What are the main stages of social conflict? Stages of social conflicts. Sociology and related sciences

Social conflict: essence, conditions, causes, types and levels.

Few people approve of conflict processes, but almost everyone participates in them. If in competitive processes rivals are simply trying to get ahead of each other, to be better, then during a conflict attempts are made to impose their will on the enemy, change his behavior, or even eliminate him altogether. In this regard, conflict is understood as an attempt to achieve reward by subordinating, imposing one’s will, removing or even destroying an opponent seeking to achieve the same reward. An individual murder or an entire battle, threats, recourse to the law to influence the enemy, the creation of coalitions to unite efforts in the fight - these are just some of the manifestations of social conflicts. In many cases of extreme manifestations of social conflicts, their result is the complete destruction of the enemy (for example, Rome destroyed Carthage, or American settlers practically killed some tribes of North American Indians who were at war with them).

The conflict process that has arisen is difficult to stop. This is because the conflict has cumulative nature, ᴛ.ᴇ. every aggressive action leads to a response or retaliation, moreover, stronger than the initial one. The conflict is escalating and affecting more and more people.

It is useful to start analyzing conflicts from the elementary, simplest level, from the origins of conflict relations. Traditionally, it begins with a structure of needs, the set of which is specific to each individual and social group. A. Maslow divides all these needs into five basic types: 1) physical needs (food, sex, material well-being, etc.); 2) security needs; 3) social needs (needs for communication, social contacts, interaction); 4) the need to achieve prestige, knowledge, respect, a certain level of competence; 5) higher needs for self-expression, self-affirmation (for example, the need for creativity). All desires, aspirations of individuals and social groups can be attributed to some type of these needs. Consciously or unconsciously, individuals dream of achieving their goals according to their needs.

for social conflict to arise, it is extremely important, firstly, that the cause of frustration is other people's behavior and, secondly, so that there is a response to an aggressive social action, interaction.

Moreover, not every state of frustration and associated emotional stress lead to social conflict. Emotional stress and dissatisfaction associated with unsatisfied needs must cross a certain boundary, beyond which aggression appears in the form of directed social action. This boundary is determined by the state of public fear, cultural norms and action social institutions, restraining the manifestation of aggressive actions. If phenomena of disorganization are observed in a society or social group, the effectiveness of social institutions decreases, then individuals more easily cross the line separating them from the conflict.

All conflicts can be classified based on areas of disagreement as follows.

1. Personal conflict. This zone includes conflicts occurring within the personality, at the level of individual consciousness. Such conflicts can be associated, for example, with excessive dependence or role tension. This is a purely psychological conflict, but it can be a catalyst for the emergence of group tension if the individual seeks the cause of his internal conflict among group members.

2. Interpersonal conflict. This zone includes disagreements between two or more members of one group or several groups. In this conflict, individuals stand “face to face”, like two boxers, and individuals who do not form a group are also involved.

3. Intergroup conflict. A small number of individuals forming a group (a social community capable of joint coordinated actions) come into conflict with another group that does not include individuals from the first group. This is the most common type of conflict, because individuals, when starting to influence others, usually try to attract supporters and form a group that will facilitate actions in the conflict.

4. Conflict of belonging occurs due to the dual affiliation of individuals, for example, when they form a group within another, larger group or when an individual simultaneously belongs to two competitive groups pursuing the same goal.

Conflict with the external environment. The individuals who make up the group experience pressure from the outside (primarily from cultural, administrative and economic norms and regulations). They often come into conflict with the institutions that support these norms and regulations.

1. Pre-conflict stage. No social conflict arises instantly. Emotional stress, irritation and anger usually accumulate over some time, and therefore the Pre-conflict stage sometimes drags on so much that the root cause of the conflict is forgotten.

The pre-conflict stage is the period during which the conflicting parties evaluate their resources before deciding to take aggressive actions or retreat. Such resources include material assets with which you can influence an opponent, information, power, connections, prestige, etc. At the same time, there is a consolidation of the forces of the warring parties, a search for supporters and the formation of groups participating in the conflict.

2. The conflict itself. This stage is characterized primarily by the presence of an incident. social actions aimed at changing the behavior of rivals. This is an active, active part of the conflict. However, the entire conflict consists of a conflict situation that forms at the pre-conflict stage and an incident.

According to their internal content, social conflicts are divided into: rational and emotional. Rational conflicts include those that cover the sphere of reasonable, business-like competition, redistribution of resources and improvement of management or social structure. Rational conflicts also occur in the field of culture, when people try to free themselves from outdated, unnecessary norms, customs and beliefs. As a rule, those participating in rational conflicts do not move to the personal level and do not form an image of the enemy in their minds.

