conflicts are distinguished. social conflict

The concept of social conflict- much more capacious than it might seem at first. Let's try to figure it out.

In Latin, conflict means "collision". In sociology conflict- this is the highest stage of contradictions that can arise between people or social groups, as a rule, this clash is based on opposing goals or interests of the parties to the conflict. There is even a separate science dealing with the study of this issue - conflictology. For social science, social conflict is another form of social interaction between people and groups.

Causes of social conflicts.

Causes of social conflicts obvious from the definition social conflict- disagreements between people or groups that pursue some socially significant interests, while the implementation of these interests is to the detriment of the interests of the opposite side. The peculiarity of these interests is that they are somehow connected with each other by some phenomenon, object, etc. When the husband wants to watch football, and the wife wants to watch a TV series, the TV is the connecting object, which is alone. Now, if there were two TV sets, then interests would not have a connecting element; the conflict would not have arisen, or it would have arisen, but for a different reason (the difference in the size of the screen, or a more comfortable chair in the bedroom than a chair in the kitchen).

German sociologist Georg Simmel in his theories of social conflict stated that conflicts in society are inevitable because they are due to the biological nature of man and the social structure of society. He also suggested that frequent and short-lived social conflicts are beneficial to society, since, if positively resolved, they help members of society get rid of hostility towards each other and achieve understanding.

The structure of social conflict.

Structure of social conflict consists of three elements:

• the object of the conflict (that is, the specific cause of the conflict is the same TV mentioned earlier);
• subjects of the conflict (there may be two or more - for example, in our case, the third subject may be a daughter who wants to watch cartoons);
• incident (the reason for the start of the conflict, or rather its open stage - the husband switched to NTV + Football, and then it all started ...).

By the way, development of social conflict does not necessarily take place in an open stage: the wife may silently be offended and go for a walk, but the conflict will remain. In politics, this phenomenon is called a “frozen conflict”.

Types of social conflicts.

1. By the number of participants in the conflict:
   • intrapersonal (great interests for psychologists and psychoanalysts);
   • interpersonal (for example, husband and wife);
   • intergroup (between social groups: competing firms).
2. Direction of conflict:
   • horizontal (between people of the same level: worker against worker);
   • vertical (employee against superiors);
   • mixed (both those and others).
3. By functions of social conflict:
   • destructive (a fight on the street, a fierce argument);
   • constructive (fight in the ring according to the rules, intelligent discussion).
4. According to duration:
   • short-term;
   • protracted.
5. By permission:
   • peaceful or non-violent;
   • armed or violent.
6. Content of the problem:
   • economic;
   • political;
   • production;
   • household;
   • spiritual and moral, etc.
7. According to the nature of development:
   • spontaneous (unintentional);
   • intentional (planned in advance).
8. By volume:
   • global (II World War);
   • local ( Chechen War);
   • regional (Israel and Palestine);
   • group (accountants against system administrators, sales managers against storekeepers);
   • personal (household, family).

Resolution of social conflicts.

The social policy of the state is in charge of resolving and preventing social conflicts. Of course, it is impossible to prevent all conflicts (two TVs per family!), but to anticipate and prevent global, local and regional conflicts is a paramount task.

Ways to resolve socialsconflicts:

1. Avoidance of conflict. Physical or psychological withdrawal from conflict. The disadvantage of this method is that the cause remains and the conflict is “frozen”.
2. Negotiation.
3. Use of intermediaries. Here everything depends on the experience of the intermediary.
4. Postponement. Temporary surrender of positions for the accumulation of forces (methods, arguments, etc.).
5. Arbitration, trial, third party permission.

Conditions necessary for successful conflict resolution:

• determine the cause of the conflict;
• determine the goals and interests of the conflicting parties;
• the parties to the conflict must be willing to overcome differences and resolve the conflict;
• identify ways to overcome the conflict.

