What is conflict - types, types and causes of conflicts, also 6 ways to resolve them

Updated September 7, 2022 136 Author: Dmitry Petrov
Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. The emergence of situations between people that are generated by hostile thoughts and actions makes many people think.

What is a conflict, what are the conditions for its origin, who can be a participant in it, and are there any methods for resolving it? We will talk about all this in the continuation of this publication. Sit back, let's get started.

What it is?

The word comes from the Latin "conflictus", meaning "collided" . The most common synonyms the word “conflict” include:

1. argument;
2. disagreement;
3. collision;
4. duel;
5. confrontation;
6. battle.

To fully understand, it is first necessary to define this social phenomenon.

So, conflict is a way of resolving contradictions that arise due to inconsistency of judgments, goals, interests, conclusions, conclusions, opinions or views on certain aspects.

This process is characterized by three main features:

1. The essence is the confrontation between two or more subjects.
2. It is accompanied by the release of negative emotions on the part of the participants, as well as actions that may go far beyond the generally accepted rules and norms of behavior.

3. It arises exclusively in the process of social interaction of participants with each other.

Structure

The components of the structure involve parties, conditions, subject, actions and outcome . There will be at least two parties: individuals, organizations, social groups and communities. Conditions will be those factors or circumstances that determine the characteristics of the conflict and the very possibility of its occurrence. The conditions for its occurrence also include its causes, which are divided into groups according to the sociocultural context, situational background and the presence of third forces that either want to mitigate the conflict or aggravate it.

The subject of a conflict is something that becomes the object of divergent interests. It can be something material or abstract (some kind of life principle, value thesis). The subject is exactly what they argue about. Well, the actions of the participants determine the conflict interaction, this is its content. The outcome is considered to be its result (or rather, its ideal image), exactly what the parties are aimed at. He also regulates the outcome.

Often the participants themselves cannot formulate exactly what they understand by the ideal image of the outcome.

What types and types of conflicts exist

Depending on the method of resolution, conflicts are divided into:

1. Compromise . Resolution of conflict situations in this case is carried out by searching for the most suitable compromise for both parties. In this case, one or both parties must benefit from the situation in the form of compensation for moral harm/material damage. Example: for failure to meet the agreed deadlines for delivery of products, the supplier undertakes to reduce prices for its services;
2. Antagonistic . The confrontation is resolved by destroying the structural structures (verbal, behavioral, emotional) of the participant who lost the confrontation. The second option is the party’s refusal to further participate in the fight. Example: winning an election race.

Types of conflicts differ in the area in which they manifest themselves, degree of expression, direction, number of parties, and needs. But first things first.

Conflictogens

Observations show that 80% of conflicts arise without the will of the parties involved. This is due to the peculiarities of our psyche and the fact that most people either do not know them or do not attach importance to them.

The main role in the emergence of conflicts is played by the so-called conflict toxins. This word means "promoting conflict."

We call words, actions (or inactions) that can lead to conflict the cause of conflict.

The insidious nature of conflict agents can be explained by the fact that we are much more sensitive to what others say than to what we say. There is even an aphorism: “Women do not attach importance to what they say, but they attach great importance to what they hear themselves.” Indeed, everyone is to blame for this, not just the fair sex. This special sensitivity to words addressed to us comes from the desire to protect ourselves, our dignity from possible attacks. But we are not so vigilant when it comes to the dignity of other people, and therefore we do not pay such strict attention to their words and actions.

Personal psychological defense arises unconsciously as a system of personality stabilization that protects the individual’s sphere of consciousness from negative psychological influences. As a result of conflict, this system works involuntarily, against the will and desire of a person. The need for such protection arises when thoughts and feelings that threaten self-esteem, the formed “ego-image” of the individual, the system of value orientations, reduce the individual’s self-esteem.

