Category: Conflict

The term sexual behavior encompasses various actions that people engage in to show their sexuality. Sexual arousal is a part of these behaviors biological and cultural aspects. Sociologists in sexuality study sexual attitudes and behaviors rather than physical anatomy or physiology. Sexiness is defined as a persons ability to have sexual thoughts and emotions (Lumen Learning, 2022) A intriguing feature of studying sexual attitudes and behaviors in sociology is universal across cultures (Nickerson, 2022). The great majority of human beings have engaged in sexual activity at some point or another. However, sexuality and sexual behavior are interpreted in various ways by different societies. There are a variety of contentious issues when it comes to sexuality, such as premarital sex, the legal age of consent, homosexuality, and masturbation (Lumen Learning, 2022). Sociologists have discovered that many cultures share a set of standards. Homosexuality, the desire or urge to engage in sexual activity with another person of the same sex (Lumen Learning, 2022). An examination of homosexuality in conflict theory is the focus of this study.

There are a variety of sociological perspectives known collectively as conflict theory, all of which reject functionalist assumptions. The theory holds that human societies are fundamentally characterized by conflicts for access to scarce resources among competing groups (Nickerson, 2022). Theories of conflict imply disparities of power and resources in all societies, which leads to competing interests among various social groupings. Conflict theory concentrated on the struggle between the ruling capitalist class, which owns the means of production, and the working class, which the bourgeoisie exploit to make a profit (Nickerson, 2022).

Marxist conceptions of the conflict believe that conflict is both pervasive and significant. According to endemic conflict theories, a relationship is likely to be plagued by conflict at numerous moments. According to Marxism, those from various class groupings have conflicting interests in society, which holds that society is structured on class relations. There is an inherent tension in every encounter, and this conflict does not just present itself in behaviors. Marxists believe that the less powerful participants in a class dispute may be unable or afraid to voice their grievances publicly.

Conflict theory views sexuality as another sector wherein power imbalances exist and where dominant groups actively try to promote their ideology and economic interests. The conflict hypothesis explains why and how sexual behavior is an issue. The national discussion over homosexual marriages legalization has heated up recently (Nickerson, 2022). As a result of the worldwide discussions over homosexual weddings, this article is structured around the idea that national identities are being questioned. The natural heterosexual nuclear familys normative standing is endangered by supporting homosexual weddings and adoptions of children by such couples. The rights of gays and lesbians would be jeopardized if these unions were not recognized. Ideological and economic aspects of same-sex marriage disputes are important to conflict theorists. As a result, dominant groups consider a secular, individualistic worldview as a danger to their worldview, which they see as an invasion.

Contrary to popular belief, many gay and lesbian campaigners insist on the basic right to marry regardless of sexual orientation. Changing marriage laws has previously been done in the past, such as when interracial unions were once again made legal during the 1960s (Lumen Learning, 2022). Proponents of same-sex marriage argue that the financial advantages of a legally recognized marriage, such as Social Security and health insurance, make a case for the practice (Nickerson, 2022). These advantages should be available to all married couples, as they believe. According to conflict theory, when heterosexual and gay groups compete for these resources, violence is inevitable.

Furthermore, theorists use conflict theory to challenge how society interprets and experiences the concepts of gender and human sexuality (Nickerson, 2022). Education on the sociology of sexuality and sex will assist in raising awareness of subordinate categories such as homosexual and transgender peoples disparities. This will aid in the development of viable solutions to the conflict theory (Nickerson, 2022). The core ideas of conflict theory may explain many historical wars. According to the theory, conflict is the driving factor behind social change and growth.

However, they also believe that rising same-sex weddings have polarized opinions and created a dilemma where individuals must choose between the two. This must be done without making the marriage itself a social or economic issue. In actuality, there seems to be no place for a position that does neither favor nor oppose same-sex marriage. Gay individuals are denied inherent human rights (Nickerson, 2022). This duality and belief that individuals must eagerly support or oppose this institutions criticism has intensified.

In conclusion, the conflict theory holds that sexual identity is yet another spot where power imbalances occur and where dominant organizations seek to promote their ideology. Additionally, economic relations, and dispute is prevalent to human relations because of the perception that society is terms of class relations. Moreover, those from different social categories have opposing interests is at the heart of the conflict theory.

References

Charlotte Nickerson. (2021). Conflict. Simply Psychology. Web.

Lumen Learning. (2022). Sex and sexuality | Introduction to sociology. Web.

Introduction

The profession of a social worker is meant to enhance human wellbeing by helping the needy people. In addition, it focuses on the empowerment of the socially marginalized people in a given society. In other words, the social work entails caring for the needy, which calls for professionals with the heart of caring for the people in need of social justice. It focuses on human needs in the social context and addresses them in the same context regardless of the situations that caused the social injustice circumstance. This profession needs professionals with a heart of helping the oppressed in the society, which implies that social workers should not be discriminative to victims of social injustice based on the events that caused the injustice. However, social workers are humans too and in most cases, they accord social injustice to the victims based on the victims criminal activities or unethical behaviors. With regard to such reasons that could make a social worker discriminate victims, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) developed the code of ethics that aims at containing cases of social injustice fueled by social workers.

Social injustices without personal-professional value conflict

Many people are in need of social justice in the contemporary world and their situations may have been caused by various reasons such as economic factors, natural factors, political factors, social behaviors, and culture. However, these factors contribute to the development of certain attitudes that at times contribute to social workers personal value and professional ethics conflicts. Personal values are naturally embedded to the human character, and in some cases, they fuel certain attitudes towards the victims of social injustices based on the reason behind the victims situation. This aspect may have adverse effects towards the social work profession, hence the need to have professional ethics in the profession (Doyle et al., 2009).

The majority of social injustice victims are in their situations due to economic reasons. Increased cost of living in a society leads to poor economic situations, which mostly affect low-income earners in the case of developed nations, but the case may extend to the majority of the population in the third world nations. These people are most vulnerable to poverty, which makes them incapable of meeting their basic needs satisfactorily. In such a situation, whenever social workers intervene to address the social crisis affecting such victims, it is hard to have personal and professional value conflict as poverty is a generally accepted vice across the world and everybody can fall a victim (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2007).

Natural factors also cause social injustices to the people, and thus disaster management bodies address such factors and some of these bodies include the Red Cross and the United Nations among others. These organizations rely on social workers who more than often work as volunteers in case of disasters. Natural factors that cause disasters include tsunamis, earthquakes, fire disasters, huger crises due to poor weather conditions and many others. Natural disasters have adverse effects to the peoples livelihoods and they make the victims permanently or temporarily independent of social assistance. It is very hard for the social workers to fall victims of professional and personal value conflict when addressing the needs of victims of natural disasters.

Political factors are also a major contributor to the cases of social injustices to people in the contemporary world. Poor political practices are the root cause of the deplorable economic situations in a vast majority of third world countries due to poor leadership dominated by self-interests unlike in the developed nations where patriotism is the dominant virtue of leadership. Political factors have contributed to civil wars in many countries across the world. Civil wars cause poverty as citizens move away to other regions in search of peace and end up as refugees in foreign countries and regions. In such situations, these people rely heavily on donations and help of social workers due to lack of income to cater for their needs. It is very hard for social workers to encounter professional and personal value conflicts in catering for the needs of such victims.

Social injustices eliciting personal-professional value conflict

Unacceptable social behaviors also contribute to social injustices of the perpetrators. Unacceptable social behaviors are known to cause personal and professional value conflict to the social workers. Victims of social injustice due to unacceptable social behaviors mainly fall into two groups. One group comprises the victims who are oppressed by the party that commits the unacceptable social behavior, while the other group comprises the victims of social injustice due to the action of the party committing unacceptable behavior. In other words, unacceptable social behaviors have two fold impacts on social injustice where one is a result of committing the act and the other is affected by the act committed (Mattison, 2010).

Looking into the victim of social injustice due to committing unacceptable social behavior, there are various reasons why a victim commits such an act, and various ways in which social workers may experience personal and professional value conflict. A person may commit unacceptable social behavior due to natural reasons. Such natural reasons may include mental illness, poverty, and social stigma. However, mental illness is a special case and the law recognizes it as an unfortunate natural reason that has adverse effects on livelihood, and hence social workers are supposed to take care of victims of mental illnesses.