As you can see, the social conflict has many faces: it is the mutual exchange of "courtesies" between the fans of "Spartak" and "CSKA", and family disputes, and the war in the Donbass, and events in Syria, and the dispute between the boss and the subordinate, etc., and etc. Having studied the concept of social conflict and earlier the concept of the nation, in the future we will consider the most dangerous view conflict -

The main task of conflict management is to prevent its growth and reduce its negative consequences. .

Either of the parties or a third force that is not involved in it, but is interested in its settlement can act as a subject of conflict management. Whoever acts as the subject of social conflict management, it is important to find ways and develop a technology for regulating conflict relations.

This can be facilitated by:

publicity and maximum openness of social conflicts (primarily shadow and implicit ones).

This allows you to put them under control and respond in a timely manner to the processes taking place in the relations of the warring parties.

decrease in social psychological arousal.

This makes it possible to prevent the detonation of situations in relation to the parties to the conflict.

The resolution of social conflict is a rather complicated matter and can be done in different ways:

conflict avoidance method.

(Example: withdrawal or threat of withdrawal from the political arena of a political figure, avoidance of meetings with the enemy, etc.). But the avoidance of conflict does not mean its elimination, since its cause remains.

Negotiation method.

Avoids the use of violence. In the process of negotiations, there is an exchange of views, which inevitably reduces the severity of the conflict, helps to understand the arguments of the parties and objectively assess the true balance of forces and the conditions for reconciliation. They allow us to consider alternative situations, achieve mutual understanding and agreement, open the way to cooperation.

Mediation method.

This is a conciliation procedure in which both organizations and individuals can act as an intermediary. Practice confirms that a well-chosen mediator can quickly resolve the conflict ( Example: in complex social conflicts in the West, Nobel Prize winners play the role of mediators).

delay method.

Often means the surrender of their positions. This action is common in practice. The side that “lost its positions”, as the forces accumulate and the situation changes in its favor, as a rule, makes an attempt to return what was lost.

Method of arbitration (arbitration).

At the same time, they are strictly guided by the norms of laws, including international law.

The search for ways out of conflict situations contributes to the development of other methods of resolving social conflicts. Sociologists have developed recommendations to accelerate the process of conflict resolution:

1) During negotiations, priority should be given to discussing issues related to the content of the conflict.

2) The parties should strive to relieve psychological and social tension.

3) Show mutual respect for each other.

4) Negotiators must publicly and convincingly disclose each other's positions, and consciously create an atmosphere of public exchange of views;

5) All negotiators must be willing to agree.

Question 5. Characteristics of the conflict.

It is recognized that society is preserved as a whole, thanks to the constant resolution of its inherent internal conflicts. Conflicts can take a wide variety of forms - from a simple quarrel between 2 people to a major military or political clash involving millions. But, despite their numerous manifestations in social life, they all have a number of common characteristics (parameters):

Reasons for the conflict. This is what the conflict is about. The main causes of conflicts can be:

having opposite orientations

Each individual or group in social life has its own set of different and opposing value orientations. When striving for their satisfaction and the presence of blocking goals that several individuals or groups are trying to achieve, opposite value orientations come into contact and can cause a conflict ( Example: - different attitudes to the property of many groups of the population. Some prefer collective, others - private, others - cooperative; - different attitudes towards work, in which some believe that it is impossible to work under the given conditions, that is, it is necessary to go on strike, while others insist on continuing work).

These conflicts are extremely diverse and can arise due to different attitudes towards love, family and marriage, behavior, art, sports, as well as to any social institutions. The most acute conflicts appear with differences in culture, perception of the situation, status or prestige.

ideological reasons

This is a special case of a conflict of opposite orientations, in which the cause of the conflict lies in a different attitude towards the system of ideas that justify and legitimize relations among different groups of society (attitude towards dominance, that is, power, subordination, worldview). At the same time, elements of faith, religious and socio-political aspirations become a catalyst for contradictions.

various forms economic and social inequality

They are associated with a significant difference in the distribution of values ​​​​between individuals or groups (income, knowledge, information, elements of culture, etc.) These inequalities exist everywhere, but conflict arises only at such a value of inequality that:

Firstly - regarded as one of social groups as very significant;

Secondly - this significant inequality leads to the blockade of important social needs of one of the groups.

causes between elements of social structure

They appear as a result of different places occupied by the structural elements of society, organization or social group. For this reason, the conflict may be related to:

1) with different goals of individual elements (conflict for independence between the center and the periphery);

2) with the desire of a structural element to take a higher place in the hierarchical structure (a conflict between organizational units in order to obtain a larger share of resources).

