arise over any little thing.

Differences in the psychological characteristics of people

Everyone has their own temperament, their own psychological characteristics. Sometimes people just don't fit together. Despite their best efforts, they find it difficult to find a common language and cannot establish productive relationships.

The cognitive dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort that occurs when two contradictory ideas collide in a person's mind.

For example, the child may be told that he must always tell the truth. At the same time, he may be scolded for some confessions. As a result, if he does something disgraceful, he will be faced with two contradictory ideas: “you need to tell the truth” and “you can’t tell the truth” - he will be scolded.

The state of cognitive dissonance is difficult to experience; the person is on edge, torn between contradictions. Due to such psychological stress, the likelihood of a conflict increases significantly.

In-group favoritism

In a large team, small groups can arise. This can lead to stratification, conflicts and hostility between small groups. It is difficult to avoid intra-group division, but it is not at all required. It is enough to ensure that within the team there is no division into “us” and “strangers”.

The desire for power

Some agree to the role of an ordinary member of the team, while others absolutely need to command everyone. And if two such people, striving for power, collide, then conflict cannot be avoided.

But even if there is only one person who wants to be at the helm, not everyone will like it. Few people like to obey and follow other people's instructions if they are not paid for it.

Egocentrism

Egocentrism is the inability to put oneself in another person’s place and to look at the situation from his point of view. This is one of the most common causes of conflict.

Unfortunately, people are limited in their ability to see the world through someone else's eyes. And someone deliberately does not want to understand the other and is content with their one-sided view.

As a result, situations arise in which everyone, from his point of view, is right. And if everyone is confident that they are right, conflict certainly cannot be avoided.

Selfishness

If everyone thinks only about themselves, then conflicts of interest and clashes on the way to achieving goals cannot be avoided. A trivial example: there is one product left on the counter and two customers begin to argue over it. Nobody wants to give in, everyone wants to take this product for themselves. The result is conflict.

Competition

In a competitive environment, conflicts are also not uncommon. Moreover, a competitive environment occurs not only in the workplace, but in other areas of life. Let's look at an example:

Company of friends. One of them, Anton, is distinguished by his erudition and often explains something to others. One day he could not answer the question of his comrades, but Marina was able to do it.

And Anton immediately felt that he had lost ground, that he no longer seemed the smartest, the palm was snatched from his hands. This causes anger towards Marina, which can cause conflict over an insignificant issue.

He may also try to deliberately put Marina in a bad light in order to become number one again. This, in turn, will provoke Marina to respond.

Inability to resolve conflicts constructively

What is scary is not so much the conflict itself as the emotional reaction of people who are unable to approach its solution impartially.

If a person is not ready to compromise, does not want to listen and hear his opponent, does not admit that he may be wrong, a conflict that could have been discussed and resolved without any problems becomes colored by personal claims, negative emotions and begins to bring many times more discomfort. .

Therefore, it is worth not only avoiding situations in which conflict may arise, but also learning to painlessly cope with existing conflict situations. By the way, you can do this with the help of our course on conflict management - we highly recommend taking it.

We wish you success!

We also recommend reading:

Storytelling
How to Deal with Conflicts of Interest
Characteristics and types of conflict personality
Bell and Hart's Eight Causes of Conflict
Causes of prejudice
Conflicts and strategies for dealing with them
Social groups: signs, types, functions
Resolving conflicts in a team
Conflicts in the work team: what they are and how to avoid them
Stages of team formation according to Tuckman
Eldred's Power Strategy

Key words:1Communication

Types of contradictions

Internal contradictions are a clash of interests of two parties, represented by individuals, groups or organizations.
Antagonistic - open hostility that does not imply a truce; non-antagonistic – accepting compromises).
Basic and non-basic contradictions;
Objective and subjective contradictions.

At the beginning of any kind of conflict there are contradictions that manifest themselves in social tension; they are latent and static; conflict is an open form of conflict.

Social conflict is a stage of clash of interests of individuals, groups, institutions or organizations that increase opposing tendencies. It is expressed in the confrontation of individuals or groups for the use or possession of a good.

↑ Styles of behavior in social conflicts

1. Withdrawal (avoidance, inaction) – the participant is in a situation of conflict, the problem is recognized, but no active action is taken. 2. Adaptation (concession) indicates that the opponent’s interests come to the fore; this is a kind of sacrifice of personal interests. 3. Coercion (struggle, rivalry) involves an exclusive interest in achieving one’s own goals, as a rule, by imposing a preferred solution on the other side. 4. Compromise involves interaction based on equal consideration of the interests of both parties to the conflict. 5. Cooperation - a strategy that recognizes the equal value of the interests of the parties and aims to find a solution that satisfies them.

