A conflict can involve a confrontation between two people.
Conflict defines the set of two or more hypothetical situations that are exclusive: this means that they cannot occur simultaneously. Therefore, when a conflict arises, a confrontation , a fight , a fight or an argument occurs, where one of the intervening parties tries to impose itself on the other.
If we define the term from a simple point of view, we can say that a conflict is a situation in which two or more people do not agree with the way of acting of an individual or a group. For this situation to exist, there must be a disagreement that has not been resolved. For example: If one of the parties in a couple wants to go to a vacation spot and the other wants to go to a different place, there is a disagreement, if they agree to talk and resolve the problem by mutual agreement, then the conflict does not occur, otherwise, If no one gives in, yes.
The conflict according to Dahrendorf and Marx
For the German Ralf Dahrendorf , a conflict is a universal situation that can only be solved through social change. Karl Marx , for his part, located the origin of the conflict in the dialectic of materialism and class struggle.
Existing theories on social conflict allow us to understand the need to have a certain order within society , whose members must be integrated. For this, consensus policies must be developed and coercive actions implemented.
Examples where the term may appear: “The conflict broke out when the player refused to occupy the position indicated by his coach”, “The president announced that the border conflict has already been resolved”, “I have a conflict with my father because I arrived late home without warning.”
The moral perspective
The conflict can be analyzed from various perspectives at the social level. In general, it is understood through morality or justice , with negative consequences since it can destroy or even disintegrate a society. It can be accepted, in any case, that conflict has a positive function thanks to its dynamism (it promotes social change).
Outside of politics or sociology, we can understand conflict as something much more everyday and without great effects. A couple arguing over domestic money management, a student confronting his teacher about a bad grade, or two friends fighting over soccer issues will be experiencing a conflict.
When a war breaks out between two countries, both sides use weapons to try to prevail.
Types of conflict
There are many types of conflicts , one way to classify them is: unilateral and bilateral . A conflict is unilateral when only one of the parties disagrees and bilateral when all parties expect something from the other.
Let's take the case of a tenant who does not pay his rent. If you simply do not do it because you do not have the money, then the conflict is unilateral since the problem lies with the owner, but if you do not do it because you expect the owner to comply with a certain agreement, such as fixing the heating or a leak, then the conflict It is bilateral because both need something from the other party to feel satisfied.
Causes of the confrontation
For a conflict to occur, there must be underlying causes that may be conscious or unconscious. Somewhere or in some way it has to arise and these causes can be deep or superficial, according to this importance the conflict will be more or less serious . Conflicts always originate from something.
If we return to the conflict between tenant and landlord we can say, if the reasons for non-payment are that the landlord must fix something, then the reasons are conscious, if it is because he has simply begun to forget to pay, there may be an unconscious cause that may have originated for reasons that do not exist at first glance. A hypothetical example could be: the tenant met the owner at the supermarket and he did not greet him, which made him uncomfortable and even annoying. As time went by, he left that anecdote in the past, until the incident presented unconscious causes of conflict, and led him to stop paying his rent.
Personal or structural conflict
Furthermore, a conflict can be personal or structural . Personal conflicts to develop require individuals with certain feelings and ideas at stake; While structural conflicts are endemic to specific circumstances in a group of people, they are generic conflicts . In any case, it is not so simple to differentiate them because in order for structural conflicts to exist, there must be individuals who get involved and create the problem.
Within a structural conflict, it is necessary that those who intervene manage not to interfere with their own feelings and/or ideas but rather seek to resolve the problem in favor of the group. This means that the elements in a structural dispute are established beforehand . For example, if it is a conflict between two culturally different groups, it must be understood in advance that you cannot try to change the nature of the other party, nor its reactions, otherwise you would be faced with a conflict that would have no solution.