Any of these reasons can serve as an impetus to the beginning of a conflict only if there are certain external conditions that serve as its breeding ground.

The severity of the conflict. Acute social conflict is a conflict with a high intensity of social clashes, which is characterized by frequent open clashes that merge into one. To the greatest extent, the severity of the conflict depends on the socio-psychological characteristics of the warring parties and the situation requiring immediate action ( Example: the conflict of 2 emotionally adjusted passengers in the bus. If the passengers support one of them, the conflict may become more acute). Therefore, by absorbing energy from the outside, the conflict situation forces the participants to act immediately, putting internal energy into the collision. As a result, the severity of the conflict increases.

Acute conflict is shorter, but also more destructive. It causes significant damage to the enemy's resources, their prestige, status and psychological balance. Conflicts are especially acute in systems with primary connections, which are fueled by former irreconcilable contradictions, serious grievances, or are based on revenge (bloody incidents).

Duration of the conflict. It takes a long time from a conflict to its resolution. Example: a short-term skirmish between a superior and a subordinate, or a long-term confrontation between religious groups over several generations).

The duration of the conflict is great importance for opposing groups and social systems. Depends on it:

the magnitude and persistence of changes in groups and systems as a result of the expenditure of resources in collisions;

an increase in the consumption of emotional energy and the emergence of the likelihood of a new conflict due to accumulated grievances and lack of balance in social systems.

Therefore, the issue of prolonged conflict is vital to the existence of a social group and organization. Conflict studies show that prolonged, protracted conflicts are undesirable under any circumstances.

Consequences of social conflict. They are very contradictory. On the one hand, they destroy social structures and lead to unreasonable expenditure of resources, on the other hand, they contribute to the rallying of groups and the achievement of social justice. This duality has not yet led to a common point of view among conflictologists about whether conflicts are beneficial or harmful to society.

Strikes, marital conflicts, national conflicts can destroy social communities, and can enhance group interactions. As a result of the conflict, the introduction of new leadership, new policies, new norms is possible. Conflict may be the only way out of a tense situation, to achieve balance and relieve tension in the group ( Example: the conflict of society with criminal gangs).

There are 2 types of consequences of conflicts:

disintegrative consequences(increase bitterness, lead to destruction and bloodshed, destroy the channels of cooperation, divert the attention of group members from pressing problems);

integrative implications(determine a way out of difficult situations, strengthen group cohesion, lead to the conclusion of alliances with other groups, lead the group to understand the interests of its members).

Control questions:

What is social conflict and what are its types?

What are the functions of social conflict based on 2 points of view - about its harm and its benefits?

How are conflicts classified depending on the subjects and areas of disagreement?

What are the types of social conflicts?

What are the differences between such forms of expression of conflicts as revolutions and reforms?

What are the stages of social conflict analysis?

What are the main methods of resolving social conflict?

What are the main characteristics of conflict?

What are the types of consequences of social conflicts?

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Conflicts are an integral part of a person's life in society and his interaction with other people. Conflicts arise everywhere and can lie in wait for each of us anywhere: at work, in the office, at school or college, in a store or public transport and even at home. The ability to recognize conflict situations and neutralize them is a very important skill for any person. In the following lessons of the presented training on conflictology, we, of course, will talk in detail about the causes of conflicts and the analysis of their strategies, as well as discuss in detail the issues of conflict management, conflict prevention and prevention. However, before embarking on these more serious topics, we should understand what constitutes a conflict in general, what types of conflicts exist and how they are characterized.

What is conflict?