Poverty and social stigma also contribute to the committing of antisocial behaviors, but such elements break the law and thus they are punishable. In most cases, law offenders are punished in legal correctional facilities such as jails and rehabilitation centers. Social workers play a major role in behavioral correction exercise of law offenders through counseling and providing for their social needs such as paying them visits and providing them with basic materials. Some social workers consider the effect of the law offenders behaviors to humanity and in such cases; the social workers see the offenders as criminals who deserve the ruthlessness of legal punishment. In such situations, personal values exceed the professional value and instead of caring for victims of social injustice, the social workers can mistreat the offenders contrary to the professional ethics (Dolgoff et al., 2005).

The last cause of social injustice is the cultural beliefs and practices especially the common ones amongst sects and groups that perpetrate social ills such as drugs and substance abuse. Such victims are in great need of social justice, which could be availed by social workers. However, a majority of people in the society has a bad attitude towards cultural behaviors practiced by such groupings, and hence it becomes difficult for social workers to deal with personal and professional values whenever called upon to assist such victims. Social workers are supposed to exercise their professional mandates only in the professional relationship context, which is hard to achieve at times due to attitudes arising from personal values regarding a victims situation.

Professional and Personal Values Conflict: Example Case

A man rapes a young girl of five years old and according to the law, he is convicted for fifteen years in jail. On the other hand, the young girl and her parents have to undergo a series of counseling sessions after the medication exercise. Both the man and the girl, together with her parents, are victims of social injustice, but the man is also the perpetrator of the situation. The social work profession ethic recognizes the rapists need to have a better life than the kind of life experienced in correctional centers. It becomes hard for the social worker to deal with such victims due to personal values, which suppress the need to take care of a needy person. On the contrary, such situation brings in the idea of helping out a criminal. This scenario evokes the idea of punishing rather than helping to the social worker due to aggression and pain caused by the criminal to the innocent child (Banks, 2006).

In such a situation, the social worker may fail to accomplish the professional ethic of service delivery to the client. On the other hand, the child and her parents need the assistance of a social worker as the rape act may result in social stigma among other adverse effects. It is always a hard task for social workers, especially those who deal with counseling such victims, as the case has little confidentiality as required by the social work professional ethics. Hence, a social worker is supposed to focus more on the betterment of a life on the verge of breakdown and rather not on the cause of the situation as this may cause personal values to overrule professional values. The real goal of a social work professional in dealing with the oppressed party, which in this case is a victim of rape, is to enhance the dignity and self-worth. This goal can only be achieved through integrity and competence of the profession, which the social work ethics recognizes as important elements for dealing with human relationships (Comartin, 2011).

Dealing with personal-professional values conflict

In order to deal with personal and professional values conflict, social workers are advised to resolve the conflict through consultations and considerations of the victims cultural and religious beliefs among other factors. Consultations in this case may be done through legal counsels, colleagues, social organization management, and other profession regulatory authorities. According to the National Association of Social Workers (2008), the obligation of enhancing human value to the victim of social injustice does not fall under the authority of an individual rather it falls on the entire profession. Hence, consultations are permitted across the entire profession bodies. Under conditions where personal and professional values are persistent and hard to deal with, a social worker is not bound by any professional ethic, but s/he has a right to apply the morally responsible measures possible in dealing with the problem.

This assertion implies that the profession requires a social worker to act under legal and moral authority when exercising his or her duties, which then forms the basis for ethical decision making in the social work profession. However, the National Association of Social Workers does not demand the adherence of ethics as stipulated in the social workers professional ethics guide because its violation does not imply the violation of law. Hence, the decision should be made through legal and judicial processes, which upholds the idea behind the social work being a profession of people of goodwill who act in good faith for the improvement of other peoples livelihoods.

With regard to social work professional ethics, personal values are considered as personal interests that play a major role in hindering the execution of professional mandates. Social workers are trained on the importance of the right to confidentiality of the victims affairs. Therefore, in order to achieve this demand, a social worker is supposed to act as a helping partner and give the best to solve the victims problem while retaining the confidentiality of the victim. In addition, while seeking consultations from other stakeholders, the social worker is supposed to inform them of the need to preserve the confidentiality of the victim, as this aspect is essential to both the profession and the victim (National Association of Social Workers, 2008).

It is also essential for a social worker to take enough time to understand the problem that a victim faces and develop possible solutions before engaging the victim. The discipline of taking enough time to study the victims problem is very essential for fighting over the personal and professional value conflicts. In addition, studying of the victims problem creates a room for understanding the reason that would have pushed the victim into committing a given antisocial behavior. This aspect enhances the ability of the social worker to offer the necessary assistance to the client based on understanding the problem that the victim could be going through. This discipline is the main objective of the social work profession, which is to help anyone in need of social assistance through enhancing self-worthiness.

Another crucial element for enhancing the execution of the roles of social workers mandate in the profession is to ensure the competence of the social worker. Social workers ought to be competent in dealing with social problems affecting their victims, which achievable through training, licensing, consultation services, and ensuring proper education requirements in the profession. This move ensures that a victim of social injustice gets necessary assistance based on the competence of the social worker dealing with the problem at hand. In addition, necessary competence is essential for suppressing personal values that would sabotage professional values.

Conclusion

The social work profession plays a critical role when dealing with all problems that affect human livelihood. The profession deals with problems arising from economic, political, cultural and antisocial behaviors among others. The biggest problem that affects the profession in the execution of its mandate is the personal and professional values conflict. Social workers are human beings who, just like any other human, develop attitudes based on personal judgments. The possible solution to this problem is ensuring that a social worker can do consultation from other stakeholders for further assistance when dealing with such problems. Other possible solutions include ensuring confidentiality of the victims information coupled with competence of the social workers, which is achievable via proper training and education requirements.

Reference List

Banks, S. (2006). Ethics and values in social work. New York, NY: Palgrave McMillan.

Comartin, C. (2011). Dissonance between personal and professional values: resolution of an ethical dilemma. Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 8(2), 5-14.

Dolgoff, R., Loewenberg, F., & Harrington, D. (2005). Ethical decisions for social work practice. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Doyle, O., Miller, S., & Mirza, Y. (2009). Ethical decision-making in social work: exploring personal and professional values. Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 6(1), 134-234.

Mattison, M. (2010). Ethical decision-making: the person in the process. Journal of Social Work, 45 (8), 203-212.

National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of Ethics. Web.

Zastrow, C., & Kirst-Ashman, K. (2007). Understanding human behavior and the Social environment. Belmont, CA: Thomson Publishing.

Abstract

Different concepts exist that make it possible for people to learn more about societies. Conflict theory is one of those models and it is believed to have originated from the works of Karl Marx. This model theory is informative and capable of describing the origin of class differences and struggles. Wright Mills, Antonio Gramsci, Theodor Adorno, and Max Horkheimer present additional concepts to describe conflicts from different perspectives. The framework could help scholars analyze the manner in which the less privileged members of any community engage in actions intended to transform their lives. At different levels of the society, the theory remains critical and applicable in a wide range of areas or occurrences. A detailed analysis of this model could help more people find long-lasting challenges affecting humanity today.

Conflict Theory

Human are social beings with innate attributes that define their ambitions and objectives in life. Historians agree that people have for centuries congregated in societies that allow them to achieve their common goals, such as reproduction and security. While focusing on such shared aims, most of these individuals would master new ways of pursuing personal wealth and goals. This trend is believed to have led to a new state of affairs characterized by inequalities and differences in peoples strengths in terms of resources and personal property. This scenario is what forms the background of the modern materialistic approach to sociology. The emergence of power and material differentials is what many scholars acknowledge led to social conflicts and class struggles. Conflict theory has, therefore, emerged as a superior framework for describing social arrangements and reforms from the macro-level. This paper gives a detailed research analysis of this theory and personal views regarding its effectiveness and applicability.