Moreover, during conflict interactions and clashes, the aggression of its participants is often transferred from the cause of the conflict to the individual. In this case, the original cause of the conflict is simply forgotten and the participants act on the basis of personal hostility. This kind of conflict is usually called emotional.

The development of emotional conflicts is unpredictable, and in the vast majority of cases they are uncontrollable. For this reason, the desire of some organizational leaders to artificially cause a conflict to resolve a controversial situation threatens with serious consequences, since the conflict can be controlled only to a certain limit and after the conflict moves to the emotional level, it can no longer be extinguished, but can only be localized.

3. Conflict resolution. External sign Conflict resolution can serve as the end of the incident. It is completion, not temporary cessation. This means that conflictual interaction between the conflicting parties ceases. Elimination, cessation of the incident is an extremely important, but not sufficient condition for resolving the conflict. Often, having stopped active conflict interaction, people continue to experience a frustrating state and look for its cause. And then the conflict that had died out flares up again. Resolution of social conflict is possible only when the conflict situation changes. This change may take different shapes. But most effective change In a conflict situation, the way to resolve the conflict is to eliminate the cause of the conflict. Indeed, in a rational conflict, eliminating the cause inevitably leads to its resolution. Moreover, in the case of high emotional tension, eliminating the cause of the conflict usually does not affect the actions of its participants in any way or affects it, but very weakly. For this reason, for an emotional conflict, the most important point in changing the conflict situation should be considered changing opponents' attitudes relative to each other. Emotional conflict is completely resolved only when the opponents stop seeing each other as an enemy.

It is also possible to resolve social conflict by changing requirements of one of the parties: the opponent makes concessions and changes the goals of his behavior in the conflict. For example, seeing the futility of the struggle, one of the rivals yields to the other, or both make concessions at the same time. Social conflict must also be resolved as a result of the depletion of the resources of the parties or the intervention of a third force that creates an overwhelming advantage for one of the parties, and, finally, as a result of the complete elimination of the rival. In all these cases, a change in the conflict situation certainly occurs.

All conflicts have four basic parameters: causes of the conflict, severity of the conflict, duration of the conflict and consequences of the conflict. By considering these characteristics, it is possible to determine the similarities and differences in conflicts and the characteristics of their course.

Causes of the conflict. Determining the nature of the conflict and subsequent analysis of its causes is important in the study of conflict interactions, since the cause is the point around which the conflict situation unfolds. Early diagnosis of a conflict is primarily aimed at finding its real cause, which allows for social control over the behavior of social groups at the pre-conflict stage.

The severity of the conflict. When they talk about an acute social conflict, they first of all mean a conflict with a high intensity of social clashes, as a result of which, in a short period of time, a large number of psychological and material resources. An acute conflict is characterized mainly by open clashes, which occur so often that they merge into a single whole.

Duration of the conflict. Each individual in his life inevitably encounters conflicts of varying duration (.passes different time from the emergence of a conflict to its resolution). It should be a short skirmish lasting a few minutes between a boss and a subordinate, but it should also be a confrontation between different religious groups that lasts for several generations. The duration of the conflict has great importance for opposing groups and social systems. First of all, the magnitude and persistence of changes in groups and systems, resulting from the expenditure of resources in conflict encounters, depends on it.

Consequences of social conflict very contradictory. Conflicts, on the one hand, destroy social structures, lead to significant unnecessary expenditure of resources, and on the other hand, they are a mechanism that helps solve many problems, unites groups and ultimately serves as one of the ways to achieve social justice. The duality in people's assessment of the consequences of conflict has led to the fact that sociologists involved in conflict theory, or, as they also say, conflictology, have not come to a common point of view on whether conflicts are useful or harmful for society.

Social conflict: essence, conditions, causes, types and levels. - concept and types. Classification and features of the category "Social conflict: essence, conditions, causes, types and levels." 2017, 2018.

From the above, it becomes clear how important a social task is the ability to take the development of a conflict under control, prevent its growth, and reduce it Negative consequences, develop an effective conflict resolution mechanism. To do this, you need to understand the features of the following four main stages of development of social conflict.