Social conflict concepts

Simmel’s concept , conflict occupies an important place in the life of society, because updates the structure of life and outdated cultural norms.
Spencer put forward the idea that conflict is expressed in the clash of people for existence, which is limited due to limited resources.
According to Marx , the conflict between production and production relations, in the course of the development of technology and technology, is expressed more clearly and sharply, being a harbinger of revolutions where a change in production occurs, as a result of which society reaches a new level.
Weber – in society there is a constant clash of interests of individuals or groups, because society is presented as an arena where social structures are confronted and social roles and statuses are mastered.

What is conflict?

The term “conflict” comes from the Latin word “conflictus”, meaning “conflicted”. Usually, when talking about conflict, they talk about the most acute way to resolve contradictions in views, goals, interests that arise during the interaction of people with each other.

As a process, conflict consists of the participants in this social interaction opposing each other, and is accompanied by negative emotions, which often go beyond generally accepted norms and standards. In psychological science, conflict is understood as a lack of agreement between several parties (this can be individuals or groups of people). The science that studies conflicts is called conflictology.

Attitude to the concept of “conflict”

In the vast majority of cases, it is believed that conflict is an exclusively negative phenomenon, causing misunderstanding, resentment, hostility or threats, in other words, something that should be avoided at all costs. Also, representatives of earlier schools of management argued that conflict is a sign of poor management of an organization and an indicator of its inefficiency.

But, contrary to this, many modern management specialists are increasingly inclined to believe that some types of conflicts not only can occur, but are also desirable even in the most effective organizations, where employee relationships are worthy of the best assessments. The only thing that is necessary here is to learn how to manage conflict.

Conflict, like any social phenomenon, has not only its own definition, but also its own characteristics. And this issue is no less important and is subject to separate consideration.

Functions of social conflicts

Positive features:

information about social tension in society;
obtaining new information during a collision;
conflict plays the role of group cohesion;
formation of new forms of behavior and values;
relieving tension.

Negative features:

formation of stressful situations;
destruction of organization in society;

Causes of social conflicts: differences between individuals in society; opposing interests and opinions; difference in financial situation, amount of power; culture; psychological characteristics (character, temperament); type of behavior.

Stages of conflict

: the emergence of a conflict situation, conflict, end of conflict.

Arguments

“Olesya” A.I.
Kuprin . A popular cause of conflict is misunderstanding. This is exactly the example we find in the story by A.I. Kuprin "Olesya". The inhabitants of Polesie are very ignorant and fanatical. They sincerely do not realize that Olesya’s healing abilities in no way prove her connection with the devil. They eagerly attribute any whim of nature to “witches”: they blame them for crop failures, hail, wind, rain - everything that prevents them from living. Peasants always rush to punish “witches” for infernal tricks, so Olesya’s grandmother moved to the forest and raised her granddaughter away from aggressive people. This isolation further convinced the residents of Polesie of the guilt of Manuilikha and her granddaughter. And Olesya, who grew up in isolation, could not know either the mentality or traditions of the peasants. Therefore, the heroine’s clash with the church parishioners is easily explained: they did not understand and were afraid of Olesya because of their superstitions, and she was far from the beliefs and foundations of the peasants.

“Yushka” by A. Platonov

. Sometimes the reason for the clash between people is the desire of the majority to find a “whipping boy” and take out their anger on him. But the minority does not always accept this role and put up with all the insults. This happened in the work “Yushka”. The main character was a poor, sick and withdrawn man who saved on everything and disappeared every summer in an unknown direction. The mystery of his lifestyle and the harmlessness of his character attracted all the surrounding ill-wishers to Yushka, who sought to take out their anger on at least someone. Even children attacked the blacksmith's assistant because he did not fight back. Yushka considered all insults and aggressive attacks to be a manifestation of love for him. He realized that he was playing the role of a lightning rod. But one day a passer-by said to him: “Why are you trampling our land, God’s scarecrow?” This time Yushka was indignant: “Why am I bothering you, why am I bothering you!.. I was assigned to live by my parents, I was born by law.” Then a passerby hit the hero, and he died from throat bleeding - a complication of his illness. This conflict occurred because the majority of people oppressed one person for a long time, and when he stood up for himself, undeserved punishment was brought down on him. Social injustice often provokes clashes.