In some cases, a person’s perception may be far from the real situation, but a person’s reaction to the situation is formed on the basis of his perception, on how it appears to him, and this circumstance significantly complicates the resolution of the conflict. Negative emotions generated by a conflict can be quickly transferred from the problem to the personality of the opponent, who will complement the conflict with a personal counter-reaction. The more the conflict escalates, the more unsightly the image of the opponent becomes, which makes it even more difficult to resolve. This creates a vicious circle that is very difficult to break. It is advisable to do this in the early stages of the event, before the situation gets out of control.

Scope of conflict situations

The most common types of conflicts based on the nature of their manifestation include:

1. organized (a hierarchical structure is provided, the responsibilities and rights of the parties are clearly regulated);
2. economic (based on contradictions of an economic nature, the struggle for resources, discounts, rights, benefits);
3. social conflict (confrontation between individual subjects, groups or communities of people, taking into account the preliminary strengthening of their interests regarding the dispute);
4. political (characterized by the use of appropriate tools of struggle, which presupposes victory in the political sphere).

A measure of the subject's psychological stress

Dissatisfaction is a feeling of dissatisfaction and an expression of dissatisfaction with something or someone, manifested by a grimace, intonation, plasticity, and sometimes vocabulary. On the one hand, dissatisfaction is not yet a conflict, since the subject is hardly aware of the cause of this state; the object of unrealized interest is still on the periphery of consciousness, but not at its center. On the other hand, dissatisfaction is already a conflict, since circumstances lead to a conflict of interests, although this conflict of interests is not yet clearly defined.

A person asks to be introduced at work during a visit to the dentist. The colleague complies with the request, quietly muttering to himself: “They always ride on me.” There seems to be no conflict here. But again, it doesn't seem like it's due to a flaw.

Discontent is a thin veil, indicating that, like a subtle ghost, contradiction hovers between subjects. Unacknowledged and therefore unresolved, it thickens, becomes more obvious and turns into a dispute.

Disagreement is a difference of opinions and views that have personal meaning to the subjects, such that they cannot compromise their opinions and views.

The next stage in the development of disagreement tension is resistance, which is an action that prevents another action.

There can be a long period of time between dissatisfaction and disagreement. The time between contradiction and confrontation is short: finally, awareness of the contradiction has occurred, and each subject knows what he wants, his desire to achieve his goal is growing rapidly. Thus, if subjects do not come to their senses here and now, do not use their active imagination, do not paint a picture of future relationships, do not direct their efforts to find a way to resolve the contradiction, they will not notice how they will find themselves at a level of confrontation where the level of tension is excessive.

The paradigm of confrontation is “I don’t want!” Every subject takes this position. (His version is “I still want it!”). The interests of the subject have eclipsed the whole world, the situation in which he and the other subject find himself, relationships, business, circumstances and, most importantly, the future. Everything is focused on a specific interest. It is difficult to get out of the confrontation, because the subjects of the conflict drive themselves into a tough position.

Conflict reaches its highest level of tension in confrontation, in the struggle with someone or something that, in the opinion of the subject, interferes with the achievement of a goal, the realization of interests. Since at a moment of high psychological stress it is the other person who is usually perceived as an obstacle, all forces are directed towards destroying this person. Methods of destruction or suppression are difficult to control, so the use of physical force, as well as humiliation, insult and insult to the opponent of the conflict, cannot be ruled out. If at the first stage (discontent) good relationships and connections have not yet been broken and there is no conflict yet, but at the same time it is already present, then at the last stage (confrontation) all connections are broken and the conflict has essentially disappeared, but it is still present.

The type of resolution we choose determines how the conflict will be resolved and how the relations between the subjects of the conflict will develop. This is the third stage of the conflict.

Types of conflicts by severity

1. Hidden collisions. Occurs when a demonstration of aggression and any similar actions are hidden from the public and those involved in the confrontation. The conflict is indirect.
2. Open clashes. The struggle is clearly expressed and can be observed and assessed. Example: controversy, controversy, discord, quarrel, scandal, showdown with insults.

