History says that human civilization has always been accompanied by hostility. Some types of social conflicts affected an individual people, a city, a country, or even a continent. Disagreements between people were smaller in scale, but each type was a national problem. Thus, already ancient people sought to live in a world where such concepts as social conflict, their types and causes, would be unknown. The people did everything to realize the dreams of a society without conflicts.

As a result of painstaking and time-consuming work, a state began to be created that was supposed to extinguish different kinds social conflicts. For this purpose it was published a large number of regulatory laws. Years passed, and scientists continued to come up with models of an ideal society without conflicts. Of course, all these discoveries were only a theory, because all attempts were doomed to failure, and sometimes became the causes of even greater aggressions.

Social conflict as part of the teaching

Disagreements between people, as part of social relations, were highlighted by Adam Smith. In his opinion, it was social conflict that was the reason why the population began to be divided into social classes. But there was also a positive side. Indeed, thanks to the conflicts that arose, the population could discover a lot of new things and find ways that would help get out of the situation.

German sociologists were confident that conflicts are characteristic of all peoples and nationalities. After all, in every society there are individuals who want to elevate themselves and their interests above their social environment. Therefore, there is a division in the level of human interest in a particular issue, and class inequality also arises.

But American sociologists in their works mentioned that without conflicts, social life will be monotonous, devoid of interpersonal interaction. At the same time, only the participants in society themselves are able to incite hostility, control it and, in the same way, extinguish it.

Conflict and the modern world

Today is not a day human life there is practically no conflict of interests. Such clashes can affect absolutely any area of ​​life. As a result, various types and forms of social conflict arise.

Thus, social conflict is the last stage of the collision of different views on one situation. Social conflict, the types of which will be discussed below, can become a large-scale problem. Thus, due to non-sharing of interests or the opinions of others, family and even national contradictions arise. As a result, the type of conflict may change, depending on the scale of the action.

If you try to decipher the concept and types of social conflicts, you can clearly see that the meaning of this term is much broader than it initially seems. There are many interpretations of one term, because each nationality understands it in its own way. But the basis is the same meaning, namely the clash of interests, opinions and even goals of people. For a better understanding, we can consider that any types of social conflicts - This is another form of human relations in society.

Functions of social conflict

As we see, the concept of social conflict and its components were defined long before modern times. It was then that the conflict was endowed with certain functions, thanks to which its significance for social society is clearly visible.

So there are several important functions:

1. Signal.
2. Informational.
3. Differentiating.
4. Dynamic.

The meaning of the first is immediately indicated by its name. Therefore, it is clear that due to the nature of the conflict, it is possible to determine what state society is in and what it wants. Sociologists are sure that if people start a conflict, it means that there are certain reasons and unresolved problems. Therefore, it is regarded as a kind of signal that it is urgent to act and do something.

Informational - has a meaning similar to the previous function. Information about the conflict has great importance on the way to determining the causes of occurrence. By processing such data, the government studies the essence of all events occurring in society.

Thanks to the third function, society acquires a certain structure. Thus, when a conflict arises that affects public interests, even those who would previously prefer not to interfere take part in it. The population is divided into certain social groups.

The fourth function was discovered during the worship of the teachings of Marxism. It is believed that it is she who plays the role of the engine in all social processes.

Reasons why conflicts arise

The reasons are quite obvious and understandable, even if we consider only the definition of social conflicts. Everything is hidden in different views on actions. After all, people often try to impose their ideas at all costs, even if they cause harm to others. This happens when there are several options for using one item.

The types of social conflicts vary, depending on many factors such as magnitude, theme, nature and more. Thus, even family disagreements have the nature of social conflict. After all, when a husband and wife share a TV, trying to watch different channels, a dispute arises based on a conflict of interests. To solve such a problem, you need two TVs, then there might not be a conflict.

According to sociologists, conflicts in society cannot be avoided, because proving one’s point of view is a natural desire of a person, which means nothing can change this. They also concluded that social conflict, the types of which are not dangerous, can even be useful for society. After all, this is how people learn not to perceive others as enemies, become closer and begin to respect each other’s interests.

Components of the conflict

Any conflict includes two mandatory components:

• the reason for which the disagreement arose is called the object;
• people whose interests collide in a dispute are also subjects.

There are no restrictions on the number of participants in the dispute;

The reason for which the conflict arose may be listed in the literature as an incident.

By the way, the conflict that arises does not always have an open form. It also happens that the clash of different ideas causes grievances that are part of what is happening. This is how various types of socio-psychological conflicts arise, which have a hidden form and can be called “frozen” conflicts.

Types of social conflicts

Knowing what a conflict is, what its causes and components are, we can identify the main types of social conflicts. They are determined by:

1. Duration and nature of development:

• temporary;
• long-term;
• accidentally arising;
• specially organized.

2. Capture scale:

• global - affecting the whole world;
• local - affecting a separate part of the world;
• regional - between neighboring countries;
• group - between certain groups;
• personal - family conflict, dispute with neighbors or friends.

3. The goals of the conflict and methods of resolution:

• a brutal street fight, an obscene scandal;
• fight according to the rules, cultural conversation.

4. Number of participants:

• personal (occurs in mentally ill people);
• interpersonal (conflict of interests different people, for example, brother and sister);
• intergroup (contradiction in the interests of different social associations);

• people of the same level;
• people of different social levels and positions;
• both.

There are many various classifications and divisions that are considered conditional. Thus, the first 3 types of social conflicts can be considered key.