“Dowry” by A.N. Ostrovsky

. People conflict because they claim the same goods or fight for the location of the same object of adoration. We see such an example in the play “Dowry”. Paratov wants to impress Larisa Ogudalova. He feels her admiration, and it encourages him to show himself in all his glory. But Karandyshev, her less fortunate admirer, is also vying for Larisa’s attention. If Paratov is a brilliant nobleman, a witty handsome man, and a rich man, then Yuliy Kapitonich is a modest and shy official with suppressed self-esteem. He really wants to win the beautiful Larisa, but she does not pay attention to him. Therefore, he gets into squabbles and clashes with Paratov, trying to prove his superiority. But his desire for self-affirmation surrounded by Larisa only leads to a quarrel with Sergei Sergeevich. Both men stubbornly compete with each other, because no one wants to give up Larisa and their ambitions in this circle. Thus, the clash occurred due to the fact that many people claim primacy in one area or another of life.

“War and Peace” L.N. Tolstoy

. Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy's epic novel “War and Peace” is a real encyclopedia of various life situations and problems. The topic of conflicts between people is no exception. However, the heroes of this work - the Rostov family - are a positive example. There are no special quarrels in this family, even despite the generational difference. It seems as if even the conflict between fathers and sons bypassed the Rostovs. Their secret lies in mutual respect and love. This is how parents are raised and the upbringing of children is based on this. From young to old, they believe in true love and in the fact that one must act according to one’s conscience and as the heart dictates. In addition, the older generation respects the opinion of the younger ones. Even when Nikolai lost all the big money at cards, but repented of what he had done and asked for forgiveness, the father did not swear or punish his guilty son, but helped him and truly forgave his loved one. The only more serious quarrel happened when Natasha wanted to run away with Anatoly Kuragin. But here the parents only sought to protect their beloved daughter from error and danger. The girl soon realized that the family was right; no serious or major conflict arose. Thus, reasoning backwards, we can conclude that conflicts between people arise in cases where people do not respect each other, do not listen to each other, do not respect other people’s opinions, are not ready to sincerely ask for forgiveness and forgive, help and care despite each other's mistakes and shortcomings.

“Fathers and Sons” by I.S. Turgenev

. The conflict between fathers and children is a problem that generations cannot solve; it arises again and again. And it even seems almost a natural phenomenon. This conflict formed the basis of Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons.” The point is the difference in worldviews of the two generations - they were brought up in different conditions, the younger generation is more receptive to new ideas, and the world and society are constantly changing and developing. A prominent representative of children in the book is Evgeny Bazarov - according to his convictions, the young man is a nihilist; he denies the existing way of life and many familiar concepts. On the other hand - fathers - the reader sees Nikolai Petrovich and Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov. The conflict between the two sides flares up due to differences in views on society, on the state, on life in general. The elder Kirsanovs do not understand and do not accept the bold and even daring ideas of the protagonist. Bazarov believes that it is necessary to destroy what already exists in order to build something new. You can understand both of them. The heroes were brought up at different times and in different conditions. The younger generation is more often and more easily attracted to new trends, and the “fathers” want to defend their traditions and beliefs, “to leave everything as it is.” Thus, the reason for conflicts between people is contradictions in worldview due to differences in age or origin.

“Woe from Wit” A.S. Griboyedov.

In the play “Woe from Wit” by Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov, two reasons for the emergence of conflicts between people are depicted at once. Firstly, the conflict of generations, the conflict of fathers and children. “The Past Century” is the Famusov society headed by Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov himself. “The Present Century” is represented primarily by Alexander Andreevich Chatsky. They cannot find a common language because they have completely different views on society and the state. They were raised at different times and in different conditions. And, of course, the “present century” accepts changes more easily, even initiates them. Here comes A.A. Chatsky boldly and directly exposes the vices of Famus society - vices common to many people, not only to P.A. Famusov and guests of his house. Alexander Andreevich owns the famous catchphrase: “I would be glad to serve, but it’s sickening to be served.” That is, the main character is against servility, flattery, self-interest, greed - especially when all this is used as tools for moving up the career ladder, obtaining higher ranks and titles. Famusov considers helpfulness and flattery an excellent tool for achieving various heights in life. People of Famus society admire a man who deliberately fell and hurt himself in order to amuse people of the highest rank. Chatsky is disgusted by all this - and he is not shy and not afraid to openly express his opinion. Secondly, already in what is written above, one can discern a cultural conflict: educated and honest A.A. Chatsky is rejected by the society of less intelligent and sensible people. That is, secular society does not accept a hero who dares to point out to everyone their vices and shortcomings, who does not “play by the general rules” - does not flatter, does not lie, does not serve, does not remain silent. Hence the name of the play - “Woe from Wit”. Chatsky’s inquisitive mind does not give him the opportunity to organically integrate into Famus’s (secular) society. However, Alexander Andreevich probably does not need this opportunity. He understands and notices too much to adapt. Thus, the main reason for conflicts is the difference in worldviews and abilities. Chatsky’s level of education and intelligence did not harmonize with the ignorance of those around him. He was an innovator, and Famusov and his guests were conservatives.