The term "conflict" comes from the Latin word "conflictus", meaning "collided". Usually, when talking about conflict, they talk about the most acute way of resolving contradictions in views, goals, interests that arise during the interaction of people with each other. As a process, the conflict consists in the opposition of the participants in this social interaction to each other, and is accompanied by negative emotions, which often go beyond the generally accepted norms and standards. In conflict understand the lack of agreement between several parties (it can be individuals or groups of people). The science that studies conflicts is called conflictology.

Attitude to the concept of "conflict"

In the vast majority of cases, it is believed that the conflict is an extremely negative phenomenon, causing misunderstanding, resentment, hostility or threats, in other words, something that you should try to avoid by all means. Also, representatives of earlier schools argued that conflict is a sign of poor management of the organization and an indicator of its inefficiency. But, despite this, many modern management specialists are increasingly inclined to believe that some types of conflict not only can occur, but are desirable even in the most effective organizations, where employee relationships deserve the best ratings. The only thing that is needed here is to learn how to manage conflict.

Conflict, like any social phenomenon, has not only its own definition, but also its own signs. And this issue is no less important and is subject to separate consideration.

Signs of Conflict

First sign of conflict - BIPOLARITY

Bipolarity, also called opposition, is both confrontation and interconnectedness, which contains the internal potential of the existing contradiction. However, bipolarity by itself does not yet speak of a struggle or a clash.

The second sign of conflict - ACTIVITY

Activity here is understood as resistance and struggle. For the emergence of activity, an impulse is needed, which is set by the participant (subject) of the conflict by awareness of the conflict situation itself.

The third sign of conflict - SUBJECTS OF THE CONFLICT

The subject of the conflict is an active party capable of creating conflict situations, as well as influencing the process of the conflict, which, in turn, depends on his interests. Traditionally, the subjects of the conflict are distinguished by a peculiar type of thinking called conflict. Contradiction can be a source of conflict situations only for those people who have conflict thinking.

Types of conflicts

Classification of conflicts according to the impact on the activities of a group or organization

According to the impact on the activities of a group or organization, conflicts can be constructive and destructive.

Constructive (functional) conflicts- these are conflicts that lead to the adoption of informed decisions and contribute to the development of relations between the subjects of the conflict. As a rule, the following several functional consequences of conflicts are distinguished:

• The conflict is resolved in a way that suits all parties to the conflict; each party feels involved in resolving the problem;
• A joint decision is implemented as quickly and easily as possible;
• The parties involved in the conflict master the skill of effective cooperation during the solution of problematic issues;
• If a conflict arose between subordinates and leaders, then the practice of resolving the conflict allows you to destroy the “submission syndrome”, when a person occupying a lower position has a fear of expressing his point of view if it differs from that of people with a higher status;
• Relationships between people are getting better;
• The parties to the conflict no longer view disagreements as something negative and leading to negative consequences.

EXAMPLE: A perfect example of a constructive conflict is a common work situation: a leader and a subordinate cannot agree on any issue regarding their joint activities. After a conversation and expression by each participant of his opinion, a compromise is found, and the leader and the subordinate find a common language, and their relationship becomes positive.

Destructive (dysfunctional) conflicts - these are conflicts that impede the adoption of competent decisions and effective interaction between the subjects of the conflict. Dysfunctional consequences of conflicts are the following:

• Competitive, rival relations between people;
• Lack of desire for positive relationships and cooperation;
• Perception of the opponent as an enemy, his position - exclusively as incorrect, and his own - exclusively as correct;
• The desire to reduce and even completely stop any interaction with the opponent's side;
• The belief that "winning" a conflict is far more important than finding a common solution;
• Bad mood, negative emotions, feeling of dissatisfaction.

EXAMPLE: Examples of non-constructive conflict include war, any manifestation of physical violence, family quarrels, etc.

Classification of conflicts by content

Realistic conflicts - these are conflicts that are caused by dissatisfaction with the specific requirements of the participants or unfair, according to the opinion of one of the parties, the distribution of certain advantages between the participants. As a rule, such conflicts are aimed at achieving a specific result.