Solving problems that cause social conflict

Reconciliation of hostile parties is the main task of the state legislature. It is clear that it is impossible to avoid all conflicts, but it is necessary to try to avoid at least the most serious ones: global, local and regional. Given the types of conflicts, social relations between warring parties can be improved in several ways.

Ways to resolve conflict situations:

1. An attempt to escape from the scandal - one of the participants can isolate himself from the conflict, transferring it to a “frozen” state.

2. Conversation - it is necessary to discuss the problem that has arisen and jointly find a solution.

3. Involve a third party.

4. Postpone the dispute for a while. Most often this is done when the facts run out. The enemy yields to interests temporarily in order to collect more evidence that he is right. Most likely, the conflict will resume.

5. Resolution of conflicts that have arisen through the courts, in accordance with the legislative framework.

To reconcile the parties to the conflict, it is necessary to find out the cause, purpose and interest of the parties. Also important is the mutual desire of the parties to reach a peaceful resolution of the situation. Then you can look for ways to overcome the conflict.

Stages of conflicts

Like any other process, conflict has certain stages of development. The first stage is considered to be the time immediately before the conflict. It is at this moment that a clash of subjects occurs. Disputes arise due to different opinions about one subject or situation, but at this stage it is possible to prevent immediate conflict from igniting.

If one of the parties does not give in to the opponent, then the second stage will follow, which has the nature of a debate. Here, each side is furiously trying to prove that they are right. Due to the high tension, the situation becomes tense and after a certain time passes into the stage of direct conflict.

Examples of social conflicts in world history

The main three types of social conflicts can be demonstrated using examples of long-standing events that left their mark on the life of the population then and influenced modern life.

Thus, the First and Second World Wars are considered one of the most striking and famous examples of global social conflict. Almost everyone took part in this conflict existing countries, in history these events remained the largest military-political clashes of interests. Because the war was fought on three continents and four oceans. Only in this conflict were the most terrible nuclear weapons used.

This is the strongest, and most importantly famous example global social conflicts. After all, peoples who were previously considered fraternal fought against each other in it. No other such terrible examples have been recorded in world history.

Much more information is available directly about interregional and group conflicts. Thus, during the transition of power to the kings, the living conditions of the population also changed. Every year, public discontent grew more and more, protests and political tension appeared. People were not satisfied with many points, without clarification of which it was impossible to strangle the popular uprising. The more in Tsarist Russia The authorities tried to suppress the interests of the population, the more intensified conflict situations on the part of dissatisfied residents of the country.

Over time, more and more people became convinced that their interests were being infringed upon, so the social conflict gained momentum and changed the opinions of others. How more people became disillusioned with the authorities, the closer the mass conflict came. It was with such actions that most of the civil wars against the political interests of the country's leadership.

Already during the reign of the kings, there were preconditions for the outbreak of social conflicts based on dissatisfaction with political work. It is precisely such situations that confirm the existence of problems that were caused by dissatisfaction with existing living standards. And it was precisely the social conflict that was the reason to move on, develop and improve policies, laws and governing abilities.

Let's sum it up

Social conflicts are an integral part modern society. Disagreements that arose during royal power, are a necessary part of our current life, because, perhaps, it is thanks to those events that we have the opportunity, maybe not enough, but still better to live. Only thanks to our ancestors did society move from slavery to democracy.

Today, it is better to take as a basis personal and group types of social conflicts, examples of which we often encounter in life. We are faced with contradictions in family life, looking at simple everyday issues from different points of view, we defend our opinion, and all these events seem to be simple, everyday things. This is why social conflict is so multifaceted. Therefore, everything that concerns it needs to be studied more and more in detail.

Of course, everyone says that conflict is bad, that you cannot compete and live by your own rules. But, on the other hand, disagreements are not so bad, especially if they are resolved in the initial stages. After all, it is precisely because of the emergence of conflicts that society develops, moves forward and strives to change the existing order. Even if the result leads to material and moral losses.

One of the conditions for the development of society is the confrontation between different groups. The more complex the structure of society, the more fragmented it is and the greater the risk of such a phenomenon as social conflict. Thanks to him, the development of all humanity as a whole occurs.

What is social conflict?

This is the highest stage at which confrontation develops in relations between individuals, groups, and the whole society as a whole. The concept of social conflict means a contradiction between two or more parties. In addition, there is also intrapersonal confrontation, when a person has needs and interests that contradict each other. This problem dates back more than one millennium, and it is based on the position that some should be “at the helm”, while others should obey.

What causes social conflicts?

The foundation is contradictions of a subjective-objective nature. Objective contradictions include the confrontation between “fathers” and “children,” bosses and subordinates, labor and capital. The subjective causes of social conflicts depend on the perception of the situation by each individual and his attitude towards it. Scientific conflictologists identify a variety of reasons for the emergence of confrontation, here are the main ones:

1. Aggression that can be shown by all animals, including humans.
2. Overpopulation and factors environment.
3. Hostile attitude towards society.
4. Social and economic inequality.
5. Cultural contradictions.

Individuals and groups may conflict over material wealth, primary life attitudes and values, authority, etc. In any field of activity, disputes may arise due to incompatible needs and interests. However, not all contradictions develop into confrontation. They talk about it only under conditions of active confrontation and open struggle.

Participants in social conflict

First of all, these are the people standing on both sides of the barricades. In the current situation, they can be both individuals and legal entities. The peculiarity of social conflict is that it is based on certain disagreements, because of which the interests of the participants collide. There is also an object that can have a material, spiritual or social form and which each of the participants strives to obtain. And their immediate environment is the micro- or macroenvironment.