Pre-conflict stage(stage of latent conflict) is characterized by the gradual development of a conflict situation based on the aggravation of contradictions between social groups and the latter’s awareness of the divergence of their interests. As a result, it begins to form psychological attitude parties to conflict behavior. It is commonly said that at this stage the conflict still exists in a latent (hidden) form. It is important to remember that it is at this stage that the most favorable opportunities exist to prevent the emergence of an open conflict by resolving accumulated contradictions. If this does not happen, then some reason will begin the development of a latent conflict into an open conflict.

Conflict behavior(stage of open conflict). This stage is characterized by direct confrontation between the conflicting parties, during which each of them seeks to thwart the enemy’s intentions and achieve their goals. The emotional state of the participants in the conflict is characterized by a sharp increase in hostility, aggressiveness, and the formation of an “enemy image.” The outcome of the confrontation depends primarily on the resources at the disposal of the participants in the conflict (power, economic, information, demographic, moral and psychological, etc.), as well as on the state of the surrounding social environment.

Conflict resolution stage. At this stage, the outcome of the conflict is revealed, which can be reduced to one of the following three options. Firstly, it is a complete victory of one of the parties, which imposes its will on the defeated enemy. Although often this option turns out to be quite optimal (for example, in the case of a decisive, uncompromising elimination of reactionary political forces from the political arena through defeat), much more often it is the germ of a new conflict, generating a desire for revenge on the defeated side. Secondly, in the case of approximately equal resources of the opponents, the conflict may not end with a clear victory for any of the parties and may last for quite a long time in a less acute, “smoldering” form (for example, current state Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh) or ends with formal reconciliation that does not eliminate the underlying causes of the conflict. Thirdly, this is the resolution of the conflict on terms that suit all its participants. To achieve this outcome, which turns out to be the most optimal in most cases, the following points are of particular importance:

awareness by the conflicting parties of the futility of forceful methods of resolving the conflict;

persistent work to establish civilized methods of normalizing the situation using negotiations, mediation, and scientific studies of the essence of the conflict;

a clear orientation of the conflicting parties to identify and eliminate the real causes of the conflict, to search for something that does not separate, but unites both parties;

reaching a sustainable agreement in which neither side feels disadvantaged or lost face."

4. Post-conflict stage, on which the efforts of former opponents should be focused on monitoring compliance with the agreement reached and overcoming the socio-psychological consequences of the conflict.

Introduction 3

1. Main aspects of social conflicts 4

1.1.Classification of conflicts 6

1.2.Characteristics of conflicts 8

2. Stages of social conflicts 13

Conclusion 18

Introduction

Social heterogeneity of society, differences in income levels, power, prestige, etc. often lead to conflicts. Conflicts are an integral part of social life. The modern life of Russian society is especially rich in conflicts. All this calls for close attention to the study of conflicts. The wide distribution of this phenomenon served as the basis for this work.

The relevance of the topic is evidenced by the fact that clashes of points of view, opinions, positions are a very common phenomenon in production and public life. Therefore, in order to develop the right line of behavior in various conflict situations, you need to know what conflict is and how people come to agreement. Knowledge of conflicts improves the culture of communication and makes a person’s life not only calmer, but also more stable in life. psychologically.

Conflict, especially social conflict, is a very interesting phenomenon in the social life of people, and in this regard, it is no coincidence that many prominent scientists involved in a very wide range of sciences are interested in it. So Professor N.V. Mikhailov wrote: “Conflict is a stimulus and a brake on progress, development and degradation, good and evil.”

Difficulties that arise when extinguishing and localizing conflicts require a thorough analysis of the entire conflict, establishing its possible causes and consequences.

1. Main aspects of social conflicts

Conflict is a clash of opposing goals, positions, opinions and views of opponents or subjects of interaction. The English sociologist E. Gidens gave the following definition of conflict: “By conflict I mean a real struggle between active people or groups, regardless of the origins of this struggle, its methods and means mobilized by each side.” Conflict is a ubiquitous phenomenon. Every society, every social group, social community is susceptible to conflict to one degree or another. The wide dissemination of this phenomenon and the keen attention of society and scientists to it contributed to the emergence of a special branch of sociological knowledge - conflictology. Conflicts are classified according to their structure and areas of research.

Social conflict is a special type of interaction of social forces in which the action of one side, faced with opposition from the other, makes it impossible to realize its goals and interests.

The main subjects of the conflict are large social groups. Major conflict expert R. Dorendorf classifies three types of social groups as subjects of conflict:

1) Primary groups are direct participants in the conflict who are in a state of interaction regarding the achievement of objectively or subjectively incompatible goals.

2) Secondary groups - strive to not be directly involved in the conflict, but contribute to inciting the conflict. At the acute stage, they can become the primary side.