EXAMPLE: conflicts with the authorities of the former Nord-Ost hostages and relatives of the victims due to the failure of the state to comply with certain requirements.

Unrealistic conflicts - these are conflicts, the purpose of which is the specific expression of negative emotions, hostility or resentment, in other words, the conflict here is the main goal.

EXAMPLE: murder by one person of another due to the fact that the first believes that the second is guilty of his problems and troubles; terrorist acts without expressing specific requirements.

Classification of conflicts by the nature of the participants

By the nature of the participants, conflicts are divided into intrapersonal, interpersonal, conflicts between the individual and the group, and intergroup conflicts.

Intrapersonal conflict - arises when there is no harmony between various psychological factors in the inner world of a person, for example, his feelings, values, motives, needs, etc. For example, intrapersonal conflict associated with human activity can be expressed in various forms. But in most cases, this is a form of role conflict - when different roles of a person require him to fulfill different requirements.

EXAMPLE: A person who is an exemplary family man needs to be at home in the evenings, but his position as a leader obliges him to often stay at work in the evenings. The intrapersonal conflict here is due to the mismatch of personal needs and the requirements of his activity.

Interpersonal conflict - is the most common type of conflict. In different situations, it can appear in different ways. But the reasons for such a conflict can be not only differences in people's behavior, their manners, attitudes, opinions or characters, which are subjective reasons, but also objective reasons, moreover, they are the basis of interpersonal conflicts most often.

EXAMPLE: One of the most common causes of interpersonal conflicts is the limitation of any resources, such as labor, production facilities, equipment, cash and all sorts of vital goods. For example, one person believes that it is he who needs the most resources, and not someone else, while this other person thinks the same way.

Conflict between individual and group the presented conflict appears in those cases when one of the members of a group or organization violates the norms of behavior established in it or the laws of communication adopted in informal groups.

EXAMPLE: The conflict between the individual and the group is clearly illustrated by the example of the conflict between subordinates and a leader who adheres to an authoritarian leadership style; similar conflicts can also be observed in youth parties, where one of the members of the party suddenly behaved not according to the laws of the “flock”.

Intergroup conflict - is a conflict between formal and/or informal groups that are part of a society or organization. Interestingly, during the period of intergroup conflict, people can unite in various close-knit communities. However, this cohesion often disappears immediately after the desired result is achieved.

EXAMPLE: An intergroup conflict may arise between employees of any division of the organization and its administration, for example, due to a sudden reduction in staff; a similar situation is often observed between opposition political parties or religious denominations.

Classification of conflicts according to the specifics of the opposite sides and the conditions for the development of the conflict

According to the specifics of opposite sides and conditions of development, conflicts can be internal, external and antagonistic.

Internal conflicts - characterized by the interaction of two or more opposing subjects within a community or group of people.

EXAMPLE: An excellent example of internal conflict is intra-class struggle, such as the struggle for leadership.

External conflicts - represent the interaction of opposites that relate to different objects (groups, classes, etc.).

EXAMPLE: As an example of an external conflict, one can name the confrontation between a person and natural elements or the struggle of an organism with the external environment.

Antagonistic conflicts - one of the most acute conflicts, because are interactions between social groups that are irreconcilably opposed to each other. It is unique that the very concept of "antagonism" is very common in medicine and biology - antagonism of teeth, muscles, microbes, drugs, poisons, etc. can occur. In addition, in mathematical science, antagonism is seen as the opposite of interests. In its purest form, antagonism is presented in social processes.

EXAMPLE: A striking example of an antagonistic conflict is war, market competition, revolution, sports competition, etc.

In addition to all of the above, correct understanding and interpretation of conflicts, as well as their functions, features, essence and consequences, is impossible without typology, i.e. without highlighting the basic types of conflicts on the basis of identifying their similarities and differences and ways to identify them with a commonality of the main differences and features.