Social conflict - pros and cons

On the one hand, open conflict allows society to evolve and achieve certain agreements and agreements. As a result, its individual members learn to adapt to unfamiliar conditions and take into account the desires of other individuals. On the other hand, modern social conflicts and their consequences cannot be predicted. In the worst case scenario, society could completely collapse.

Functions of social conflict

The first are constructive, and the second are destructive. Constructive wear positive character– defuse tension, make changes in society, etc. Destructive ones bring destruction and chaos, they destabilize relationships in a certain environment, destroy the social community. The positive function of social conflict is to strengthen society as a whole and the relationships between its members. Negative - destabilizes society.

Stages of social conflict

The stages of conflict development are:

1. Hidden. Tension in communication between subjects increases due to the desire of each to improve their position and achieve superiority.
2. Voltage. The main stages of social conflict include tension. Moreover, the greater the power and superiority of the dominant side, the stronger it is. The intransigence of the parties leads to very strong confrontation.
3. Antagonism. This is a consequence of high tension.
4. Incompatibility. Actually, the confrontation itself.
5. Completion. Resolving the situation.

Types of social conflicts

They can be labor, economic, political, education, social security, etc. As already mentioned, they can arise between individuals and within each person. Here is a common classification:

1. In accordance with the source of origin – confrontation of values, interests and identification.
2. According to the consequences for society, the main types of social conflicts are divided into creative and destructive, successful and failed.
3. According to the degree of impact on the environment - short-term, medium-term, long-term, acute, large-scale, regional, local, etc.
4. In accordance with the location of the opponents - horizontal and vertical. In the first case, people at the same level argue, and in the second, a boss and a subordinate argue.
5. According to the method of struggle - peaceful and armed.
6. Depending on the degree of openness - hidden and open. In the first case, rivals influence each other by indirect methods, and in the second they move on to open quarrels and disputes.
7. In accordance with the composition of the participants - organizational, group, political.

Ways to resolve social conflicts

The most effective ways to resolve conflicts:

1. Avoiding Confrontation. That is, one of the participants leaves the “stage” physically or psychologically, but she herself conflict situation remains because the cause that gave rise to it has not been eliminated.
2. Negotiation. Both sides are trying to find common ground and a path to cooperation.
3. Intermediaries. include the involvement of intermediaries. His role can be played by both an organization and an individual who, thanks to existing capabilities and experience, does what would be impossible to do without his participation.
4. Postponement. In fact, one of the opponents is only temporarily giving up their position, wanting to accumulate strength and re-enter the social conflict, trying to regain what was lost.
5. Applying to arbitration or arbitration tribunal. In this case, the confrontation is dealt with in accordance with the norms of law and justice.
6. Force method with the involvement of the military, equipment and weapons, that is, in essence, war.

What are the consequences of social conflicts?

Scientists view this phenomenon from a functionalist and sociological point of view. In the first case, confrontation is clearly negative in nature and leads to such consequences as:

1. Destabilization of society. Control levers no longer work, chaos and unpredictability reign in society.
2. The consequences of social conflict include participants with specific goals, which are to defeat the enemy. At the same time, all other problems fade into the background.
3. Loss of hope for further friendly relations with the opponent.
4. Participants in the confrontation withdraw from society, they feel dissatisfaction, etc.
5. Those who consider the confrontation from a sociological point of view believe that this phenomenon also has positive sides:
6. With an interest in a positive outcome of the case, there is a unity of people and strengthening of mutual understanding between them. Everyone feels involved in what is happening and does everything to ensure that the social conflict has a peaceful outcome.
7. Existing structures and institutions are being updated and new ones are being formed. In the newly emerged groups, a certain balance of interests is created, which guarantees relative stability.
8. Managed conflict further stimulates the participants. They develop new ideas and solutions, that is, they “grow” and develop.

Social conflict

Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

Social conflict- conflict caused by disagreement social groups or personalities with differences in opinions and views, the desire to take a leading position; manifestation of people's social connections.

In area scientific knowledge there is a separate science dedicated to conflicts - conflictology. A conflict is a collision of opposing goals, positions, and views of the subjects of interaction. At the same time, conflict is the most important aspect of interaction between people in society, a kind of cell of social existence. This is a form of relationship between potential or actual subjects of social action, the motivation of which is determined by opposing values ​​and norms, interests and needs. An essential aspect of social conflict is that these subjects act within the framework of some broader system of connections, which is modified (strengthened or destroyed) under the influence of the conflict. If interests are multidirectional and opposite, then their opposition will be revealed in a mass of very different assessments; they themselves will find a “field of collision” for themselves, and the degree of rationality of the claims put forward will be very conditional and limited. It is likely that at each stage of the conflict it will be concentrated at a certain point of intersection of interests.

Causes of social conflicts

The reason for social conflicts lies in the definition itself - it is the confrontation of individuals or groups pursuing socially significant goals. It arises when one party to the conflict seeks to realize its interests to the detriment of the other.

Types of social conflicts

Political conflicts- these are conflicts caused by the struggle for the distribution of power, dominance, influence and authority. They arise from various interests, rivalries and struggles in the process of acquiring, distributing and exercising political-state power. Political conflicts have a direct bearing on gaining leading positions in institutions and structures of political power.

Main types of political conflicts:

conflict between branches of government;

conflict within parliament;

conflict between political parties and movements;

conflict between various parts of the management apparatus, etc.

Socio-economic conflicts- these are conflicts caused by the means of life support, the use and redistribution of natural and other material resources, the level of wages, the use of professional and intellectual potential, the level of prices for goods and services, access and distribution of spiritual benefits.