3) Third forces are interested in resolving the conflict.

The subject of the conflict is the main contradiction, because of which and for the sake of resolving which the subjects enter into confrontation.

Conflictology has developed two models for describing conflict: procedural And structural. The procedural model focuses on the dynamics of the conflict, the emergence of a conflict situation, the transition of the conflict from one stage to another, forms of conflict behavior, and the final outcome of the conflict. In the structural model, the emphasis shifts to the analysis of the conditions underlying the conflict and determining its dynamics. The main goal of this model is to establish the parameters that influence conflict behavior and specify the forms of this behavior.

Much attention is paid to the concept of “strength” of participants in conflicts 1 . Strength is the opponent’s ability to realize his goal against the will of the interaction partner. It includes a number of heterogeneous components:

Physical force, including technical means used as an instrument of violence;

An informationally civilized form of the use of force, requiring the collection of facts, statistical data, analysis of documents, study of examination materials in order to ensure complete knowledge of the essence of the conflict, about one’s opponent in order to develop a strategy and tactics of behavior, the use of materials discrediting the opponent, etc.;

Social status, expressed in publicly recognized indicators (income, level of power, prestige, etc.);

Other resources - money, territory, time limit, number of supporters, etc.

The stage of conflict behavior is characterized by the maximum use of the power of the participants in conflicts, the use of all resources at their disposal.

An important influence on the development of conflict relations is exerted by the surrounding social environment, which determines the conditions in which conflict processes take place. The environment can act either as a source of external support for the parties to the conflict, or as a deterrent, or as a neutral factor.

1. Classification of conflicts

All conflicts can be classified depending on the areas of disagreement as follows.

1. Personal conflict. This zone includes conflicts occurring within the personality, at the level of individual consciousness. Such conflicts may be associated, for example, with excessive dependence or role tension. This is a purely psychological conflict, but it can be a catalyst for the emergence of group tension if the individual seeks the cause of his internal conflict among group members.

2. Interpersonal conflict. This zone involves disagreements between two or more members of one group or more groups.

3. Intergroup conflict. A certain number of individuals forming a group (i.e., a social community capable of joint coordinated actions) come into conflict with another group that does not include individuals from the first group. This is the most common type of conflict, because individuals, when starting to influence others, usually try to attract supporters and form a group that will facilitate actions in the conflict.

4. Conflict of belonging. Occurs due to the dual affiliation of individuals, for example, when they form a group within another, larger group or when an individual is simultaneously part of two competitive groups pursuing the same goal.

5. Conflict with the external environment. The individuals who make up the group experience pressure from the outside (primarily from cultural, administrative and economic norms and regulations). They often come into conflict with the institutions that support these norms and regulations.

According to their internal content, social conflicts are divided into rational and emotional 2. TO rational include such conflicts that cover the sphere of reasonable, business-like cooperation, redistribution of resources and improvement of managerial or social structure. Rational conflicts also occur in the field of culture, when people try to free themselves from outdated, unnecessary forms, customs and beliefs. As a rule, those participating in rational conflicts do not move to the personal level and do not form an image of the enemy in their minds. Respect for the opponent, recognition of his right to some share of the truth - these are characteristic features of a rational conflict. Such conflicts are not acute or protracted, since both sides strive, in principle, for the same goal - improvement of relationships, norms, patterns of behavior, fair distribution of values. The parties come to an agreement, and as soon as the frustrating obstacle is removed, the conflict is resolved.

However, during conflict interactions and clashes, the aggression of its participants is often transferred from the cause of the conflict to the individual. In this case, the original cause of the conflict is simply forgotten, and the participants act on the basis of personal hostility. Such a conflict is called emotional. From the moment an emotional conflict appears, negative stereotypes appear in the minds of the people involved in it.

The development of emotional conflict is unpredictable, and in the vast majority of cases they are uncontrollable. Most often, such a conflict ends after new people or even new generations appear in the situation. But some conflicts (for example, national, religious) can transmit the emotional mood to other generations. In this case, the conflict continues for quite a long time.

1. Characteristics of conflicts

Despite numerous manifestations of conflict interactions in social life, they all have a number general characteristics, the study of which allows us to classify the main parameters of conflicts, as well as identify factors influencing their intensity. All conflicts have four main parameters: the causes of the conflict, the severity of the conflict, its duration and consequences 3 . By considering these characteristics, it is possible to determine the similarities and differences in conflicts and the characteristics of their course.