Types of conflict orientation

1. Horizontal conflict. Disagreements arise between parties who are equal in status: social, professional, material, etc. A prerequisite is that subjects are endowed with an equal amount of power.
2. Vertical conflict is typical for parties that have differences in status. Example: a quarrel between a subordinate and a manager, employees of a subsidiary and parent enterprise.

Number of conflicting parties

1. Intergroup . A confrontation between two groups, each of which includes participants in the conflict, united by some characteristic/signs.
2. Interpersonal . A clash of interests between two entities or between a group of people and one entity.
3. Intrapersonal . Confrontation of internal values ​​and motives at the personal level. There are no parties, there is only one subject who is faced with the problem of choice regarding making this or that decision.

Consequences

They can be not only negative, which is obvious, but also positive. Negative consequences include:

• difficulties, problems of personal development - for example, disappointment in oneself and others, in the world order and values;
• the emergence of a negative portrait of a competitor or rival , that is, the image of an enemy - there is no longer any common sense here, the other side is being demonized, activities begin to harm it;
• the destruction of the system of existing relationships means hostility, prejudice, and a break in attachment;
• coming to violence - not necessarily physical, psychological is also very dangerous;
• fixation of negative social experience - victory through threats, aggression, blackmail can become entrenched as an algorithm for achieving success;
• negative impact on the psyche - from a bad mood to angry tension, which can lead to the development of clinical depression;
• negative impact on the productivity of the parties - a person under stress cannot be as productive as outside it (and a group, organization, community too);
• depletion of personal energy resources - at some stage there is a feeling of loss of strength, the impossibility of continuing the conflict if you are not ready to give up.

The positive aspects include self-affirmation and self-identification. A person learns to defend his opinion and becomes capable of bold actions and open confrontation. So, for example, a parent who fights for an objective attitude of a teacher towards his child finds in himself courage and purposefulness, which he seemed to have never seen in himself before. Through conflict you can increase your own authority. Finally, he can carry a competitive spirit. Often, personal contradictions between athletes (a direct analogy) influenced the fact that each of them improved their sports results.

Causes of conflicts

The specific nature of the emergence of conflicts may be based on all sorts of reasons. The most characteristic ones include :

1. discrepancy between reality and personal concepts, ideas about something;

2. untimely receipt of information, its inaccuracy and discrepancy with reality;
3. logical errors, understatement, misunderstanding, misunderstandings in the communication process;
4. inconsistencies between people’s words and actions, unjustified expectations. Example: a man assumed that his friend would come to the meeting on time, as promised, but this did not happen;
5. social inequality of people;
6. the opposition of values, interests, concepts, aspirations and perceptions of the surrounding reality.

Resolution methods

The conflict can be directly resolved, extinguished, settled, removed the cause, or a compromise can be found. Let's take a closer look at these methods.

• Permission . Happens when both parties seek to resolve the situation peacefully. Then they will look for exit strategies together, listen to each other, and respect each other’s attempts to find a way out.
• Settlement . Some third party appears who has no personal interest (the same mediator or psychologist). The parties determine his powers, he helps to find the real motives of the controversial situation and suggests ways to resolve it.
• Attenuation . The participants may simply get bored with it, and they decide to just end it. Perhaps this way it will go into a hidden form. This happens when the parties are exhausted, the incident is no longer so relevant, and there is no strength to continue.
• Eliminating the cause . If a problem is discovered and there is a way to remove it on its own, do so (with the consent of both parties, with or without the help of a mediator). In this case, the solution can be radical.
• Transformation . There is also such an end to a conflict when, in the process of one situation, an acute new one arises. The root cause is no longer so interesting, they can completely forget about it, there is a switch to the so-called newly discovered circumstances.

Modern approaches to resolving all kinds of disputes involve involving specialists or a third, authoritative and unbiased party. This is good because the conflict immediately stops escalating, fear goes away, and the readiness to attack and defend also becomes less pronounced.

The institution of mediation is developing at different levels, and this may soon be the reason for the revision of many aspects in conflict management.