“Minor” D.I. Fonvizin

. In Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin’s play “The Minor,” the reader observes the conflict of the Prostakov-Skotinin family, led by Mrs. Prostakova, with Sofia, her uncle Starodum and fiancé Milon. In addition, the official Pravdin, an honest man who fights for justice, also takes the side of the latter. In this work, the speaking surnames of the characters tell the reader a lot. The Prostakovs are indeed simple, but in the bad sense of the word. They are uneducated people who do not strive for development. These are rude, evil, selfish heroes, their weapons are flattery and deception. Skotinin is more passionate about his pigs than about people, and it seems that he has become more like them than like a person. Starodum and Pravdin are another matter - wise, honest, educated, worthy and noble people. “Dumas” and “truth” are their lot. Because of this difference, conflict arises between the heroes. Honor collides with dishonor, kindness with anger, truth with lies, wisdom with stupidity, education with degradation. In light of all of the above, we can conclude that the reason for conflicts between people is different cultural levels, different life goals, different levels of education and different understandings of what is permitted in society. When an attempt at deception meets truth and justice, conflict inevitably arises. The same thing happens when there is goodness and nobility opposed to cruelty and rudeness. And the reader sees the same thing when Pravdin and Starodum unravel the dishonest and dirty plans of Mrs. Prostakova.

“Poor Lisa” N.M. Karamzin

. In Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin’s story “Poor Liza,” the reader observes the relationships between people of different classes. In the era described in the work, class inequality was of great importance and influenced many things. The peasant girl Lisa falls in love with the nobleman Erast. Her feelings turn out to be mutual. At first, the heroes are not bothered by the difference in their social status. Subsequently, this nevertheless indirectly influenced the emergence of misunderstanding, then conflict and, ultimately, tragedy. The fact is that Erast lost all his money and decided that the solution to the problem would be marriage to a wealthy older widow. That is, prosperity and wealth for the young man were higher than true love. Erast deceived Lisa, and although he later regretted his action, the girl could no longer be saved. The heroine, out of disappointment and despair, unable to bear the betrayal, threw herself into the water and drowned herself. Thus, the cause of conflicts is different life values, often based on class division. For Erast the priority is money, for Lisa it is love and sincere feelings.

“The Cherry Orchard” by A.P. Chekhov

. In Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's play “The Cherry Orchard,” the reader observes a conflict between the noblewoman Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskaya and the merchant Lopakhin. A dispute flares up around the fate of Ranevskaya's estate. For a woman, a house with a cherry orchard is a native place in which she spent her childhood and adolescence. She is not ready to accept the fact that it is more profitable to rent out the property for dachas - after all, she has little money left. Lopakhin looks at the situation coldly and calculatingly. He understands that a property can bring profit if it is managed wisely. He proposes to cut down the old garden, so dear to the owner’s heart, and divide the territory into summer cottages. Thus, the cause of conflict between people can be different priorities and views on the situation. And they are formed with the help of upbringing and environment. Ranevskaya and Lopakhin represent different classes. The merchant class was developing rapidly at that time; these people were more receptive to new ideas and changes in society. The nobility, on the contrary, left the historical scene and adhered to conservative views that had developed over decades. The class division provoked misunderstandings and differences in worldviews - all this resulted in conflict between people.

“Eugene Onegin” A.S. Pushkin

. In the novel in verse by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin “Eugene Onegin” the reader witnesses a quarrel between two friends - Eugene Onegin and Vladimir Lensky. The images of these heroes are initially opposed to each other: “They came together. Wave and stone, Poems and prose, ice and fire. Not so different from each other. At first, due to their mutual diversity, they were boring to each other; Then I liked it; then they got together every day on horseback and soon became inseparable. So people (I’m the first to repent) There’s nothing to do, friends.” Onegin is a representative of young people who are called “superfluous people” in literature. He is bored with social life, he runs away from the bustle of the city to the village, but even there he does not find joy. After all, you can’t run away from yourself. Lensky is a representative of another noble youth. He is gentle and inexperienced, even dreamy, he has a romantic and sensitive nature. At a party, Evgeniy is courting Olga, Vladimir’s beloved. Onegin does this more as a joke, albeit an evil one. He didn’t want to attend this ball at all with many guests and people unfamiliar to him, but his young friend still persuaded him to go. Lensky cannot stand such an insult to feelings and challenges Onegin to a duel. Thus, the cause of the conflict between the heroes was not so much their difference in characters, but the fact that Eugene did not worry or think about the feelings of other people - even his comrade. Vladimir turned out to be young and hot-tempered, and could not stand being insulted. The cause of conflicts between people is the indifference of one side towards the other.