National-ethnic conflicts- these are conflicts that arise during the struggle for the rights and interests of ethnic and national groups.

According to the classification of D. Katz’s typology, there are:

conflict between indirectly competing subgroups;

conflict between directly competing subgroups;

conflict within the hierarchy over rewards.

Basic aspects of social conflicts.

Social heterogeneity of society, differences in income levels, power, prestige, etc. often lead to conflicts. Conflicts are an integral part of social life. This determines the close attention of sociologists to the study of conflicts.

A conflict is a collision of opposing goals, positions, opinions and views of opponents or subjects of interaction. Radugin A.A., Radugin K.A. Sociology. - M.: Center, 1996., p. 117.The English sociologist E. Gidens gave the following definition of conflict: “By conflict I mean a real struggle between active people or groups, regardless of the origins of this struggle, its methods and means mobilized by each side.” Conflict is a ubiquitous phenomenon. Every society, every social group, social community is susceptible to conflict to one degree or another. The wide dissemination of this phenomenon and the keen attention of society and scientists to it contributed to the emergence of a special branch of sociological knowledge - conflictology. Conflicts are classified according to their structure and areas of research.

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

The main subjects of the conflict are large social groups. Major conflict expert R. Dorendorf classifies three types of social groups as subjects of conflict. 1). Primary groups are direct participants in the conflict. Which are in a state of interaction regarding the achievement of objectively or subjectively incompatible goals. 2). Secondary groups - strive to not be directly involved in the conflict. But they contribute to fueling the conflict. At the acute stage, they can become the primary side. 3). Third forces are interested in resolving the conflict.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1.1.Classification of conflicts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1.2.Characteristics of conflicts.

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

Causes of conflicts.

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

Consequences of social conflict.

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

Thus, many believe that society and its individual elements develop as a result of evolutionary changes, i.e. in the course of continuous improvement and the emergence of more viable social structures based on the accumulation of experience, knowledge, cultural patterns and the development of production, and as a result they assume that social conflict can only be negative, destructive and destructive.

Another group of scientists recognizes the constructive, useful content of any conflict, since as a result of conflicts new qualitative certainties appear. According to supporters of this point of view, any finite object of the social world, from the moment of its inception, carries within itself its own negation, or its own death. Upon reaching a certain limit or measure, as a result of quantitative growth, a contradiction that carries negation comes into conflict with the essential characteristics of a given object, and therefore a new qualitative certainty is formed.

Constructive and destructive paths of conflict depend on the characteristics of its subject: size, rigidity, centralization, relationship with other problems, level of awareness. The conflict increases if:

competing groups increase;

it is a conflict over principles, rights or personalities;

the resolution of the conflict forms a significant precedent;

conflict is perceived as win-lose;

the views and interests of the parties are not connected;

the conflict is poorly defined, nonspecific, vague. 11 Social conflict: modern research. Ed. N.L. Polyakova // Abstract collection. - M, 1991, p. 70.

A private consequence of conflict may be increased group interaction. As interests and viewpoints within a group change from time to time, new leaders, new policies, and new in-group norms are needed. As a result of the conflict, new leadership, new policies and new norms can be quickly introduced. Conflict may be the only way out of a tense situation.

Conflict resolution.

An external sign of conflict resolution can be the end of the incident. It is completion, not temporary cessation. This means that conflictual interaction between the conflicting parties ceases. Elimination or cessation of the incident is a necessary but not sufficient condition for resolving the conflict. Often, having stopped active conflict interaction, people continue to experience a frustrating state and look for its causes. In this case, the conflict breaks out again.

Resolution of social conflict is possible only when the conflict situation changes. This change can take many forms. But the most effective change in a conflict situation, allowing to extinguish the conflict, is considered to be the elimination of the cause of the conflict. In a rational conflict, eliminating the cause inevitably leads to its resolution, but for an emotional conflict, the most important point in changing the conflict situation should be considered a change in the opponents’ attitudes towards each other.

It is also possible to resolve a social conflict by changing the demands of one of the parties: the opponent makes concessions and changes the goals of his behavior in the conflict.

Social conflict can also be resolved as a result of the depletion of the resources of the parties or the intervention of a third force that creates an overwhelming advantage for one of the parties, and, finally, as a result of the complete elimination of the rival. In all these cases, a change in the conflict situation certainly occurs.

Modern conflictology has formulated the conditions under which successful resolution of social conflicts is possible. One of the important conditions is a timely and accurate analysis of its causes. And this involves identifying objectively existing contradictions, interests, and goals. An analysis carried out from this angle allows us to outline the “business zone” of a conflict situation. Another, no less important condition is mutual interest in overcoming contradictions on the basis of mutual recognition of the interests of each party. To do this, the parties to the conflict must strive to free themselves from hostility and mistrust of each other. This state can be achieved based on a goal that is meaningful to each group on a broader basis. The third, indispensable condition is a joint search for ways to overcome the conflict. Here it is possible to use a whole arsenal of means and methods: direct dialogue between the parties, negotiations with the participation of a third party, etc.

Conflictology has developed a number of recommendations, following which speeds up the process of conflict resolution: 1) during negotiations, priority should be given to discussing substantive issues; 2) the parties should strive to relieve psychological and social tension; 3) the parties must demonstrate mutual respect for each other; 4) negotiators should strive to turn a significant and hidden part of the conflict situation into an open one, openly and demonstrably revealing each other’s positions and consciously creating an atmosphere of public equal exchange of opinions; 5) all negotiators must show a tendency to

2. Social conflicts in modern society.

In modern conditions, in essence, every sphere public life gives rise to its own specific types of social conflicts. Therefore, we can talk about political, national-ethnic, economic, cultural and other types of conflicts.