Analyzing Conflict Theory

Background

The term conflict theory is widely used to represent several approaches in the field of sociology that identify the limited nature of resources as the source of struggles in communities. The concepts applicability tends to differ significantly from the notion of functionalism. Theorists supporting the conflict model believe that divisions in resources and power usually define societies. Such attributes create a unique form of inequality, thereby increasing chances of conflicts (Holgersen, 2020). In the past, a number of scholars have managed to analyze their respective communities from diverse perspectives. Their works would eventually present evidence-based ideas and concepts that continue to reshape the manner in which people examine societies from the macro-level point of view. Today, conflict theory has become one of the widely studied and applied theories in studying social problems and challenges.

Historical Analysis

The current understanding and practicability of conflict theory in the field of sociology is directly linked to the works of Karl Marx. This great thinker attributes struggles in societies as a result of competition for power and limited resources (Chikwado, 2017). According to the scholar, humans tend to promote disorderliness as natural creatures. To promote a sense of uniformity or order, those who have the resources would tend to identify ways for maintaining power or dominating their counterparts. The wealthy in the given society would apply all means possible to retain their resources. The possible outcome is that such individuals would be on the frontline to oppress the powerless and those with minimum or no resources.

Karl Marx went further to indicate that the nature of human beings encouraged them to collaborate and focus on the best ways to achieve their goals. His views would explain the origin of revolutions and how people could work together in an effort to challenge the established status quos and the manner in which resources were misappropriated. Marx would reveal that the events witnessed in the world, such as the notions of democracy and the pursuit of social justice, are attempts intended to achieve mass control (Chikwado, 2017). Based on these observations, it is evident that Marx identified conflicts as a challenge arising from the forces of the bourgeoisie and those of the proletariat (Anser et al., 2020). The unjust distribution of scarce resources, the presence of the bourgeoisie community, and the oppressed majority led to class struggles that could trigger revolutions.

In the recent past, many theorists have presented additional views to strengthen and improve the applicability of conflict theory. Most of these analysts acknowledge that competition would always be present between different individuals or communities. This situation would even exist when resources are scarce and unavailable to most of the citizens. Antonio Gramsci would rely on Marxs findings to present the notion of ideology and how it remains a strong force in overcoming hegemony (Bartonek & Wallenstein, 2021). Other analysts have presented the power of mass media and culture and their roles in shaping social ideas. Some of these scholars include Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer (Bartonek & Wallenstein, 2021). Their views support the notion that music, art, and media play a crucial role towards supporting cultural hegemonic ideologies.

Focusing on the developments and issues experienced in the United States, Wright Mills would present additional ideas to examine the role of large business entities and corporations. According to Bartonek and Wallenstein (2021), Mills has gained the title of the modern father and source of conflict theory as applicable in the world today. In his works, Mills is convinced that large companies encompass the elite in the wider society (Bartonek & Wallenstein, 2021). Such entities have found new ways to reshape the availability and distribution of the available resources and the manner in which people pursue their common aims. The theorists would go further to include politicians and the military in describing how these elites ruled and controlled the world.

The strengths and concepts of conflict theory have helped support the establishment of additional frameworks to help describe the nature of class struggles. For example, feminism and post-structural models have been resourceful towards guiding more people to pursue their goals in a competitive society. Queer theory has also emerged in the recent past to help describe the challenges and objectives of some of the individuals who have found themselves marginalized, such as LGBTs (Johnson & Otto, 2019). Although it emerged as a powerful model for describing class differences, this theory has become more pronounced and applicable to other forms of social disagreements. Scholars have applied it more effectively to describe most of the conflicts arising from national, religious, gender, cultural, and racial differences.

Critical Aspects of Conflict Theory

All conflict theories have unique attributes that make them applicable in any given society. Anser et al. (2020) indicate that such models identify competition as a common issue or constant existing in different communities. Human relationships, friendships, and interactions would be characterized by some form of rivalry. Those involved in any form of association would be focusing on the best approaches to maximize their gains and in a position to lead contended lives. Unfortunately, conflict theory would hypothesize that numerous challenges and disagreements would emerge as most of the individuals continue to pursue resources that are scarce in nature. Some of them would include minerals, commodities, land, and even money (Holgersen, 2020). During the process of trying to get such items, an imbalance might emerge that eventually affects the existing equilibrium. In most cases, those affected by emerging social conflicts would eventually trigger a crisis in an effort to attack the existing status quo.

In every social setting, groups and individuals would be in a constant struggle for some resources that might be tangible or intangible. Some of them could include intimate partners, social statuses, power or leadership, and leisure time. Specific individuals might be keen to engage in activities that could result in dominate. Based on this understanding, Anser et al. (2020) acknowledge that conflicts would always be directly linked to competition. The number of people who would be unwilling to cooperate tends to increase significantly. When the emerging tension is unmanageable, the affected people could revolt and affect the social norms and functions of their respective societies.

As modern conflict theorists hypothesize, the emergence of corporate entities has contributed significantly to the nature of challenges existing at the macro level. Most of these companies are associated with massive resources and financial power that reshape peoples overall experiences. To tackle this challenge, governments have been relying on the use of policies in an effort to reduce the overall level of conflicts. Some of the common measures include laws determining minimum wages, provision of social welfare resources, and distribution of public services (Nilsson, 2020). Unfortunately, such measures have not helped to address the nature of conflicts existing in different communities. The level of rivalry, therefore, remains a common feature individuals need to associate with in their respective societies.

Due to the forces arising from social conflicts, chances of recording revolutions and wars always remain high. Most of the theorists in this area reveal that changes would always occur. Such transformations would also be a result of the challenges and predicaments most of the people encounter in their societies. When different groups occupying diverse classes are in conflict, the possible effect could be abrupt and attract attention of more followers (Barakat & Fakih, 2021). This aspect could help describe the Arab Spring uprising recorded a few years ago (Barakat & Fakih, 2021). Such upheavals could be attributed to the challenges and misappropriation of resources in most of the Arabic countries. This analysis supports the fact that social revolutions would usually take place abruptly.

Theorists supporting the conflict model argue that power inequalities are usually common and capable of defining social structures and human relationships. Depending on the resources and support systems available to them, some groups could find it easier to amass power within a specified period. In any society, some people will find it easier to acquire more power and be in a position to control their counterparts. Depending on the social structures and policies in place, some populations might find it easier to acquire more resources. Those who are unable to achieve such goals will be unable to achieve upward social mobility (Hadjar & Samuel, 2019). In most cases, those in power who benefiting from the implemented systems would be keen to engage in actions that can help maintain such structures. During the same time, the underserved ones would be unhappy with such settings and remain in constant conflict.

Due to the nature of most of these problems, some of the individuals who find themselves disoriented and unhappy with their situations could find new ways to gain power. In this case, the victims could consider the attainment of resources and money as one of the best approaches towards gaining some form of control. Such people would, therefore, decide to engage in crime in an attempt to put food on the table (Hadjar & Samuel, 2019). Some offenses could also be intended to challenge the status quo or become a way of passing across the message of existing inequality. This kind of argument could help explain the origin and appropriateness of some of the common criminology theories (Anser et al., 2020). Professionals intending to analyze the nature of crime and other social predicaments could benefit significantly from the application and use of the conflict model.

As described earlier, conflict theory has found additional meaning in helping describe most of the social struggles experienced in different parts of the world today. For example, discrimination against women and their inability to achieve their social goals is a scenario that has led the feminist movement (Johnson & Otto, 2019). Such an initiative is intended to compel societies to start providing adequate resources and opportunities to women. Such an effort could make it easier for them to overcome most of their challenges and achieve their goals. The same approaches have emerged to help more oppressed members of the global community to find new ways of pursuing their goals, such as the disabled and heterosexual individuals (Johnson & Otto, 2019). Analysts and social activists have been relying on the ideas associated with conflict theory to attract and empower more disadvantaged people to focus on their rights.

These observations show conclusively that conflicts would always exist in communities. Such challenges could take any form or shape depending on the challenges most of the victims have to go through and the anticipated results. When the obstacles existing in a given community increases, chances are usually high that the individuals would be unable to record positive gains. Consequently, such individuals could stand up and compel those in power to address their demands. These attributes explain why Anser et al. (2020) are convinced that such challenges could trigger wars and upheavals within the shortest time possible. The occurrence of such predicaments could, therefore, help cleanse or make the affected societies more unified. The emerging setting increases chances for improved distribution of resources and empowerment.