“The Captain's Daughter” A.S. Pushkin.

In the story “The Captain's Daughter” by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, we find a vivid example of how different upbringing affects people and, in the end, leads to misunderstandings and quarrels. This happened with Pyotr Grinev and Alexey Shvabrin. The first one grew up in love and parental care. The second one was deprived of all this. Education, in turn, shapes the worldview. Accordingly, it developed differently for each of the heroes, who were first comrades. Grinev turned out to be a noble and sincere, worthy person who always saw the example of his father before him and always received affection from his mother. He fell in love with Marya and dedicated poems to her because he learned to love from his parents. Shvabrin was not used to expressing his feelings so tenderly. He turned out to be rude and cruel because he did not receive in the family that care and love that inspires a person to develop virtue in himself. He ridiculed Peter's love, which provoked a conflict. Thus, conflicting views on life actually become the cause of conflicts between people.

"Dubrovsky" A.S. Pushkin

. The reader finds a description of another quarrel in the work of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin “Dubrovsky”. The conflict between Troekurov and Dubrovsky Sr. formed the basis of the plot. At first, different statuses in society do not prevent Kirill Petrovich and Andrei Gavrilovich from being friends. But the causes of the conflict are the pride and stubbornness of two friends: none of them gave in or forgave the offender, both went to the end in their confrontation. Inspecting his neighbor’s kennel, Dubrovsky does not hesitate to say that Troekurov’s dogs live better than people. One of Kirill Petrovich’s peasants stands up for the owner and boldly answers the guest. Dubrovsky's pride was hurt, and he demanded punishment for the huntsman. Troekurov did not even think of obeying his demand. Then Dubrovsky ordered the neighbor’s people who were caught on his territory to be beaten. This quarrel grew into irreconcilable hostility, because each of the conflicting parties tried to answer the challenge with a challenge. The confrontation was fueled by the anger and categoricalness of the two nobles, who, if you think about it, were very similar to each other. But Troekurov had more opportunities and less conscience, so through the courts and by bribing officials he took away the estate from his former comrade. The conflict would not have reached this atrocity if at least one of the nobles had been able to take a step towards reconciliation.

"Thunderstorm" A.N. Ostrovsky

. Another reason for conflicts between people is the cruelty and rudeness of one of the parties. We find a striking example of such a situation in the play “The Thunderstorm” by Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky. The tyranny of the merchant Kabanova (who was nicknamed Kabanikha) became the reason why she could not find a common language with her daughter-in-law and not only with her. She did not want to listen and understand the girl, to compromise, to give in. Each attempt by Katerina to make peace caused new reproaches. So, in the very first act, the young heroine assures her mother-in-law of her good feelings for her: “For me, mamma, it’s all the same as my own mother, as you, and Tikhon loves you too.” But in response she only receives an angry retort: “Why did you jump out in front of your eyes and make a fuss! So they can see how much you love your husband?” Marfa Ignatievna deliberately comes into conflict with her daughter-in-law and provokes resentment again and again. This became the cause of the conflict - one side sought to completely control the other, to manage it, regardless of its opinion. Cruelty and anger destroyed sincerity and kindness - Kabanikha destroyed Katerina. Thus, sometimes the cause of conflicts between people is the anger and tyranny of one person.

“Old Woman Izergil” M. Gorky

. In Maxim Gorky’s work “The Old Woman Izergil,” the heroine-storyteller shares the legend of Larra. This is the son of a man and an eagle. He has a conflict not with one hero, but with an entire society. It's all about Larra's pride, his arrogance. The hero put himself above everyone else, believed that he did not need other people at all, that they were worse than him. Therefore, without a twinge of conscience, he killed the girl who refused him. In response to the reproaches of his fellow tribesmen, he said: “Do you only use your own? I see that every person has only speech, arms and legs... but he owns animals, women, land... and much more...". The hero believed that he had the right to seize everything he needed without asking permission, because he was strong and the girl was weak. Because of such animal selfishness and disregard for society, the tribe rejected Larra and doomed him to eternal torment from loneliness. We can conclude that the causes of conflicts between people are character traits such as pride and selfishness.