Political conflict - this is a conflict over the distribution of power, dominance, influence, authority. This conflict can be hidden or open. One of the most striking forms of its manifestation in modern Russia is the conflict between the executive and legislative powers in the country that has continued throughout the entire period since the collapse of the USSR. The objective causes of the conflict have not been eliminated, and it has moved to a new stage of its development. From now on, it is being implemented in new forms of confrontation between the President and the Federal Assembly, as well as the executive and legislative powers in the regions.

Prominent place in modern life occupy national-ethnic conflicts- conflicts based on the struggle for the rights and interests of ethnic and national groups. Most often these are conflicts related to status or territorial claims. The problem of cultural self-determination of certain national communities also plays a significant role.

Play a major role in modern life in Russia socio-economic conflicts, that is, conflicts over means of life support, wage levels, the use of professional and intellectual potential, the price level for various goods, and real access to these goods and other resources.

Social conflicts in various spheres of public life can take place in the form of intra-institutional and organizational norms and procedures: discussions, requests, adoption of declarations, laws, etc. The most striking form of expression of conflict is various kinds of mass actions. These mass actions are implemented in the form of presenting demands to the authorities from dissatisfied social groups, in mobilizing public opinion in support of their demands or alternative programs, in direct actions of social protest. Mass protest is an active form of conflict behavior. It can be expressed in various forms: organized and spontaneous, direct or indirect, taking on the nature of violence or a system of non-violent actions. The organizers of mass protests are political organizations and so-called “pressure groups” that unite people based on economic goals, professional, religious and cultural interests. Forms of expression of mass protests can be such as: rallies, demonstrations, pickets, civil disobedience campaigns, strikes. Each of these forms is used for specific purposes and is an effective means of solving very specific problems. Therefore, when choosing a form of social protest, its organizers must clearly understand what specific goals are set for this action and what is the public support for certain demands.

Sociology as a science. Tutorial

X. SOCIAL CONFLICTS

1. Concept, causes and types of social conflicts. 2. Mass actions. Social movements.

Basic concepts Anomie, conflict society, antagonisms, system crisis, counteractions, violation of the system stabilization mechanism, consensus, neutralization of the opponent, bifurcation, compromise, latency, business zone, post-conflict syndrome, maximalism of the parties, frustration, public mood. Purpose of information: to give students an idea of ​​the nature, dynamics, subjects and methods of resolving social conflicts in society.

Recommendations First question. When studying the nature, essence and participants of social conflicts, find their definitions in the literature, and try to use specific examples of conflict systems existing in the world (society, group, social institution) to find out the motives and prerequisites for the ripening of social tension in society. Carefully study the basics of the theory of modern Western conflictology and try to carry out a comparative analysis of the most common conflict paradigms in sociology. When studying the patterns of functioning of social systems, focus on the concept of a crisis society and consider the processes of integration and disintegration, differentiation of interests, stratification, functional and dysfunctional systems, spontaneous and purposeful conflicts. Particular attention should be paid to the concepts of conflict society by K. Marx, R. Dahrendorf, L. Coser and others. It is advisable to consider the second question using the method of comparative analysis of numerous types of mass social movements and actions, to reveal the dialectical nature of their interaction, interdependence, to explain the nature, direction, driving the forces of contemporary formal and informal mass movements. It is useful to analyze the hierarchy of mass movements and the current state of mass consciousness on the basis of studying the political life of Russian society.