Most conflict theorists hypothesize that the nature of wars and uprisings could help improve the emerging communities to bring an end to them completely. When upheavals emerge, class struggles tend to trigger increased tensions whereby races rise up against each other. In the societal settings, individuals with diversities might engage in prolonged fights that can eventually affect the overall integrity of the community. These realities could explain why leaders should be aware of the nature of social conflicts. The emergence of democracy and other systems of governance should be applied in such a way that they help minimize most of these class struggles. These attributes show conclusively that conflict theory is a macro-level model that helps analyze any given society from diverse perspectives (Johnson & Otto, 2019). The emerging insights could help address social challenges from different perspectives and make it possible for more citizens to achieve their aims.

Personal Views on Conflict Theory

Conflict theory has gained prominent in the world because it helps analyze different communities and how their members address the problems they have to go through. According to Anser et al. (2020), this model is plausible because it begins by viewing differences and inequalities as the primary source of upheavals. In any society, those who control the resources and have money would be keen to reinforce the recorded imbalances. They could rely on the established policies and forces of production to pursue their needs. The less fortunate would be engaging in actions that could make it easier for them to achieve their maximum potential. These attributes present conflict theory as one of the best frameworks for guiding people to learn more about societies and appreciating the major challenges they have to go through.

Just like Karl Marx hypothesized, most of the policies and legal frameworks the government put in place were intended to protect the goals and interests of the elite. These owners of production would be keen to oppress the less fortunate and ensure that they were involved in actions that would maximize their goals. The agreeable acknowledgement helps more people appreciate the nature of class struggles and how the working class was compelled to fight for equality. While Marxs model could be outdated, analysts would agree that it presents a powerful framework for modern theorists to analyze communities (Chikwado, 2017). Most of these scholars have found it easier to apply most of the viewpoints and match them with the emerging corporate world. Such efforts have made it possible for more people to appreciate most of the challenges they encounter today.

The adoption and application of conflict theory becomes a positive practice for learning more about companies and how they oppress workers. The framework guides analysts to appreciate the fact that the bourgeoisie has only transformed from wealthy individuals to corporations that have the potential to control power and factors of production (Barakat & Fakih, 2021). This assumption would also be applied at the international level to help learn more about the process of globalization. Scholars would understand how it has continued to worsen the experiences of workers and partners in different parts of the world.

Government leaders and policymakers have found conflict theory beneficial since it helps them analyze some of the problems different stakeholders face. Such observations have compelled them to identify and formulate progressive laws that can help protect the interests of all key stakeholders. Unfortunately, the involved players have continued to find ingenious ways to continue pursuing their goals. Conflict theorists have gone further to rely on the original attributes of the framework to explain how the wider society could address the challenges of environmental degradation (Anser et al., 2020). As Marx suggested, the existence of conflicts does mean a total threat to the stability of the society. These attributes explain why a collaborative approach could help more people to identify the unique challenges affecting their respective communities and consider evidence-based strategies to address them.

Having examined all the studied materials and attributes about this kind of theory, it is agreeable that it remains practical and capable of explaining a wide range of societal issues. For instance, the model is capable of detailing the nature of social unrests and how they emerge from the conflicts associated with scarce resources. The governments inability to support the overall wellbeing of all citizens becomes a problematic issue. This theory could help explain why some of the disoriented members of the society eventually decide to engage in criminal acts. The ultimate occurrence is that most of the affected communities would find it hard to record meaningful social mobility (Johnson & Otto, 2019). This explanation describes why some of the racial communities affected by inequalities continue to record a high number of criminals.

The government could, therefore, rely on these strong attributes of conflict theory to learn more about societal problems. The involved professionals would apply the model at a macro level to appreciate the nature of struggles and how they impact gender, economic, racial, and cultural relationships in any given community. The emerging insights would help the government formulate progressive policies that are intended to empower most of the affected individuals (Hadjar & Samuel, 2019). When done correctly, most of the citizens would find new ways to identify and address the common challenges they face. The mission to reduce most of the discrepancies and injustices, as described using the theory, would play a significant role towards supporting or improving the stability of the global society. Consequently, most of the beneficiaries would find new ways to acquire additional resources and eventually record social mobility.

Conclusion

Conflict theory is one of the models that help researchers learn and analyze the forces existing in a given community. Originating from the works of Karl Marx, this framework has helped more people appreciate the wars and revolutions that human beings have experienced in the past. Such a theory goes further to describe the origin of class struggles and how the poor or the oppressed engage in actions that have the potential to transform their experiences. This theory remains applicable in a wide range of areas to explain most of the issues occurring at the macro level. Government officials and policymakers should consider the unique attributes of conflict theory, apply them to examine social dynamics, and propose better laws to help minimize the recorded disagreements.

References

Anser, M. K., Yousaf, Z., Nassani, A. A., Alotaibi, S. M., Kabbani, A., & Zaman, K. (2020). Dynamic linkages between poverty, inequality, crime, and social expenditures in a panel of 16 countries: Twostep GMM estimates. Economic Structures, 9(1), 43-67. Web.

Barakat, Z., & Fakih, A. (2021). Determinants of the Arab Spring protests in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya: What have we learned? Social Sciences, 10(8), 282-296. Web.

Bartonek, A., & Wallenstein, S. (Eds.). (2021). Critical theory: Past, present, future. Södertörns University.

Chikwado, E. P. (2017). A critical analysis of Karl Marxs conception of society and individual. IJSAR Journal of Law and Applied Discipline, 4(3), 114-119. Web.

Hadjar, A., & Samuel, R. (2019). Does upward social mobility increase life satisfaction? A longitudinal analysis using British and Swiss panel data. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 39, 48-58. Web.

Holgersen, S. (2020). On spatial planning and Marxism: Looking back, going forward. Antipode, 52(3), 800-824. Web.

Johnson, C. P. G., & Otto, K. (2019). Better together: A model for women and LGBTQ equality in the workplace. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 272-288. Web.

Nilsson, M. (2020). Economic inequality, Marxist theory, and Swedish-language working-class literature. Studia Neophilologica, 92(2), 222-237. Web.

Despite considerable efforts toward global equality in recent years, society, in general, is still prone to stratification. People around the world experience severe discrimination, which is detrimental to societys overall development. The issue can be examined from various perspectives and the points of view of functionalism and conflict theory. The purpose of this essay is to explore social stratification in light of the aforementioned approaches and their key ideas.

Social stratification is a complex, multi-faceted issue, which is caused by several negative aspects. According to Schaefer (2013), this phenomenon exists on several levels, from personal relationships between individuals to global inequality patterns. Sociologists discern three aspects of discrimination, which are gender, race, and class. All three elements form a complex stratification framework, as they influence one another both directly and indirectly. Schaefer (2013) outlines the difference between ones ascribed and achieved social status. Gender and racial disparities make it difficult for certain groups to realize their potential in terms of achieved social status. In this case, it becomes difficult for people to move outside their assigned stratum, thus impairing a nations social mobility.

The problem of stratification has been an area of intense interest for sociologists, and there exist several dominant models, which aim at explaining it. Proponents of the functionalist perspective argue that stratification is universal (Schaefer, 2013). It is said that the discussed phenomenon is a form of societys self-regulatory mechanism, as it wants to ensure that all positions and wealth are distributed according to peoples talents and skills.

Functionalists believe that social inequality serves as a motivation for people to continue their development and attain higher statuses. This system of rewards responds to the demand for suitable candidates for key positions. Nevertheless, the functionalist perspective does not address unjustified stratification systems, in which people are ascribed to a certain status because of aspects they cannot control, such as race or gender.

At the same time, the conflict theory perspective utilizes the ideas of Karl Marx as its foundation. This philosophy considers history as a continuous struggle between the oppressed and oppressors. In this case, stratification is viewed as an instrument, which facilitates the abuse of less fortunate social classes (Schaefer, 2013). As in other situations, discrimination can be based on various factors, but gender and race remain the key aspects contributing to the disparities.