In order to make it possible to choose an adequate method of influencing and managing a conflict (which you will learn about in our next lessons), it is necessary to typify conflicts according to their main features: methods of solution, areas of manifestation, direction of influence, severity, number of participants and violated needs.

It is on the basis of typology that both types and varieties of conflicts are determined. The type of conflict as a variation of conflict interaction is distinguished according to certain criteria.

Types of conflicts by way of resolution

According to the method of resolution, conflicts are divided into violent and non-violent.

Violent (antagonistic) conflicts - are such ways of resolving contradictions in which the destruction of the structures of all subjects of the conflict occurs or the refusal of all subjects, except for one, to participate in the conflict. As a result, the subject that remains wins.

EXAMPLE: An excellent example of a violent conflict is the election of authorities, a tough discussion, debate, and so on.

Non-violent (compromise conflicts) - these are conflicts that allow several options for resolving the situation by mutually changing the goals of the subjects of the conflict, the conditions of interaction, terms, etc.

EXAMPLE: As an example of a compromise conflict, the following situation can be mentioned: a supplier who has pledged to supply raw materials for production does not fulfill his obligations on time. In this case, the manufacturer has the right to require the supplier to comply with the agreed schedule, but the delivery dates could change for some good reason. The mutual interest of both parties allows them to negotiate, change the original schedule and find a compromise solution.

The next classification, which we will consider, is determined by the spheres of manifestation of conflicts. The spheres, in turn, can be very diverse - these are politics, people's beliefs, and social relations, and economics and much more. Let's talk about the most common of them.

Types of conflicts by spheres of manifestation

Political conflicts - are clashes on the basis of the struggle for power and the distribution of power.

EXAMPLE: An example of a political conflict is a confrontation between two or more political parties.

Social conflict - is a contradiction in the system of human relationships. These contradictions are distinguished by the strengthening of the interests of opposing subjects, as well as the tendencies of individuals and social groups. Social conflicts include both purely social and social-labor and labor conflicts.

EXAMPLE: Examples of social conflicts are pickets, strikes, rallies, wars.

Economic conflicts - this group of conflicts includes those conflicts, the basis of which are contradictions in the sphere of economic interests of individuals and social groups.

EXAMPLE: An economic conflict can be called a struggle for the distribution of property, a sphere of economic influence, social benefits or resources.

Organizational conflicts - they can be considered as a consequence of hierarchical relations and regulation of human activity, as well as the use of the principle of distribution of people's relations.

EXAMPLE: A striking example of organizational conflict is the application job descriptions, assigning certain duties and rights to the employee, the introduction of nominal management structures, the existence of certain provisions for the evaluation and remuneration of employees, as well as their bonuses, etc.

Types of conflicts by direction of impact

According to the direction of influence, conflicts are distinguished between vertical and horizontal. Their characteristic feature is the distribution of the amount of power that is at the disposal of the subjects of the conflict at the time of the conflict situation.

Vertical conflicts - these are conflicts in which the amount of available power decreases along the vertical axis from top to bottom, thereby determining different starting conditions for the subjects of the conflict.

EXAMPLE: A vertical conflict can be called a conflict between a boss and a subordinate, a teacher and a student, a small enterprise and a higher organization, etc.

Horizontal conflicts - these are conflicts in the course of which subjects interact that have an equivalent power or a hierarchical level.

EXAMPLE: G a horizontal conflict can be a conflict between managers occupying equal positions, employees of the same level, consumers and suppliers, etc.

Types of conflicts according to the severity of conflict confrontation

According to the severity of conflict confrontation, conflicts can be hidden and open.

Hidden conflicts - conflicts in which there are no external aggressive actions between the subjects of the conflict, but there are indirect ones, i.e. indirect ways of influencing subjects on each other. Hidden conflicts are possible only when one of the subjects of conflict interaction either fears the other, or does not have enough resources for open confrontation.

EXAMPLE: An example of a hidden conflict can serve as an official scientific controversy between teachers, behind which is hidden real essence conflict - the struggle for authoritative social status, for example, for some position at the university.