Concept, causes and types of social conflicts Conflicts have always been an integral part of the life of society. Conflict is a clash between people or large social groups, which acts as a universal phenomenon, i.e. Every society is subject to conflict. They can lead to the destruction of not only economic or political systems, but also society itself as a whole. Therefore, a special branch has been formed within sociology - conflictology, which faces a number of scientific and practical problems. Is it possible for a society to exist without conflict? The question is about 1) the causes of conflicts; 2) about the role of conflicts in the life of society; 3) about the possibilities of regulating social conflicts. The term "conflict" comes from the Latin word conflictus - clash. The concept of "social conflict" is a complex phenomenon. This is a certain form of social interaction between people in the form of a collision of opposing goals, values, views, needs, interests. Conflict is the simultaneous deployment of action and counter-action. This is an extremely complex action of two or more parties united in opposition. The term "social conflict" was introduced by the German sociologist Georg Simmel, who called it a "dispute". M. Weber called the conflict a “struggle.” English sociologist Anthony Giddens defines conflict as “a real struggle between acting individuals or groups.” Americans T. Parsons and R. Merton viewed conflict as a dysfunction of individual structures in the social system. L. Coser considers conflict to be the most important element of social interaction, which contributes to the strengthening or destruction of social ties. In general, in sociology, conflict is defined as a form of interaction between different social communities. The nature of conflicts is determined by the presence in society of objective and subjective contradictions that permeate the economy, politics and culture. The simultaneous aggravation of all contradictions creates a crisis of society, a violation of the mechanism of stabilization of the system. A manifestation of the crisis of society is the growth of social tension, the clash of classes, nations, and the masses with the state. But objective contradictions should not be identified with conflict. Contradictions give rise to open and closed conflicts only when people recognize them as incompatible interests and needs. Social conflict is a way of interaction between individuals, communities, and social institutions, determined by their material and spiritual interests, a certain social status, and power. The dynamics of social systems is a process that is realized in various types of social interaction: competition, adaptation, assimilation, conflict. Note that the conflict here acts as a kind of connecting transitional form, say, to competition (competition), consensus. Consensus is one of the methods for making economic, socio-political and other decisions, which consists in developing an agreed position that does not cause fundamental objections from the parties. One way or another, conflict has been and remains a constant companion of social life, as consistent with the nature of society and man as consensus. The legalization of conflict management in our country was prompted by the situation when the country was literally overwhelmed by conflicts, when we were not ready for the fact that “democracy is a conflict.” A special role belongs to the sociological aspect of the study (conflict and society), and the political science aspect (conflict and politics). But the socio-psychological aspect is becoming increasingly important in terms of studying the dynamics of the conflict. Let us highlight two main concepts of social conflict. “The concept of positive functional conflict” (G. Simmel, L. Coser, R. Dahrendorf, K. Boulding, J. Galtung, etc.) is strictly sociological. It views conflict as a problem of communication and interaction. Its social role is stabilization. But the stability of a society depends on the number of conflict relations existing in it and the types of connections between them. The more different conflicts intersect, the more complex the group differentiation of society, the more difficult it is to divide all people into two opposing camps that have no common values and normal. This means that the more conflicts independent of each other, the better for the unity of society. In this concept, “competition” is distinguished as key concept, and the interests of the parties are considered the driving force of the conflict. Its process consists of a set of reactions to external world. All collisions are reactive processes. Consequently, the essence of the conflict lies in the stereotypical reactions of social actors. But conflict resolution is thought of as “manipulating” behavior without radically changing the social order. This is mainly the difference between Marxist conflictology (the theory of class struggle and social revolution) from the principle of “scarcity” (i.e. limited goods, scarcity), characteristic of Western interpretations of the causes of conflict. The positive-functional concept views conflict as “a struggle for values ​​and claims to a certain social status, power, and material and spiritual benefits that are insufficient for everyone, a struggle in which the goals of the parties to the conflict are to neutralize, cause damage or destroy the “rival.” the concept of conflict as a “social disease" T. Parsons was the first to speak out loudly about conflict as a pathology, identified the following foundations of stability: satisfaction of needs, social control, coincidence of social motivations with social attitudes. E. Mayo put forward the idea of ​​"industrial peace" , characterizing conflict as a "dangerous social disease" that is the antithesis of cooperation and balance. Proponents of this concept (among them primarily the Swedish ecologist Hans Brodahl and the German sociologist Friedrich Glasl) proceed from the fact that two opposing trends manifest themselves in the historical process. The first - emancipation, desire to free oneself (man - woman, younger and older generation, employees - entrepreneurs, developed and developing countries, East - West). The disease begins when emancipation leads to selfishness, and this negative side individualism. The second is increasing mutual dependence, which contains a tendency towards collectivism. The disease begins when interdependence turns into collectivism, i.e. when a certain system wins, allowing a person to be neglected as an individual. The disease has a wide spectrum, affecting the individual, social organisms, groups, organizations, communities, nations, and entire peoples. What are the aspects of a sociological diagnosis of conflict? First of all, these are the origins of the conflict (not the causes, but where it begins); then the biography of the conflict (its history, roots, background against which it progresses, crises, turning points); parties (subjects) of the conflict, depending on which the level of social complexity of any conflict is determined; position and relationships of the parties, formal and informal dependencies, roles, personal relationships; initial attitude towards the conflict (hopes and expectations of the parties). X. Brodahl and F. Glasl identify three main phases of the conflict. 1. From hope to fear (discussions, self-isolation, arguments taken to extremes, loss of communication, initiation of action). 2. From fear to loss of face (formation of false images of the enemy, strengthening of leadership and authoritarianism, pushing for self-exposure, intimidation and panic). 3. Loss of will is the path to violence (limited destruction and violence, destruction of the nerve (administrative) center, and finally, total destruction, including self-destruction). The escalation of a conflict is a kind of deadly process, but it can be overcome quickly and disappear altogether if the main contradiction between the parties is eliminated. In any conflict there is a struggle between the tendencies of egoism and “collectivism”. Finding a balance between them means finding a way to resolve the conflict and growing in your humanity (this is always an effort!). ; Extremeness (its researchers are M. Weber, E. Durkheim, L. Sorokin, N. Kondratiev, I. Prigozhin, N. Moiseev, etc.) arises when there is a threat to one’s very existence social system within this quality and is explained by the action of extreme factors. An extreme situation is associated with the emergence of a “bifurcation state” (Latin bifurcus - bifurcation), that is, a state of dynamic chaos and the emergence of opportunities for innovative development of the system. Under these conditions, parameters change and borderline (marginal) states arise. As a result, the effect of “entity detection” occurs. Its function is to stabilize the system in response to extreme forces. When emerging from dynamic chaos, it is necessary to have a leader (at the group level) or a dominant motivation (at the individual level), which carries out the target function of survival of the social system. Sociologists see two options for getting out of an extreme situation. The first is a catastrophe associated with the disintegration of the system core and the destruction of subsystems. The second is adaptation (compromise, consensus), the object of which is group contradictions and interests. To analyze the dynamics of the social system, the concept of “cycle of extreme situation” was introduced. The cycle is associated with a minimum of time for decision-making, with a maximum of information about events, with maximum efficiency (mobilization of forces, abilities, resources), with a minimum of errors.

Lecture:

Social conflict

Despite the fact that conflicts leave unpleasant memories, it is completely impossible to avoid them, because this is one of the ways people interact. In the course of his life, a person finds himself in various conflict situations that arise even for a minor reason.