The conflict theory proponents state that todays policy-makers acknowledge potential challenges caused by continuous oppression. They address these issues with limited social reforms, which allegedly serve to create an illusion of progress in terms of equality (Schaefer, 2013). For example, millions of dollars are allocated annually to funds providing welfare and assistance to people of color in need, such as TANF. However, if the system functioned differently, and there were no oppression in the first place, these people would have enough social opportunities to live without welfare.

Overall, the primary difference between fundamentalism and the theory of conflict lies in each models views regarding the nature of stratification. The first approachs proponents see stratification as a necessary phenomenon, ensuring the proper functioning of society. However, they rarely take into account unjustified oppression and discrimination. Simultaneously, conflict theorists remain certain of the detrimental nature of stratification. According to them, dominant elites use it as an instrument of wealth distribution control while creating an illusion of perceived equality in some spheres.

Reference

Schaefer, R. T. (2013). Sociology: A brief introduction (10^th edition). McGraw Hill.

Conflicts can arise from serious and, sometimes, insignificant causes, as well as offensive words or actions. It is vital to study conflicts and the methods of dispute resolution, as disagreement can lead to permanent damage to peoples relationships. Communication is one of the most crucial elements in stable and healthy relationships. It can also affect conflicts positively, as it can help people to identify the causes of disagreements and find ways to minimize them.

Many studies prove that communication can contribute to the elimination of conflicts. For instance, Wu, Liu, Zhao, and Zuo (2017) report that a conversation not only involves the exchange of ideas but also helps people to connect on an emotional level. Notably, even the willingness to communicate is associated with fewer risks of conflict (Wu et al., 2017). The study by Black (2018) shows that communication is especially vital in some spheres, such as healthcare. Within medical institutions, collaborative relationships based on open discussions can improve the quality of care and patients safety. It means that communication is vital both for personal and professional connections.

Communication has such a positive impact on conflict due to several possible reasons. First, it allows individuals that have opposing views to see the issue from a multifaceted perspective. Effective communication can reveal both parties concerns and the background of their opinion. Second, it can help individuals to establish trust in their relationships. When a conflict arises, people may see each other as enemies, while communication can help them to realize that they have similar goals and values. Finally, individuals can find better solutions to problems through discussions. It means that communication is a key factor and the basis of healthy relationships.

References

Black, J. (2018). Conflict management and team building as competencies for nurse managers to improve retention. Web.

Wu, G., Liu, C., Zhao, X., & Zuo, J. (2017). Investigating the relationship between communication-conflict interaction and project success among construction project teams. International Journal of Project Management, 35(8), 1466-1482.

Antisocial behavior can be found regardless of culture. Delinquency is a normal response by youth to the social conditions created by capitalist society (Siegel & Welsh, 2008). Social conflict theory asserts, that individual behavior is connected to conflicts within the group and between the groups. It is common in contemporary society.

There exist two elements of culture, which interact and create conflict between them: on one side, it is culturally defined goals, and on the other  socially approved means to achieve these goals. Lower-class youths fail to meet the standards of life, imposed by these goals, and this makes a primary cause of delinquency. They experience frustration and conflict. Membership in a deviant subculture often involves conforming to group norms that conflict with those of conventional society (Siegel & Welsh, 2008). This subculture becomes a shelter from morals.

In this case, the process of enculturation has failed. To be more precise, the individual has not accepted conventional behavior within the society and his or her particular status within the culture. The individual is not an accepted member of the society, because he rejects its norms and values.

Besides open, obvious values, there exist secret values; they look like moral values, have been established in the society, but are publicly reproached. They may be admired or practiced in private. These values substitute real ones, and young people may pattern their behavior on them. They can be found in families and subcultures. These norms take their sources in childhood when children often develop their own culture. Unique traditions, words, rules, and activities, accepted among children or only by an individual, often conflict with parental and adult values, conventional in the society.

Thus, culture conflict occurs, when children are exposed to different and opposing attitudes toward what is right and wrong (Siegel & Welsh, 2008). As these oppositions are widespread in society, conflicts are inevitable. In the capitalist society, one of the values and indicators of social status is money.

Thus, the children of the lower class are forced to seek solutions to their problems. Youths begin to steal, sell drugs, or extort money to provide for a better life.

Our society tries to find means to reduce conflicts. Because delinquent acts are sometimes the result of extreme provocation, it might be possible to reduce delinquency rates by creating programs that reduce conflict (Siegel & Welsh, 2008). Some measures can be taken in the social, economic, and political spheres. For example, improvement of the socialization of lower-class youths and giving them more chances to get jobs in the legal economy, as well as developing conflict avoidance skills both at school and in the family.

There is no denying the fact, that family relation and atmosphere influence greatly the child and play a significant role in his identification as a personality. That is why parents (or guardians) should control behavior. It will make criminal acts more difficult to perform, because the reward from crimes will be reduced, and the risks will be increased. The inclination to commit the delinquent act is permanent, but the opportunity for it varies. Some people give a recipe to make a child spend more time with parents and less with friends, but forbidden fruit is sweetest, and a child can strive for hanging out with a crowd. The adults in charge should be aware of sites and situations, which may provoke conflict.

In conclusion, we can enumerate the most spread measures, which help to avoid conflicts. In family relations relying on a significant adult will help a child to feel secure. Engagement in positive free-time activities will prevent him from wasting time and seeking adventures. The skills in problem-solving and conflict resolution can be developed both at school and in the family.

Reference List

Siegel, L. J., Welsh, B. C. (2008). Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law. NY: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Introduction

Mass media can be defined as the print and the electronic means by which communication takes place.

It is through it that information is passed to different groups of people in society. Mass media plays a significant role in shaping and informing society in every nation. The media surveys the environment and provides news and information to the society, correlates the response to this information, entertains and transmits culture to future generations. Interaction between media and society has a great influence on the behaviors of individuals in it, and the educational practices they are affiliated to. When functionalists are faced with different elements of society, they are at times tempted to pose the question; what role do all these societal aspects play? A question of this nature is not misplaced seeing that societal social structures enhance stability, integration, balance, and consensus. There are various theories that are used in analyzing various aspects of mass media. Some of these are the functionalist, conflict, and interactionism theories.

The functionalist theory asserts that just as scientific methods are used when studying the physical world, they can also be applied in studying social aspects. In mass media, functionalism defines a scenario where different media groups that operate in a given society work together so as to be consistent in their operations. These groups come together and work as a whole so that every group gives similar information regarding an issue in society. Critics of functionalism are of the opinion that this theory is innately conservative. If so, how would such a theory impact the mass media that is well known to enjoy its fair share of liberalism? On the other hand, interactionism refers to the fact that the social factors interact in everyday activities and this interaction is likely to affect the behaviors of individuals in a society. The society in which the media operates will interact with the media and affect the media and its activities. Different social groups in a given society are likely to have different interests. This leads to conflicts between the groups. The conflict theory deals with such conflicts between social groups that have different interests in a given society. Functionalism, conflict, and interactionism theories affect the mass media in our society in different ways today. While the three theories differ in some approaches, there are instances where they all have some similarities. The three theories have significant impacts on both the mass media and society.

Application of Functionalism Theory to Mass Media

The functionalism theory groups all the aspects in a social institution or a society to form one which functions as a whole (Hesmondha & Toynbee 2008).

Mass media is a social institution that is made of various entities. All these entities work together to achieve the objectives of the entire mass media. It is not supposed to give wrong information to a society or any information that will mislead or lead to conflicts in the society. It is composed of such different bodies as magazines, newspapers, television, amongst others. For the media to function and maintain itself, all the problems that may exist need to be addressed. The different aspects that form the media must give similar information regarding a society. This means that all the media groups must adapt to the society where they exist. The status quo within a given society is maintained by mass media. All the groups that form the mass media must have a consensus on issues that they report to society. Different media groups must be integrated so that the institution acts as a whole. The media must also act as a whole to maintain the patterns of its operation within a given society. All the groups in the mass media must act as a system that can only work as a whole and where the exception of one will lead to failure of the whole system.