Typology and types of social conflicts

Types of social conflicts
By area of public life	economic (production) political ethnic family and household
By the nature of development	deliberate spontaneous
By influence on the course of development of society	progressive regressive
By type of relationship	intra- and intersystem intra- and interpersonal intra- and intergroup intranational international
By means used	violent non-violent
By duration	long-term short-term one-time protracted repetitive
By volume	global national local regional group personal
By source of occurrence	objective subjective false
By shape	internal external

Parties to conflicts

The subjects of contradictions are: individuals, social formations, institutions, ethnic groups, civilizations.
Stages of the conflict
: latent stage, formation of a contradictory situation, incident, actions of the subjects, completion of the conflict situation.

Interethnic conflicts are divided by reasons and nature :

Socio-economic reasons - associated with the phenomena of inflation, unemployment, crisis, when the population of the state is not able to ensure the satisfaction of basic needs, the monopoly of one ethnic group on another.
Cultural and linguistic reasons – ethnic cultural characteristics: language, its development and preservation, provision of protection for ethnic minorities.
Ethnodemographic reasons - a change in the number of any nationality, i.e. an increase in the percentage of the past population due to migration flows.
Ethno-territorial-status reasons - territorial discrepancy in the settlement of the ethnic group, the need to expand the territory and acquire a new status.
Historical reasons - the historical past in the form of wars, deportations.
Interreligious reasons – differences of confessional nature.
Separatist reasons - the demand for independence or autonomy of a separate territory, the creation of a new state.

Ways to resolve social conflicts: negotiations, arbitration, mediation, concessions, compromise.

Ways out of conflict situations: return to a non-conflict state of society, waiting, abandoning the old to develop the new.

Types of conflicts

There are several classifications of conflicts that, in our opinion, deserve mandatory attention.

Classification of conflicts by impact on the activities of a group or organization

In terms of their impact on the activities of a group or organization, conflicts can be constructive or destructive.

Constructive (functional) conflicts are conflicts that lead to the adoption of informed decisions and contribute to the development of relations between the subjects of the conflict. As a rule, the following several functional consequences of conflicts are identified:

The conflict is resolved in a way that suits all parties to the conflict; each party feels involved in resolving the problem;
A decision made jointly is implemented as quickly and easily as possible;
The parties involved in the conflict master the skill of effective cooperation when resolving problematic issues;
If a conflict has arisen between subordinates and managers, then the practice of conflict resolution makes it possible to destroy the “submissive syndrome”, when a person occupying a lower position has a fear of expressing his point of view if it differs from that of people with a higher status;
Relationships between people become better;
Participants in the conflict no longer view disagreements as something negative and leading to negative consequences.

EXAMPLE: An excellent example of constructive conflict is a common work situation: a manager and a subordinate cannot come to an agreement on any issue regarding their joint activities. After a conversation and each participant expressing their opinion, a compromise is found, and the manager and subordinate find a common language, and their relationship acquires a positive tone.

Destructive (dysfunctional) conflicts are conflicts that impede the making of competent decisions and effective interaction between the subjects of the conflict. The dysfunctional consequences of conflicts are the following:

Competitive, adversarial relationships between people;
Lack of desire for positive relationships and cooperation;
Perception of the opponent as an enemy, his position - exclusively as incorrect, and one’s own - exclusively as correct;
The desire to reduce and even completely stop any interaction with the opponent’s side;
The belief that winning a conflict is more important than finding a common solution;
Bad mood, negative emotions, feeling of dissatisfaction.

EXAMPLE: Examples of unconstructive conflict include war, any manifestations of physical violence, family quarrels, etc.

Classification of conflicts by content

In terms of content, conflicts can be realistic or unrealistic.

Realistic conflicts are conflicts that are caused by the dissatisfaction of specific demands of the participants or the unfair, according to the opinion of one of the parties, distribution of certain advantages between the participants. As a rule, such conflicts are aimed at achieving a specific result.

EXAMPLE: conflicts with the authorities of former Nord-Ost hostages and relatives of the victims due to the state’s failure to comply with certain requirements.

Unrealistic conflicts are conflicts whose purpose is the specific expression of negative emotions, hostility or grievances, in other words, the conflict is the main goal.

EXAMPLE: murder by one person of another because the first believes that the second is to blame for his problems and troubles; terrorist acts without expressing specific demands.