Social conflict is a way of social interaction consisting in the collision and confrontation of opposing interests, goals and methods of action individuals or groups.

According to their attitude to the conflict, people were divided into two groups. Some perceive it as stress and strive to eliminate the causes of the conflict. Others consider it a natural and inevitable form of human relationships and are convinced that a person should be able to be in it without experiencing excessive tension and excitement.

Subjects of the conflict are not only the warring parties themselves, but also

• instigators who encourage people to conflict,
• accomplices who push participants with their advice, technical assistance to conflict actions,
• mediators seeking to prevent, stop or resolve a conflict,

witnesses watching events take place from the outside.

Consequences of social conflict

Despite the undesirability of conflicts, they still perform functions necessary for society. Social conflicts are positive If

• inform about pain in any part social system, about the existence of social tension and mobilize to solve existing problems;
• stimulate change and renewal public relations, social institutions or the entire social system as a whole;
• enhance group cohesion or encourage conflict actors to cooperate.

Negative the parties to the conflict are

creating stressful situations;

destabilization of social life;

distraction from solving one's job tasks.

Stages of social conflict

In its development, social conflict goes through four stages or stages:

The conflict begins with pre-conflict situation , consisting of two phases. In the hidden (latent) phase, the conflict situation is just forming, and in the open phase, the parties are aware of the emergence of a conflict situation and feel tension.

Next comes the stage the conflict itself . This is the main stage of the conflict, which also consists of two phases. In the first phase, the parties form psychological attitude to fight, they openly defend their innocence and strive to suppress the enemy. And the people around (instigators, accomplices, mediators, witnesses) through their actions shape the conditions for the conflict. They can escalate, contain the conflict, or remain neutral. In the second phase, a turning point and reassessment of values ​​occurs. At this phase, there are several options for the behavior of the parties to the conflict: bringing it to the peak of tension, mutual concessions, or complete resolution.

The choice of the third behavior option indicates the transition of the conflict to completion stage confrontation.

Post-conflict stage characterized by the final settlement of contradictions and peaceful interaction between the parties to the conflict.

What are the ways to resolve the conflict? There are several of them:

• Avoidance- avoidance of conflict, hushing up the problem ( this method does not resolve the conflict, but only temporarily softens or delays it).

• Compromise- solving the problem through mutual concessions that satisfy all warring parties.

• Negotiation- peaceful exchange of proposals, opinions, arguments aimed at finding a joint solution to the existing problem.

• Mediation- involvement of a third party to resolve the conflict.

• Arbitration- appeal to an authoritative authority vested with special powers and complying with legislative norms (for example, the administration of an institution, the court).

Social conflict is a necessary condition for the development of society, the result of the incompatibility of the views of individuals. Conflict makes it possible to expose and solve various problems of society, or reduce it to anarchy.

The heterogeneity of society, differences in position and well-being inevitably lead to the emergence and aggravation of social conflicts. Let us consider the basic concepts, essence and causes of social conflicts in more detail.

What it is

Social conflict is the result of the development of social contradictions, expressed in confrontation between different social groups.

Such confrontation can arise in any social group. It can be called one of necessary conditions development of society. After all, this process consists of conflicts and their overcoming.

The main source of social conflict is the very structure of society. The more complex it is, the more fragmented society is. New groups and social strata are emerging that have their own value systems, goals and methods of achieving them. All this leads to the emergence of new conflicts.

At the same time, the complex structure of society offers numerous ways to resolve these conflicts and mechanisms for finding consensus. The main task of society is to minimize possible Negative consequences social conflict and resolve accumulated problems.

The life cycle of a social conflict includes four stages:

1. Pre-conflict situation. Its sign is the growth of tension in relations between subjects.
2. Conflict.
3. Attempts to resolve the conflict.
4. The end of the confrontation and the post-conflict stage.

Essence and theory

The problem of social conflicts dates back many millennia. However, before Adam Smith, the whole problem was that some should rule, others should obey, and the state should exercise control.

Adam Smith first pointed out the nature of conflict as a social problem. In his opinion, the basis of social conflict is class and economic struggle.

Since then, many theories have appeared to explain the essence of the contradictions:

1. According to adherents of the socio-biological theory, human conflict is explained by the aggression inherent in all animals.
2. Proponents of socio-psychological theory link the emergence of social conflicts with overpopulation and other environmental factors. However, this theory does not explain at what point a clear conflict arises.
3. According to functionalists, social conflict is dysfunction in relation to society. In an ideal system there should be no contradictions.

Causes of social conflict

There are many obvious and hidden reasons behind every conflict. The main social prerequisites for contradictions are social inequality(there are always rich and poor, bosses and subordinates) and cultural heterogeneity (the existence in society of different value guidelines, behavioral systems, etc.).

There are many reasons why social conflicts arise. Let's look at the main ones:

1. Ideological reasons. There is a certain system of ideas and values ​​that determine dominance and subordination. Participants may have different views on this system.
2. Different values. Each participant in the conflict, be it an individual or a social group, has his own set of value guidelines. Each set is strictly individual, and is often opposite to the same set of another participant. Final goal– satisfaction of one’s own needs – many participants have one. As a result, an interaction of opposing interests arises (everyone wants to satisfy their own needs) and a conflict arises.
3. Social and economic reasons . Associated with the distribution of wealth and power, if one of the participants feels that he has been deprived. This is one of the most common causes of social conflict.
4. Other reasons: difference in tasks, introduction of innovations, competition between groups and leaders.