Open conflicts - differ in that they contain a clear clash of conflicting subjects, i.e. disputes, quarrels, squabbles, etc. The interaction of the participants in the conflict is regulated in this case by the norms corresponding to the position of the participants and the situation.

EXAMPLE: An example of an open conflict can safely be called a war, when two or more parties openly express their demands and use open methods to achieve their goals; a quarrel of people that arose for any reason and does not have hidden motives, etc.

It is important to distinguish between conflicts and on the basis of violated needs.

Types of conflicts depending on violated needs

Depending on the violated needs, conflicts of interest and cognitive conflicts are distinguished.

Conflicts of interest - represent a confrontation based on a clash of interests of the subjects of the conflict, which can be individuals, groups of people, organizations, etc.

EXAMPLE: P Examples of conflicts of interest can be found even in Everyday life- two children cannot share the toy they like among themselves; husband and wife, having one TV for two, want to watch different TV programs at the same time, etc.

Cognitive conflicts - these are conflicts of knowledge, points of view, views. As a rule, the goal of each subject of a cognitive conflict is to convince the opposite side that it is his position, opinion or point of view that is correct.

EXAMPLE: Examples of cognitive conflict can also be found quite often - these are discussions of various problems, disputes, discussions, disputes, during which participants express different points of view and give all kinds of arguments to prove their case.

Summing up the conversation about the types and types of conflicts, it should be noted that the distribution of conflicts by type is actually very arbitrary due to the fact that there is no clearly defined boundary between them, and in practice, i.e. in real life, various complex types of conflicts can arise, some conflicts can transform into others, and so on.

What else do you need to know about conflicts?

The history of mankind, its morality, culture, intellect is an ongoing struggle of ideas, aspirations, competition of forces and interests, rivalry. Throughout his life, every person systematically encounters conflicts of all kinds. When a person wants to achieve something, the goal can be difficult to achieve. When he experiences failure, he may blame the people around him for the fact that it was because of them that he could not get what he wanted. Those around him, in turn, no matter whether they are relatives, classmates, friends or work colleagues, may believe that he himself is to blame for his problems and failures. The form can be completely different, but almost always it can lead to misunderstanding, which can develop into discontent and even confrontation, thereby creating tension and causing a conflict situation.

Every person has conflicts in life. It is common for people to be dissatisfied with something, to perceive something “with hostility”, not to agree with everything. And all this is natural, because such is the nature of man. However, these and other similar internal properties can become harmful if a person is not able to resolve his own conflict with the people around him; if he is not able to give it a constructive form; if he cannot adhere to adequate principles in his contradictions.

It is quite reasonable to conclude that conflicts are inevitable. But, in reality, things are somewhat different. And not all conflict situations that arise between people from time to time end in conflict.

Conflict should not be treated as something dangerous and negative if it is an incentive for personal development, pushes a person to work on himself, tempers morally and psychologically, and promotes unity with other people. But you should try to avoid those conflicts that have a destructive potential, destroy relationships, create a state of psychological discomfort, and increase a person’s isolation. It is very important for the poem to be able to recognize any prerequisites for conflicts and be able to prevent the occurrence of unwanted conflict situations.

To be able to recognize and prevent conflicts means to own a culture of communication, to be able to control oneself, to show respect for the personality of other people, to apply various methods impact on them. Nothing can contribute to the elimination of various kinds of misunderstandings to such a strong extent as competent, civilized communication, which includes knowledge of elementary etiquette skills and the ability to master them, as well as the ability to establish and maintain effective contact, develop your own own style communication and interaction with others.

If you find yourself in a difficult, controversial situation, the most important thing is to control your behavior and behave socially competently. If the conflict situation is based on experiences and emotions, then the unpleasant sensations from it can remain for a very, very long time. For this reason, you need to learn to manage your emotional states, control your behavior and reactions. You should always be tuned in to the stability and balance of your nervous system.