Application of Conflict Theory on Mass Media

The conflict theory deals with conflicts that arise because of different interests by different groups in a society. It argues that it is very hard to avoid conflicts in a place where there are different interest groups. The different groups that comprise the mass media have different owners with varying interests (Thompson, 2000). Trying to align the operations of these groups becomes difficult. The superior groups tend to assume that they significantly control society. A group that has more consumers would like to control the social institution and this is likely to bring conflicts. All the groups that form the mass media have an economic interest and each group intends to benefit at the end of the day. Most organizations go for those groups that have the highest number of customers in a society. Each group will therefore try to give services that will attract many customers. Competition for profits might lead to conflicts amongst the different groups. The groups may also fail to reach a consensus over an issue, leading to conflict. The conflict theory is therefore applicable in the mass media especially due to differences in interests.

Application of Interactionism Theory in Mass Media

Interactionism deals with how social actors behave in a given society. Different media groups interact with each other as they try to provide society with similar information. The groups have to make conscious decisions about their behavior based upon the way they interpret situations. Interpretation of situations differently by various groups may lead to different reactions from society. Interpretation by the different groups is crucial because it affects the understanding of the way the world is socially constructed. Individuals in society interact with the media every day and therefore are likely to believe what the media groups report.

This will affect their behavior.

The meaning of a certain behavior to people and interpretation of the same by media will affect the social structure of a society. The media has a great influence on the social behaviors of individuals due to interaction.

Similarities and Differences

The three theories differ in how they take the composition of the mass media. Functionalism addresses mass media as a whole by considering how its various organs work together to achieve institutional goals. On the other hand, conflict theory asserts that mass media comprise of various groups with conflicting interests while interactionism views it as comprising of different groups that interact in daily operations. The interpretation of these behaviors defines the way that the world is socially constructed. In both functionalism and conflict theories, the reaction is triggered by a social factor. In interactionism theory, individuals act depending on the way they interpret behaviors.

Effects of Theories on the Views of Individuals

Functionalism Theory

Under functionalism, the different groups that form the mass media must be integrated so as to work as a whole. This implies that opinion from every person in mass media groups is influenced by others. An agreement has to be reached before the information is released to the public. Social change will be slow but consistent since all the groups come to a consensus before releasing any information. Functionalism basically looks at the different groups as working towards achieving the same goal which is consensus.

Conflict Theory

The mass media consist of different groups competing with each other and have different interests. However, there is no single group that dominates always.

Each group is independent and has to provide what it feels is the best and will attract more consumers.

Individuals in the different media groups will therefore be looking for any information since they know they will not be affected by the views of others. Individuals will be reporting what according to them is of interest to many so as emerge as the winners. The interests of the dominant classes and the media audiences will dominate the mass media.

Interactionism

Interactionism affects the behavior of individuals who interact with the media.

The behaviors of the individuals in society will affect an individual in the mass media. Changes in the behaviors of individuals in society affect an individual in that he or she is supposed to interpret these behaviors. For example, if a new style of dressing emerges, the way that an individual will interpret the style will tell if he or she is going to adopt it or not. If the individual perceives a behavior to be positive, he or she is likely to adopt it and even apply it to friends. A change in the dressing style affects the young people who move with fashion.

Functionalism Theory and Social Change

When all the groups that form the mass media act as a whole, all the groups will give similar information to society. Any changes in society will be viewed according to the consensus that has been reached. The mass media will report what has been agreed.

Conflict Theory and Social Change

Under the conflict theory, each media group has its own interests and competes with other media groups (Schaefer, 2009).

This affects the approach to social change in mass media as each group reports the changes in a society in the way that it feels will please individuals in the society. Information provided favors interest groups so that any media group can have high sales.

Interactionism Theory and Social Change

The media interacts with individuals in society and reports the changes in the social aspects. The theory affects the approach to social change in a given culture in that the interpretation of the behaviors defines what the media will report. The media will give information on their own views independent of external factors.

Functionalism Theory and the Views of the Society

The mass media affects society in a very great way with the information and news that it reports. The theory of functionalism ensures that each media group reports the same information.

When all media groups agree to report the same information concerning a certain behavior in society, individuals within that society are likely to believe what the media reports (Craib, 2000). Any individual with a different view will also be convinced since all the media groups are giving similar information. This is because individuals believe that the media is an independent institution and cannot be pressurized to give any wrong or misleading information.

Conflict Theory and the Views of the Society

Under conflict theory, each media group gives its own information regarding the change in behaviors in a given society. Individuals in that society will have different views regarding the same issue. This is because they listen to different media groups and are likely to believe what they hear from these stations. If a number of media groups give the same information regarding an issue, some individuals are likely to believe it despite other stations giving differing information.

Interactionism Theory and the Views of the Society

Interactionism deals with how individuals act and make conscious decisions about their own behavior depending on the way they interpret situations.

When individuals view the information in the media, they are likely to make decisions whether to adapt what the media reports or retain their status quo. Thus, information that the media give will affect an individuals conception of how the world is socially constructed.

Conclusion

Functionalism, conflict, and interactionism theories have a great effect on the mass media.

Functionalism defines a case where all the different functionalities in different media groups are combined to work as one system. Information that is released is a result of consensus amongst these groups. Conflict theory sees the different groups in an institution to have different interests and to be competing with each other. Interactionism theory explains how the media interacts with society and other media groups and the effects of these interactions. All these theories affect the way that the media performs its operations so as to effectively play its role in society.

References

Craib, I. (2000). Modern Social Theory: From Parsons to Habermas, Harvester Wheatsheaf. London: McMillan Publishers.

Hesmondha, D., & Toynbee, J. (2008). The Media and Social Theory. London: Routledge.

Schaefer, R. T. (2009). Sociology: A Brief Introduction. (8th Ed.). New York: McGraw- Hill.

Thompson, J. B. (2000). The Media and Modernity: A Social Theory of the Media. California: Stanford University Press.

Introduction

In my opinion, healthy conflict is beneficial for progress and growth, especially in the educational context. When involved in a confrontation, I try to find compromise and reach a common ground while meeting mutual goals and preserving the relationships.

Main text

Conflict is defined as a confrontation or disagreement between people because of differences in attitudes, interests, perceptions, or needs (Friend & Cook, 2013). It is hard to avoid conflict in the educational environment due to the distinct perceptions, overlapping authority, and limited resources both among instructors and students.

According to Friend and Cook (2013), the conflict between people with different goals happens when two individuals seek different outcomes yet are forced to settle for the same result. The conflict between individuals with the same goals occurs when professionals have the same objectives but limited access to accommodate them. Conflict about power takes place when a person strives to establish status or authority while conflict within individuals refers to internal discrepancy (Friend & Cook, 2013).

Organizational variables impact conflict resolution and causes of conflicts due to the differences in school administration and organization, as well as communication patterns (Friend & Cook, 2013).

As explained by Friend and Cook (2013), and accommodating conflict management style occurs when one gives in and fully agrees to another point of view. Avoiding response refers to postponing conflict resolution and failure to engage in direct opposition. Compromising helps to find a solution that partially satisfies both parties while collaborating strives to meet all the needs of people involved. Last, competing for management style is used to push ones viewpoint only without considering the perspectives of other individuals (Friend & Cook, 2013).

Friend and Cook (2013) wrote that negotiation happens when two parties in a conflict try to reach a mutual agreement between themselves through discussion. Mediation involves a third party who takes a neutral side and assists people in conflict to find a solution (Friend & Cook, 2013). I prefer to use the negotiation technique because I do not like getting third parties involved in personal disputes. Mediation should be utilized only in critical situations.

It is important to consider culture because it shapes perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes of the people that may lead to misunderstandings. Culture is also a definite factor in communication, determining identities, and roles, naming, taming and framing conflict.

I experienced displacement of responsibility and support without substance in the professional setting.

One should address resistance if it possesses a threat to the status change in the relationship between faculty and staff. Also, resistance should be addressed if the change is not accepted because of the identity of the person initiating it (Friend & Cook, 2013).

The three types of persuasion are ethos (ethics and morality), logos (logic and rationality), and pathos (appeal to emotion) (Friend & Cook, 2013). I think that I use pathos the most in my communication because it is the easiest way to persuade the other party. Yet, I want to utilize logos more in the professional setting to avoid manipulation of emotions.