Classification of conflicts by the nature of the participants

According to the nature of the participants, conflicts are divided into intrapersonal, interpersonal, conflicts between the individual and the group, and intergroup conflicts.

Intrapersonal conflict - occurs when there is no harmony between various factors of a psychological nature in a person’s inner world, for example, his feelings, values, motives, needs, etc. For example, intrapersonal conflict associated with human activity can be expressed in various forms. But in most cases, this is a form of role conflict - when a person's different roles require him to fulfill different requirements.

EXAMPLE: A person who is an exemplary family man needs to be at home in the evenings, but his position as a manager obliges him to often stay late at work in the evenings. The intrapersonal conflict here is caused by a mismatch between personal needs and the requirements of his activities.

Interpersonal conflict is the most common type of conflict. It may appear differently in different situations. But the reasons for such a conflict can be not only differences in people’s behavior, their manners, views, opinions or characters, which are subjective reasons, but also objective reasons, and they are the basis of interpersonal conflicts most often.

EXAMPLE: One of the most common causes of interpersonal conflicts is the limitation of any resources, such as labor, production space, equipment, money and all kinds of vital goods. For example, one person believes that he, and not someone else, needs resources most of all, while this other person thinks the same way.

Conflict between an individual and a group - the presented conflict appears in cases where one of the members of a group or organization violates the norms of behavior established in it or the laws of communication adopted in informal groups.

EXAMPLE: The conflict between an individual and a group is clearly illustrated by the example of a conflict between subordinates and a leader who adheres to an authoritarian leadership style; Also, similar conflicts can be observed in youth parties, where one of the members of the party suddenly behaved not according to the laws of the “pack.”

Intergroup conflict is a conflict that arises between formal and/or informal groups that are part of a society or organization. It is interesting that during periods of intergroup conflict, people can unite into various close-knit communities. However, this cohesion often disappears immediately after the desired result is achieved.

EXAMPLE: An intergroup conflict may arise between employees of any division of an organization and its administration, for example, due to a sudden reduction in staff; A similar situation is often observed between opposition political parties or religious denominations.

Classification of conflicts according to the specifics of the opposing parties and the conditions for the development of the conflict

According to the specifics of the opposing sides and the conditions of development, conflicts can be internal, external and antagonistic.

Internal conflicts are characterized by the interaction of two or more opposing entities within a community or group of people.

EXAMPLE: An excellent example of internal conflict is intra-class struggle, for example the struggle for leadership.

External conflicts - represent the interaction of opposites that relate to different objects (groups, classes, etc.).

EXAMPLE: An example of an external conflict is the confrontation between man and natural elements or the struggle of the body with the external environment.

Antagonistic conflicts are one of the most acute conflicts, because are interactions between social groups that are irreconcilably opposed to each other. What is unique is that the very concept of “antagonism” is very common in medicine and biology - antagonism of teeth, muscles, microbes, drugs, poisons, etc. can occur. In addition, in mathematical science, antagonism is considered as an opposition of interests. In its pure form, antagonism is presented in social processes.

EXAMPLE: A striking example of an antagonistic conflict is war, market competition, revolution, sports competition, etc.

In addition to all of the above, a correct understanding and interpretation of conflicts, as well as their functions, features, essence and consequences, is impossible without typology, i.e. without identifying the basic types of conflicts based on identifying their similarities and differences and ways of identifying them with the commonality of the main differences and characteristics.

To make it possible to choose an adequate method of influencing and managing a conflict (which you will learn about in our next lessons), it is necessary to classify conflicts according to their main characteristics: methods of resolution, areas of manifestation, direction of influence, degree of expression, number of participants and violated needs.

It is on the basis of typology that both types and varieties of conflicts are determined. The type of conflict as a variation of conflict interaction is distinguished according to certain characteristics.

Types of conflicts by resolution method

According to the method of resolution, conflicts are divided into violent and non-violent.

Violent (antagonistic) conflicts are methods of resolving contradictions in which the structures of all subjects of the conflict are destroyed or all subjects, except one, refuse to participate in the conflict. In the end, the subject who remains wins.

EXAMPLE: An excellent example of violent conflict is government elections, tough discussions, debates, etc.

Non-violent (compromise conflicts) are conflicts that allow several options for resolving the situation through mutual changes in the goals of the subjects of the conflict, conditions of interaction, deadlines, etc.

EXAMPLE: As an example of a compromise conflict, the following situation can be mentioned: a supplier who has undertaken to supply raw materials for production does not fulfill his obligations on time. In this case, the manufacturer has the right to demand that the supplier comply with the agreed schedule, however, the delivery dates may have changed for some compelling reason. The mutual interest of both parties allows them to negotiate, change the original schedule and find a compromise solution.