Causes of conflicts.

Defining the concept of the nature of the conflict and the subsequent analysis of its causes is important in the study of conflict interactions, since the cause is the point around which the conflict situation unfolds. Early diagnosis of a conflict is primarily aimed at finding its real cause, which allows for social control over the behavior of social groups at the pre-conflict stage.

It is advisable to begin the analysis of the causes of social conflict with their typology. The following types of reasons can be distinguished:

1.The presence of opposite orientations. Each individual and social group has a certain set of value orientations regarding the most significant aspects of social life. They are all different and usually opposite. At the moment of striving to satisfy needs, in the presence of blocked goals that several individuals or groups are trying to achieve, opposing value orientations come into contact and can cause conflict.

2.Ideological reasons. Conflicts arising from ideological differences are a special case of a conflict of opposing orientations. The difference between them is that the ideological cause of the conflict lies in different attitudes towards the system of ideas that justify and legitimize relations of subordination, dominance and in the fundamental worldviews of different groups of society. In this case, elements of faith, religious, socio-political aspirations become a catalyst for contradictions.

3.The causes of conflicts are various forms of economic and social inequality. This type of reason is associated with significant differences in the distribution of values ​​(income, knowledge, information, cultural elements, etc.) between individuals and groups. Inequality in the distribution of values ​​exists everywhere, but conflict arises only with such a magnitude of inequality that one of the social groups regards it as very significant, and only if such significant inequality leads to a blockade of important social needs in one of the social groups. The social tension that arises in this case can cause social conflict. It is caused by the emergence of additional needs among people, for example, the need to have the same amount of values.

1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 2

2. The concept of conflict

What is social conflict? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.3

Subjects and participants of the conflict. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 3

Object of conflict. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.4

3. Main types of social conflicts

Conflict of needs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.5

Conflict of interest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 6

Value conflict. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 7

4. Types of social conflicts

Intrapersonal conflicts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 7

Interpersonal conflicts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.10

Conflicts between the individual and the group. . . . . . . . . . . . p.13

Intergroup conflicts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.15

5. Main stages of conflict development

Pre-conflict stage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 17

Stage of development of the conflict. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 18

Conflict resolution stage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.19

Post-conflict stage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.21

6. Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 22

7. List of used literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 24

Introduction

The possibility of conflict exists in all spheres of society. Conflicts are born out of daily differences of opinion, disagreement and confrontation different opinions, motives, desires, lifestyles, interests, personal characteristics. The famous philosopher and sociologist Max Weber was convinced that social conflict is omnipresent, and every society at every point is permeated with discord and conflict.

Our country has developed a tradition of explaining social conflicts through the objective contradiction of interests of large social groups, which dictate to the parties the logic, duration, and degree of intensity of the struggle to satisfy pressing needs. But objective contradictions of social groups should not be identified with conflicts. Conflict is always associated with people’s subjective awareness of the contradictory nature of their interests as members of certain social groups. Aggravated contradictions give rise to open or closed conflicts only when they are deeply experienced by people and recognized as incompatibility of interests and goals.

The relevance of the topic is evidenced by the fact that clashes of points of view, opinions, and positions are a very common phenomenon in industrial and social life. Therefore, in order to develop the right line of behavior in various conflict situations, you need to know what conflict is and how people come to agreement. Knowledge of conflicts improves the culture of communication and makes a person’s life not only calmer, but also more psychologically stable.

Conflict is a ubiquitous phenomenon. Every society, every social group, social community is susceptible to conflict to one degree or another. The wide dissemination of this phenomenon and the keen attention of society and scientists to it contributed to the emergence of a special branch of sociological knowledge - conflictology.

Conflictology is faced with many questions, but the most important of them: is it possible for a society to exist without conflicts? Is conflict a manifestation of organizational dysfunction, deviant behavior of individuals and groups, anomalies in social life, or is it a normal, necessary form of social interaction between people?

Some sociologists of Marxist orientation are of the opinion that conflict is just a temporary state of society, which can be overcome by rational means and, therefore, it is possible to achieve such a level social development when social conflicts disappear.

Most sociologists of non-Marxist orientation are inclined to believe that the existence of a society without conflicts is impossible. They support a long-standing philosophical tradition, according to which conflict is an integral part of existence, the main engine of social development. This means that conflict is not a dysfunction, not an anomaly, but a norm of relations between people, a necessary element of social life, which gives an outlet to social tension, the energy of activity, giving rise to social changes of various scales.

Concept of conflict

What is social conflict?