I am most likely to use consistency because I think that people are most likely to change if they have a persistent feeling of cognitive dissonance.

Conclusion

I was deeply interested in the distinction between compromising and collaborating. Before reading the chapter, I did not know that compromise is a lose-lose strategy which leaves me wondering why this technique is so frequently promoted. When faced with conflict in the future, I want to try collaborating with the opposing party to find a solution that meets all our needs.

Reference

Friend, M. P., & Cook, L. (2013). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals (7th ed.). Pearson.

Introduction

Human communication, regardless of the sphere of interest, cannot exist without critical evaluation of events, beliefs, and social convictions. Thus, once these evaluations do not reach a justifiable consensus, people tend to have disputes in order to prove ones point of view on the matter of interest. While conflicts are an integral part of peoples everyday lives, conflict emergence in the business paradigm remains one of the major challenges in terms of its management and efficient resolution. Thus, the primary purpose of the following presentation is to analyze the notion of conflict in the context of modern business. In terms of the topic, the notions of conflict types, conflict resolution strategies, and conflict resolution skills will be taken into consideration.

What is a Conflict?

There is a common belief that conflict as an inevitable part of functioning within the team may be perceived from various perspectives. To begin with, the very definition of conflict stands for perceived disparities between two or more parties, whether it concerns individuals or groups of people (Kay & Skarlicki, 2020). When considered as a disagreement or misunderstanding, conflict is perceived as a rather negative experience that might undermine productivity within the workspace. However, according to the researchers, some conflicts tend to bring diversity and perspective to the issues taking place in the company (Kay & Skarlicki, 2020). Thus, when speaking of the definition of conflict, there is no predetermined approach to its recognition due to its highly individual perception in each professional setting.

Types of Conflict

In order to understand the patterns of conflict emergence in specific environments, it is necessary to dwell on the basic conflict typology, which was presented by C. Moore at the end of the 20th century. According to his studies, there exist five major categories within which conflicts are likely to emerge (Almeida et al., 2017):

• The category of value. In the context of the following area, the issues of disparity of ethical consideration, ideologies, beliefs, and expectations are identified.
• The category of relationships. In terms of this category, parties experience disagreements and misunderstandings based on ones individual characteristics and personality peculiarities.
• The category of information or data. The conflicts emerging within this area are primarily caused by poor or absent knowledge regarding the topic discussed. It may be caused by various factors such as lack of access, unwillingness to find the information, or disparity in terms of the perception of the same information by different parties.
• The category of structural matters. The following area concerns the external aspects of the conflict emergence. This category usually implies the notions of communication hierarchy, power issues, and regulation of various procedures. The category of structural matters is frequently associated with conflict management within an organization and a workplace.
• The category of interests. This notion stands for the parties inability to comprehend or accept each others interests. The interests are generally divided into three major types: material (money, property, resources), procedural (process characteristics such as openness, readiness to cooperate, equality), and psychological (ones feelings regarding the situation) (Almeida et al., 2017).

Considering these factors, it may be concluded that the notion of conflict is extremely broad in terms of its semantics, so the process of addressing any conflict requires exhaustive groundwork prior to the direct action. A prime example of such research is Christopher Moores Circle of Conflict model.

The Circle of Conflict

According to the researchers, every conflict is to be diagnosed regarding its implicit precedents and constituents in order to think of the conflicts efficient resolution in the future. Thus, Christopher Moore regards the aforementioned categories of conflict emergence as fundamentals of primary conflict evaluation (Almeida et al., 2017). Moore claims that one of the areas in the spectrum is a root for every conflict emerging between the parties. While various categories are often included in the conflict, the notions of values, data, and relationship are to be addressed first in order to secure conflict management one of the two more pragmatic aspects of the misunderstanding. Considering the fact that the model is especially beneficial in the organizational paradigm, it is of crucial importance to dwell on the interpretation of conflict in the workplace.

Conflict in the Workplace

Working process, as a social endeavor that implies constant cooperation with people playing various social roles, cannot be imagined without constant conflict management. According to the researchers, while conflict remains an inevitable part of any cooperation, there is no universal framework on conflict resolution, as each misunderstanding depends on its nature, parties involved, intensity, and the timeframe within which the conflict has to be resolved (Ellis & Abbott, 2020). Thus, in order to ensure that conflicts are resolved prior to bringing major damage to the enterprise and organizations environment, workplaces have embraced the existence of healthy and reasonable leadership.

Leadership and Conflict Resolution

When speaking of any conflict taking place in the working environment, it would be safe to assume that the misunderstanding itself, in order to be resolved, requires the presence of an impartial individual willing to reach a consensus. Thus, it is the leader who usually takes primary responsibility for reacting timely to a conflict emergence. According to the scholars, while defining conflict management as one of the primary skills for leaders, the discussion of the conflict resolution strategies is frequently limited (Huber et al., 2018). Such a discrepancy may be explained by the fact that the researchers believe that leaders either have necessary skills automatically or there is no need to study conflict due to its inevitability in the working environment. However, putting aside both these assumptions, it is better to understand how conflict works at various organizational levels.

Levels of Conflict

Researchers identify four major levels of conflict in terms of parties involved. Thus, according to Huber et al. (2018), these levels include:

• Interpersonal conflict. Being the most widespread conflict in the workplace, it presupposes the disagreement emergence between two individuals. The most common precedent for such conflicts is the disruption between the individuals personality types and perception of the workflow and communication.
• Intrapersonal conflict. This conflict level is one of the hardest to identify and address due to the fact that it takes place within ones mind. Hence, the dissonance taking place in one persons perception, although invisible, may eventually lead to misunderstandings on the team. In such situations, the leaders primary goal is to notice the conflict emergence in order to help the employee find the necessary help to address the issue.
• Intergroup conflict. This conflict takes place between various teams within one organization. It is primarily caused by competition and goal disparity.
• Intragroup conflict. Unlike the previous level, intragroup disagreements are limited by one team, the members of which fail to find common ground in terms of some conflict categories. The following type is one of the most frequent and demanding ones for the leader (Huber et al., 2018).

Considering the aforementioned conflict levels, it becomes evident that each conflict requires a thoroughly calculated strategy in terms of its management. Hence, the definition of conflict resolution will now be addressed.

Conflict Resolution Definition

There exist various approaches to defining conflict resolution regarding the desired outcome one expects from addressing the conflict. However, one of the most appropriate definitions is outlined by Shank (2020), who claims conflict resolution to be either a formal or informal endeavor aimed at finding a reasonable solution to a dispute between two parties. The idea of conflict resolution is frequently juxtaposed with the notion of conflict management. Although these concepts have much in common, it is important to remember that the latter is more related to the aim of reducing the adverse outcomes of the conflict and bring a positive perspective instead (Huber et al., 2018). Thus, conflict management is focused on dealing with the complications of the conflict, whereas resolution is about preventing these complications entirely.

Conflict Resolution Strategies: Avoidance

To begin with, it should be mentioned that conflict resolution cannot be handled by choosing the easiest way possible due to the conflicts sophisticated structure. Thus, resolving a disagreement becomes an easy task in rare cases, whereas the vast majority of conflicts require deep consideration of the issue roots and critical analysis of the parties perception of a dispute. A prime example of an insufficient conflict resolution strategy is the method of avoidance, which means ignoring the issue expecting its self-resolution over time or through regular communication (Wang & Wu, 2020). Such an attitude frequently results in conflict escalation in the future.

According to the evidence-based data, when considering avoidance as one of the possible options to address the conflict within the organization, almost 100% of leaders involved refused to perceive it as a tangible solution (Wang & Wu, 2020).

Conflict Resolution Strategies: Accommodation

Frequently, the notion of conflict presupposes that one of the parties will be left at an advantage compared to other participants. Such an outcome is expected when applying the strategy of accommodation and obliging. In terms of the following strategy, one conflict party does everything to satisfy another in order to leave the disagreement behind (Lacity & Willcocks, 2017). According to the qualitative research, the application of the accommodating resolution style results in complete satisfaction of the party whose interests were prioritized, whereas the satisfaction of the other party was not 100% certain (Lacity & Willcocks, 2017). Hence, it may be concluded that accommodation is a valuable conflict resolution tool only in cases when one of the parties is willing to sacrifice something in order to end the disagreement, and this decision should not be imposed.