Structure

Conflict is a multidimensional process with a developed structure. Each specific conflict situation has its own objective and subjective components.

They can be considered in more detail, starting with the objective ones:

1. Subjects of the conflict. Every social conflict is, first of all, the inability to achieve mutual understanding between specific people. This is true both for interstate conflict and for family conflict. In each case the main characters– people acting, depending on the situation, as individuals or legal entities.
2. Item. This is the contradiction that underlies a particular conflict, which is why there is a clash of interests of the participants.
3. An object. This is a certain value that all subjects strive to obtain. The form can be any: material (money or other resource), spiritual (any idea), social (power). In each specific case, it is not easy to identify the object of the conflict. It is not always found in pure form, often a mixture of at least two forms.
4. Microenvironment and macroenvironment. These are the conditions under which the parties have to operate. The microenvironment is the immediate surroundings of the participants. Macroenvironment is belonging to certain social groups.

Each individual conflict also has subjective components. This is the tactics and strategy of behavior of each side, the perception of a certain situation, etc.

Types and classification

Various sociological schools put forward their own classifications of conflicts. The most common typology is:

1. For reasons of occurrence. The reasons can be both objective and subjective.
2. According to the characteristics of social disagreements. Such conflicts differ in the duration of action and the nature of disagreements, the scope of manifestation, etc.
3. According to the impact of the conflict on others. The forms of conflicts differ in duration (short-term, medium-term, long-term), severity, and scale.
4. According to the characteristics of specific participants. The conflict can be collective, interethnic, etc.
5. Based on the degree of openness there are hidden and open social conflicts. Hidden conflicts do not entail external aggression towards the opponent and take place using indirect methods of influence. IN open conflicts There are obvious clashes - quarrels, disputes.
6. The most well-known division of conflicts is horizontal and vertical.. This division occurs based on the position of the opponents. Vertical conflict occurs between a boss and a subordinate, horizontal conflict occurs between people at the same level. First of all, these are labor disputes.
7. Based on the composition of participants, separate interpersonal types of conflicts, group, organizational, political, etc. In interpersonal conflicts, confrontation occurs between people who do not belong to any particular group. social community. In groups - between separate social groups. Political conflicts can arise both within society (domestic political) and at the international level (foreign political).

It is worth considering that any attempt to classify conflicts is quite arbitrary. In practice, you can find, for example, a vertical closed interpersonal conflict with a unique set of properties.

Role and functions

In public life, social conflict plays a dual role. On the one hand, thanks to the conflict, society develops, certain agreements and agreements are reached. On the other hand, the consequences of an open clash for society are unpredictable.

Conflict has many private functions. Thanks to the adaptive function, individuals adapt to new circumstances. Thanks to innovation function The participants' awareness of each other's pros and cons increases.

In general, the functions of social conflict can be divided into two large groups:

1. Constructive. Include positive functions: defusing tension, bringing about social change, etc.
2. Destructive. This includes functions that are negative in nature: destabilization of relationships that have developed in a certain social environment, destruction of the social community.

Consequences

The consequences of the conflict can be viewed from two opposing points of view:

1. Functionalist.
2. Sociological.

Functionalists view conflict as a negative phenomenon that destabilizes society. They highlight the following possible consequences:

1. Destabilization of society. The emergence of chaotic processes with unpredictable results. Control mechanisms stop working.
2. Distracting the parties to the conflict from other problems, concentrating on certain interests and victory over the enemy.
3. Impossibility of further cooperation with the opponent.
4. Removal of conflict participants from society, dissatisfaction, etc.

Adherents of the sociological point of view, such as Dahrendorf, believe that if certain conditions are met, positive results can be achieved. Positive consequences include:

1. Resolving a problem in an optimal way that can be accepted by all parties involved. This will bring people together and strengthen their mutual understanding. If each participant feels that he has something to do with solving the problem, he will participate in the implementation of this solution.
2. Updating existing and creating new mechanisms and institutions. New social groups are formed and a certain balance of interests is maintained. This provides relative stability.
3. Additional incentives for participants. Managed conflict between people leads to the development of new ideas and solutions. Without participating in conflicts, a person stops developing.

Resolution paths

To analyze ways to resolve social conflicts, you need to understand how the participants in the conflict behave. The strategy for resolving social conflict depends on their characteristics.

• Evasion– the participant has no desire to conflict or actively work to achieve his own goals. Such a participant can remove himself from the conflict.
• Device. Participants are ready to cooperate, meet the other side halfway and at the same time work on their own interests.
• Confrontation. The interests of other parties are not taken into account; each participant strives to achieve only his own goals and impose his opinion on others.
• Cooperation. Each participant works to further their interests. However, I am ready to work to find a solution to the conflict in a team with other participants.
• Compromise. This style is based on concessions. Each participant is limited to partially achieving his goals and is in some way inferior to the others. This style is preferable to others because... allows us to partially satisfy the desires of all interested parties.

The result of the conflict can be a complete or partial resolution. The first option means completely eliminating the causes of the conflict. In the second case, only part of the problems are solved; the rest may appear later.

Examples in society from history

A classic example of social conflict is the student strike in France in 1968. The reasons are the discrepancy between the values ​​of the students of the sixties and the old French general de Gaulle.

Another reason is the “Fouche reform”, which consisted of accelerated training of specialists without eliminating shortcomings in educational system. Following the students, there were mass strikes of workers, office workers, and engineers.

Ultimately, the president achieved a partial resolution of the conflict by taking advantage of the population's fear of another revolution. But a year later he resigned.

Video: Social conflict and ways to resolve it