“The concept of “social conflict” unites those situations in which the interests of individuals do not coincide, and, while protecting these interests, they collide with each other.”

The word “conflict” (from Latin - confliktus) means a clash (of parties, opinions, forces). The causes of collisions can be a variety of problems in our lives. For example, a conflict over material resources, values ​​and the most important life attitudes, over power, over personal differences, etc. Thus, conflicts cover all spheres of people’s life, the entire social relations, social interaction. Conflict, in fact, is one of the types of social influence, the subjects and participants of which are individuals, large and small social groups and organizations. However, conflict interaction presupposes confrontation between the parties, i.e., actions directed against each other.

So, social conflict is the struggle of social communities with opposing interests for dominant social statuses in the social system.

Subjects and participants of the conflict

The concepts of “subject” and “participant” of a conflict are not always identical. The subject is an “active party” capable of creating a conflict situation and influencing the course of the conflict in accordance with its interests. A participant in a conflict may consciously, or not fully aware of the goals and objectives of the confrontation, take part in the conflict, or may be accidentally or against his (the participant’s) will involved in the conflict. Consequently, the subject of the conflict, entering into confrontation, consciously pursues and defends his goals and interests. As the conflict develops, the statuses of “participants” and “subjects” may change places.

It is also necessary to distinguish between direct and indirect participants in the conflict. The latter represent certain forces pursuing their own personal interests in a supposed or real “alien” conflict. Indirect participants can:

Provoke conflict and contribute to its development;

Contribute to reducing the intensity of the conflict or ending it completely;

Support one or the other side of the conflict or both sides at the same time.

In the sociology of conflict, the concept of “party to the conflict” is often used. This concept can include both direct and indirect participants in the conflict. Sometimes indirect participants are called “third parties” or “third parties” for their special interest in the conflict.

Situations often arise when it is quite difficult to identify the direct subjects of the conflict. A striking example is ethnopolitical conflicts (Chechen or Ossetian-Ingush), when it is not easy to answer the question of who represents the parties to the conflict: the leaders of the opposing sides, or those who are directly involved in power operations, or those who perceive each other as rivals and supports the positions of their leaders in the conflict? Or are they all together as representatives and participants of a certain social group?

Quite often, a conflict, having begun as interpersonal, with the appearance of active adherents on each of its sides, turns into intergroup conflict. Just as often one can observe the opposite picture: having become involved in a conflict as part of a certain group, a person begins to lead his own line in it, as a result of which it turns into a personal-group one for her. In turn, a personal-group conflict often transforms into an intergroup conflict if an individual manages to “split off” some of its members from the opposing group, make them his adherents, or acquire the latter from somewhere else. All these “spillovers” change the course of the conflict and therefore require careful consideration when analyzing it.

Object of conflict

One of the indispensable elements of conflict is the object due to which a conflict situation is created. The object is the specific reason, motivation, driving forces of the conflict. All objects are divided into three main types:

1. Objects that cannot be divided into parts and cannot be owned jointly with anyone.

2. Objects that can be divided in different proportions between the parties to the conflict.

3. Objects that both parties to the conflict can jointly own.

Identifying the target in each specific conflict is far from easy. Subjects and participants in the conflict, pursuing their real or imaginary goals, can hide, mask, and replace the sought-after motives that prompted them to confrontation. For example, in political struggle, the object of the conflict is the real power in society, but each of the subjects of political confrontation tries to prove that the main motive of his specific conflict activity is the desire to achieve the maximum possible benefits for his voters.

Determining the main object is an indispensable condition for the successful resolution of any conflict. Otherwise, the conflict will either not be resolved in principle (a deadlock situation), or will not be resolved fully, and “smoldering coals” will remain in the interaction of subjects for new clashes.

Main types of social conflicts.

Depending on the motivation, there are 3 blocks of social conflicts:

Conflict of needs

The current situation in the world brings the problem of resources or vital needs to one of the first places.

Conflicts over needs can be divided into two types: first, conflict due to real or perceived resource limitations; secondly, due to the relationship between short-term and long-term needs.

Living in society, one cannot be free from it. Inevitably, at some point, a conflict of interests occurs that must be resolved. So, what is the nature? How does it begin and what does it threaten? Can the stages of development of social conflict have positive consequences? All these questions are relevant, since this form of interaction is one way or another familiar to everyone.