Conflict Resolution Strategies: Compromise

The notion of compromise has always been associated with something positive, as it implies obtaining beneficial outcomes as a result of cooperation or even sacrifice. When speaking of compromise as a conflict resolution strategy, it stands for cooperation aimed at balancing negative and positive outcomes of the situation (Lacity & Willcocks, 2017). In fact, while this strategy seems relatively utopian, its application requires a presence of a complex conflict that would inevitably result in some complications. Thus, in such a way, the complications may be mitigated by common effort. For example, according to the analysis of case studies related to outsourcing in business, no participants employed the compromising strategy due to the issues being manageable enough to avoid any negative outcomes (Lacity & Willcocks, 2017).

Conflict Resolution Strategies: Competition

While previous strategies were describing either a neutral or positive attitude towards conflict resolution, the notion of competition presupposes rather an aggressive perception of the disagreement. In fact, this strategy describes the behavioral pattern during which one of the parties tries to benefit from the situation at the expense of other conflict participants by ignoring their interests completely (Lacity & Willcocks, 2017).

Frequently, the desire to obtain maximum benefit results in no one being satisfied with the outcome due to a lack of rational assessment of the conflict environment. For example, in a case study where two partners had a dispute over their profit share, no party was pleased with the solution (Lacity & Willcocks, 2017). Thus, the competitive strategy, although existing within the conflict resolution paradigm, should not be considered as relevant in the context of the modern working environment.

Conflict Resolution Strategies: Collaboration

Finally, one of the most beneficial and promising means of conflict mitigation is collaboration. The concept implies both parties of the conflict working together towards finding the solution that satisfies the needs of both sides (Lacity & Willcocks, 2017). Unlike compromise, which is frequently miscomprehended as a synonymous strategy, collaboration encompasses joint activity rather than reaching an agreement. Empirical data demonstrates that every time collaboration was employed to resolve a dispute, both parties felt extremely satisfied with the outcomes (Lacity & Willcocks, 2017). Hence, considering all the aforementioned data, it may be concluded that collaboration is considered the best way to address and resolve any disagreement within a working environment.

Conflict Resolution Strategies: Switch

Unquestionably, applying a specific strategy in terms of conflict resolution is beneficial in terms of the definition of the framework. However, in some cases, in the course of resolution, the chosen approach does not secure the desired outcome due to the modifications in the parties perception of the situation or the external factors impacting the dispute. Thus, in order to comply with the desired outcome, leaders often decide to switch between the approaches (Lacity & Willcocks, 2017). For example, some conflicts, initially perceived as the ones demanding compromise and collaboration, maybe avoided or accommodated to the environment over time. However, while switching strategies is sometimes encouraged, manipulations leading to the situation deterioration should be excluded from consideration.

The Role of Human Resource Management

One of the major challenges concerning modern patterns of conflict management is the proper realization of the conflicts impact on teamwork and organizational performance as a whole. Hence, whereas leaders are the ones responsible for responding immediately to a conflict, there are other aspects that are to be considered prior to the conflict and after its resolution. Such work is usually performed by the Human Resource Management, or HRM, as according to the researchers, its core value in terms of the subject is the fact that any conflict should be analyzed in order to be eliminated from the future cooperation patterns (Currie et al., 2017). Hence, HRMs role in conflict resolution is the development of a system able to anticipate both positive and negative outcomes of a dispute taking place in the team.

Positive Conflict Outcomes

Undoubtedly, any conflict that arises within an organization has to be taken into account in order to prevent the situation from spreading to the other aspects of the workflow. However, sometimes, conflicts have various positive effects on the organization, as they constitute the existence of a diverse point of view regarding one situation. Thus, according to Lacity & Willcocks (2017), the following positive outcomes of a conflict may be outlined:

• The ability to reconsider conventional points of view by listening to the new ideas presented by the parties.
• The ability to recognize inappropriate approaches to the situation by voicing them in the course of conflict resolution.
• A rapid increase in the discussions taking place within the organization.
• The ability for an individual to present their perception of the conflict categories.

Negative Conflict Outcomes

However, despite the presence of some beneficial aspects of a conflict, the overwhelming majority of the outcomes remain rather negative for the organization. Some of the most obvious aspects of detrimental effects include:

• Higher stress and anxiety rates among the team, leading to inefficiency, lack of communication, and intrapersonal conflicts.
• Disruption of the teams morale and unity, which may result in higher HR turnover rates.
• Rapid productivity decrease caused by lack of mutual assistance and support on the team (Lacity & Willcocks, 2017).

Conclusion

Over the years, the notion of conflict has remained one of the most controversial yet important in the context of modern organizational structure. The primary aim of the following of the following presentation was to dwell on the definition of conflict, its prerequisites, typology, and resolution means. Thus, in terms of the conducted research, the following aspects were identified:

• Conflict is a complicated concept that requires much consideration prior to making any elimination attempts.
• There exist five major categories of conflict emergence: value, interest, structure, relationship, and data.
• Conflicts vary significantly in terms of participants involved.
• Some of the most widespread strategies of conflict resolution include avoidance, accommodation, compromise, competition, and collaboration.
• Collaboration is considered the most beneficial means of conflict resolution.
• Conflict cannot be perceived as inherently good or bad, as it obtains both positive and negative outcomes for the parties involved.

References

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Kay, A. A., & Skarlicki, D. P. (2020). Cultivating a conflict-positive workplace: How mindfulness facilitates constructive conflict management. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 159, 8-20. Web.

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The conflict theory suggests that the different social groups within the society are engaged in a constant struggle over the scarce resources and for dominance over each other. These struggles often take the form of wars, politics, negotiations, and many other forms of interest clashes. The major contributors to this theory were Karl Marx, Max Weber, and C. Wright Mills, who has made a parallel between economic conditions and their role in producing inequality and conflict in society. Despite the fact their theories were developed almost over a hundred years ago, they still remain valuable, as the mechanisms they described remain in place even now. The struggles between different social groups are still there, and those struggles breed inequality.

For this paper, we are going to explore the article from The Sydney Morning Herald, called Worker Exploitation is a National Disgrace (Ferguson, 2016). It tells a story of Edwin De Castro, and his fellow foreign workers, who were hired by a recruitment company to work on a construction site in Narrabri. The conditions of labor were terrible  the workers had to work 60-70 hours a week and were forced to live in small shacks, often in numbers of six people per room. The payments were small and often withheld. The story appeared in the newspapers only after the contractor threw its workers out on the streets, without pay.

The story is a classic story of class exploitation. The construction companies often use unskilled foreign labor. This is due to it being cheap, and due to that social group being more vulnerable, and having fewer rights and security. These workers are vulnerable, which is the reason why they are exploited  and in most cases, the companies that do so are able to get away with it. A foreign worker, especially if his status in the country is illegal, will not go to the court to fight for their rights, due to their fear of expulsion from the country.

However, the core reasons behind the very existence of such a vulnerable group of people are purely economic. The majority of foreign workers come from low-economy countries, where it is hard to find a paying job. The difference between wages is often so significant that even the smallest salary in a rich country is often enough to feed an entire family in a poor one. Thus, the poor economic situation in countries such as the Philippines is the reason why workers like Edwin De Castro find themselves easy prey for greedy corporations.

As for my opinion on this issue, I believe that issues such as this one must not be left unnoticed in the 21st century. Due to the efforts of the sociologists, laborers, and activists in the early 20th century, the mass exploitation of the worker class was put to an end. However, as this article clearly shows, some companies and corporations would take any opportunity to do so again. They are using the most underhanded tactics in order to keep their crimes a secret. They must not be allowed to do so. However, I believe that conflict and exploitation could not be completely abolished from society, as it is built around competition. Any success a social group has more often than not is the result of a failure of another social group.

Reference

Ferguson, A. (2016). Worker Exploitation is a National Disgrace. The Sydney Morning Herald. Web.