The next classification that we will consider is determined by the areas of manifestation of conflicts. Spheres, in turn, can be very diverse - this includes politics, people’s beliefs, social relations, economics and much more. Let's talk about the most common of them.

Types of conflicts by area of manifestation

Political conflicts are clashes based on the struggle for power and the distribution of power.

EXAMPLE: An example of a political conflict would be a confrontation between two or more political parties.

Social conflict is a contradiction in the system of human relationships. These contradictions are characterized by the strengthening of the interests of opposing subjects, as well as the tendencies of individuals and social groups. Social conflicts include both purely social and social-labor and labor conflicts.

EXAMPLE: Examples of social conflicts are pickets, strikes, rallies, wars.

Economic conflicts – this group of conflicts includes those conflicts based on contradictions in the sphere of economic interests of individuals and social groups.

EXAMPLE: An economic conflict can be called a struggle over the distribution of property, sphere of economic influence, social benefits or resources.

Organizational conflicts - they can be considered as a consequence of hierarchical relations and the regulation of human activity, as well as the use of the principle of distribution of relations between people.

EXAMPLE: A striking example of an organizational conflict is the use of job descriptions, assigning certain responsibilities and rights to an employee, the introduction of nominal management structures, the presence of certain provisions for the assessment and remuneration of employees, as well as their bonuses, etc.

Next, we should consider the types of conflicts in terms of the direction of impact and the severity of the conflict confrontation.

Types of conflicts by direction of impact

Based on the direction of impact, conflicts are distinguished between vertical and horizontal. Their characteristic feature is the distribution of the amount of power that is at the disposal of the subjects of the conflict at the time of the emergence of a conflict situation.

Vertical conflicts are those in which the amount of available power decreases along the vertical axis from top to bottom, thereby determining different starting conditions for the subjects of the conflict.

EXAMPLE: A vertical conflict can be called a conflict between a boss and a subordinate, a teacher and a student, a small enterprise and a higher organization, etc.

Horizontal conflicts are conflicts in the process of which subjects of equal power or hierarchical level interact.

EXAMPLE: A horizontal conflict can be a conflict between managers holding equivalent positions, employees at the same level, consumers and suppliers, etc.

Types of conflicts according to the severity of conflict confrontation

Depending on the severity of conflict confrontation, conflicts can be hidden or open.

Hidden conflicts are conflicts in which there are no external aggressive actions between the subjects of the conflict, but indirect ones take place, i.e. indirect ways of influencing subjects on each other. Hidden conflicts are possible only when one of the subjects of conflict interaction is either afraid of the other or does not have enough resources for open confrontation.

EXAMPLE: An example of a hidden conflict can be an official scientific debate between teachers, behind which the real essence of the conflict is hidden - the struggle for an authoritative social status, for example, for some position at a university.

Open conflicts are distinguished by the fact that they involve a clear clash of conflicting subjects, i.e. disputes, quarrels, squabbles, etc. The interaction of the participants in the conflict is regulated in this case by norms that correspond to the position of the participants and the situation.

EXAMPLE: An example of an open conflict can be safely called a war, when two or more parties openly express their demands and use open methods to achieve their goals; a quarrel between people that arose for any reason and did not have ulterior motives, etc.

It is important to distinguish between conflicts based on violated needs.

Types of conflicts depending on violated needs

Depending on the violated needs, conflicts of interest and cognitive conflicts are distinguished.

Conflicts of interest are confrontations based on the clash of interests of the subjects of the conflict, which can be individuals, groups of people, organizations, etc.

EXAMPLE: Examples of conflicts of interest can be found even in everyday life - two children cannot share the toy they like; a husband and wife, having one TV between them, want to watch different TV programs at the same time, etc.

Cognitive conflicts are conflicts of knowledge, points of view, views. As a rule, the goal of each subject of a cognitive conflict is to convince the opposite side that his position, opinion or point of view is correct.

EXAMPLE: Examples of cognitive conflict can also be found quite often - these are discussions of various problems, disputes, debates, disputes, during which participants express different points of view and provide all sorts of arguments to prove that they are right.

Summarizing the conversation about the types and types of conflicts, it should be noted that the distribution of conflicts by type is in fact very arbitrary due to the fact that there is no clearly defined boundary between them, and in practice, i.e. in real life, various complex types of conflicts can arise, some conflicts can transform into others, etc.