Sociology and related sciences

A lot of scientists of various specialties study various aspects of human life. This is psychology, which includes several areas, as well as economics and sociology. The latter is a relatively young science, because it became independent only in the 19th century. And she studies what happens to ordinary people every day is the process of their interaction. One way or another, all members of society have to communicate with each other. And what happens in this case, how people behave in certain situations (from the point of view of others) is the main subject of interest of sociology. By the way, despite its relatively short history, this science has managed to develop sufficiently and branch out into several schools and movements that consider different phenomena from different points of view. Different views and opinions make it possible to form a more or less complete picture, although active research is still ongoing, because society is changing, new phenomena are observed in it, while others become outdated and become a thing of the past.

Social interactions

There are always certain processes taking place in society that affect a certain number of people. Occur related to each other. They can always be recognized by a number of signs:

• they are objective, that is, they have goals and reasons;
• they are expressed externally, that is, they can be observed from the outside;
• they are situational and change depending on the situation;
• finally, they express the subjective interests or intentions of the participants.

The interaction process does not always occur through verbal means of communication, and this is worth considering. In addition, it is characterized by feedback in one form or another, although it may not always be noticeable. By the way, the laws of physics do not apply here, and not every action provokes some kind of response - such is human nature.

Sociologists distinguish three basic forms of social interactions: cooperation, or cooperation, competition and conflict. They all have the same right to exist and arise constantly, even if it is imperceptible. The latter form can be observed in in different forms and among different numbers of people. And it is even dealt with to some extent by a separate science - conflictology. After all, this form of interaction can look different and have a very different nature.

Conflicts

Many people have probably seen at least once in their lives a couple quarreling, a mother scolding a child, or a teenager who does not want to talk to his parents. These are the phenomena that sociology studies. Social conflicts are the highest degree of manifestation of disagreement between people or their groups, the struggle of their interests. This word came into Russian from Latin, where it means “collision.” The struggle of opinions can take place in different ways, have its own causes, consequences, etc. But the emergence of a social conflict always begins with a subjective or objective infringement of someone’s rights and interests, which causes a response. Contradictions exist constantly, but the stages of development of social conflict become visible only when the situation escalates.

Basics and nature

Society is heterogeneous, and benefits are not distributed equally among its members. Throughout its history, humanity has invariably sought a way to organize life so that everything is fair, but so far all attempts to do this have failed. Such heterogeneity is the very soil that forms the basis of social conflict at the macro level. So the main reason is an acute contradiction, everything else is strung on this core.

Unlike competition, with which conflict can be confused, interaction can occur in an extremely aggressive form, even to the point of violence. Of course, this does not always happen, but the number of wars, strikes, riots and demonstrations shows that sometimes things can be very serious.

Classification

There are a huge number that vary depending on the criteria applied. The main ones are:

• by the number of participants: internal, interpersonal, intragroup, intergroup, as well as conflicts with the external environment;
• by scope: local, national, international, global;
• by duration: short-term and long-term;
• by spheres of life and basis: economic, political, sociocultural, ideological, family and everyday life, spiritual and moral, labor, legal;
• by the nature of occurrence: spontaneous and intentional;
• by use various means: violent and peaceful;
• by consequences: successful, unsuccessful, constructive, destructive.

Obviously, when considering a specific collision, it is necessary to remember all of these factors. Only this will help to identify some latent, that is, hidden, causes and processes, as well as understand how to resolve the conflict. On the other hand, ignoring some of them, you can consider individual aspects in much more detail.

By the way, many researchers believe that hidden conflicts are the most serious. Silent opposition is not only unconstructive - it is like a time bomb that can explode at any moment. That is why it is necessary to express disagreements one way or another, if there are any: a large number of different opinions often helps to make serious decisions that would satisfy all interested parties.

Stages of occurrence

When directly participating in a conflict, it is not easy to distance yourself and think about something else, because the contradiction is acute. However, observing from the outside, one can easily identify the main stages of social conflict. Different scientists sometimes identify different numbers of them, but generally they say four.

1. Pre-conflict state. This is not yet a clash of interests itself, but the situation inevitably leads to it, contradictions between subjects appear and accumulate, and tension gradually increases. Then a certain event or action occurs, which becomes a so-called trigger, that is, it is the reason for the beginning of active actions.
2. Direct conflict. The escalation stage is the most active: the parties interact in one form or another, looking not only for a way out of discontent, but also for a way to resolve the problem. Sometimes solutions are proposed, sometimes the confrontation remains destructive. Not all parties to the conflict always take active action, but each of them plays their role. In addition to the two directly interacting parties, intermediaries, or mediators, often intervene at this stage, seeking to move on to resolving problems. There may also be so-called instigators or provocateurs - people who, consciously or not, take further actions. As a rule, they do not actively support one of the parties.
3. There comes a time when the parties have already expressed all their claims and are ready to look for a way out. At this stage, active and often constructive negotiations take place. However, in order to find a solution, it is necessary to remember some important conditions. Firstly, the participants in the conflict must understand its true causes. Secondly, they must be interested in reconciliation. Thirdly, you need to calm down and remember mutual respect. Finally, the last condition is that the search is not general recommendations, but the development of specific steps to resolve the contradiction.
4. Post-conflict period. At this time, the implementation of all those decisions that were made for reconciliation begins. For some time the parties may still be in some tension, a so-called “sediment” remains, but over time everything passes and relations return to a peaceful course.

These stages of development of social conflict are familiar to absolutely everyone in practice. As a rule, the second period is the longest and most painful; sometimes the parties cannot move on to a constructive discussion of further steps for a very long time. The quarrel drags on and spoils everyone's mood. But sooner or later the third stage comes.

Behavior tactics

IN social sphere Conflicts of one scale or another occur constantly. They can pass completely unnoticed, or they can be very serious, especially if both sides behave unreasonably and inflate small differences into huge problems.

There are five basic social models for how people act in pre-conflict or escalation situations. They are also conventionally associated with animals, noticing similar values ​​and aspirations. All of them, to one degree or another, are constructive and reasonable, but the choice of each of them depends on many factors. So, at the first stage of social conflict and during the subsequent development of events, one of the following is observed:

1. Device (bear). This tactic requires one of the parties to completely sacrifice their interests. In this case, from the bear’s point of view, it is more important to restore calm and stability rather than resolve contradictions.
2. Compromise (fox). This is a more neutral model, in which the subject of the dispute is approximately equally important for both sides. This type of conflict resolution assumes that both opponents will be only partially satisfied.
3. Cooperation (owl). This method is needed when compromise is out of the question. This is the most successful option if it is necessary not only to return, but also to strengthen. But it is suitable only for those who are ready to put grievances aside and think constructively.
4. Ignoring (turtle). One of the parties does its best to avoid open confrontation, hoping to independently resolve differences. Sometimes using these tactics is necessary to gain a break and relieve tension.
5. Competition (shark). As a rule, one of the parties unilaterally makes a decision aimed at eliminating the problem. This is only possible with sufficient knowledge and competence.

As the development of social conflict moves from one stage to another, patterns of behavior may change. The process depends on many factors, and this may determine how it all ends. If the parties are unable to cope on their own, a need may arise for an intermediary, that is, a mediator, or arbitration.

Consequences

For some reason, it is generally accepted that the clash of different points of view does not bring anything good. But this is not so, because every phenomenon has both a negative and a positive side. Thus, there are also consequences of social conflicts that can be called positive. Among them the following should be highlighted:

• searching for new ways to solve various problems;
• the emergence of an understanding of the values ​​and priorities of other people;
• strengthening intragroup ties when it comes to external disagreements.

However, there are also negative points:

• increased tension;
• destruction of interpersonal connections;
• diverting attention from solving more important problems.

Most scientists do not clearly assess the consequences of social conflicts. Even everyone specific example need to be looked at only in perspective, assessing the long-term impact of all decisions made. But, since disagreements arise, it means they are necessary for some reason. Although it’s hard to believe, remembering the terrible examples from history that led to bloody wars, brutal riots and executions.

Functions

The role of social conflicts is not as simple as it might seem. This type of interaction is one of the most effective. In addition, according to many researchers, it is the clash of interests that is an inexhaustible source of social development. Economic models, political regimes, entire civilizations are changing - and all because of global conflicts. But this happens only when disagreements in society reach their climax and there is an acute crisis.

One way or another, many sociologists believe that ultimately there are only two options for the development of events when acute contradictions arise: the collapse of the core of the system or finding a compromise or consensus. Everything else sooner or later leads to one of these paths.

When is this normal?

If we remember the essence of social conflict, it becomes clear that any interaction in this form initially has a rational grain. So, from a sociological point of view, even an open clash is a completely normal type of interaction.

The only problem is that people are irrational and often follow emotions, and can also use them for their own purposes, and then the stages of development of social conflict are delayed by escalation and return to it over and over again. The goal is lost, which does not lead to anything good. But blindly avoiding conflicts, constantly sacrificing your interests, is wrong. Peacefulness in this case is completely unnecessary; sometimes you need to stand up for yourself.