EXERCISE: As one of the most effective methods work with your psyche, you can bring self-tuning to a state of calm. It is quite easy to implement it: sit in comfortable armchair Relax, close your eyes and try not to think about anything for a while. Then, clearly and slowly say a few phrases to yourself that set you up for self-control, endurance, a state of calm. Strive to feel how balance seizes you, you become more cheerful, feel a surge of strength and good mood; You feel great physically, mentally and psychologically. Regular performance of this exercise will allow you to become more resistant to emotional stress of any intensity.

Recall that the presented lesson is more theoretical than practical, because. our task was to introduce you to what a conflict is in general and to present a classification of conflicts. From the following lessons of our conflictology training, you can learn not only a lot of theoretical information, but also learn a lot practical advice that you can put into practice immediately.

Test your knowledge

If you want to test your knowledge on the topic of this lesson, you can take a short test consisting of several questions. Only 1 option can be correct for each question. After you select one of the options, the system automatically moves on to the next question. The points you receive are affected by the correctness of your answers and the time spent on passing. Please note that the questions are different each time, and the options are shuffled.

The classification of conflicts is quite extensive, because certain contradictions can arise in a variety of teams and situations. In addition, the nature of disputes plays a huge role in resolving disputes.

Essence and classification of conflicts

Most experts define conflict as a way to resolve certain contradictions that have resulted from disagreements, mismatches of interests, worldviews, and so on. Tension and negative emotions inevitably arise between the participants in this process.

Each of the parties to the conflict firmly defends its position, not wanting to make concessions or reconsider its opinion. Wherein prerequisite is the incompatibility of the points of view of the parties or their complete contradiction. It is also worth noting that such situations can arise not only between individuals, but also between their groups, as well as within one person.

You can determine the presence of a conflict by its main features, namely:

• opposition of two points of view regarding the same issue;
• active resistance, accompanied by emotional stress;
• the presence of active subjects who constantly support the conflict situation in the active phase.

It should be noted that the variety of situations that cause contradiction reflects the classification of types of conflict. It can be based on the following features:

• duration (protracted, short-term, one-time);
• volume (personal, local, global);
• source (false, subjective, objective);
• means (violent, passive);
• form (internal, antagonistic, external);
• character (spontaneous, intentional);
• by spheres of life (family, ethnic, political, economic).

The concept and classification of conflicts are the subject of study of such a science as conflictology. Psychology, sociology, philosophy and other fields of knowledge are inextricably linked with it.

Types of conflicts

Psychologists have developed the following classification of conflict types:

• genuine - exists in reality and is formed on the basis of real problems or around specific things;
• random - occurs spontaneously and is not thought out in advance (it can be resolved with lightning speed or develop into a serious problem);
• displaced - when in the course of the conflict it is not the task that is on the surface that is solved, but hidden or veiled issues;
• incorrect - when the conflict arose for no apparent reason due to misunderstanding or inattention of one of the parties;
• latent - actually exists, but is not fully realized by individuals, which is why it does not turn into open confrontation;
• false - has no objective reasons, but arises on the basis of emotional tension or personal hostility.

Each of the above types can be applied to one or another classification feature. They are found both in private or public, and in political and economic life.

Causes of conflicts

The emergence of a conflict situation is always preceded by some kind of push. It can provoke a clash of interests, which in the future will develop according to a certain scenario. The most common classification of causes of conflict is as follows:

• Objective reasons:
  • distribution of material or other resources (each of the parties seeks to obtain the greatest benefit, as a result of which a contradictory situation arises);
  • intersection of tasks (when people perform certain functions that may overlap or contradict each other);
  • contradiction of goals (people, teams or departments that interact with each other can set themselves benchmarks that may contradict each other);
  • ways to achieve goals (individuals interacting within the same team may have different views on achieving results);
  • violation of communications (as a result of improperly organized communications, contradictions and inaccuracies may arise).
• Socio-psychological reasons:
  • unfavorable psychological environment (in teams with an unfriendly atmosphere and poor organization, conflict situations often arise);
  • adaptation of new members of the team (disputes may arise due to the rejection of the individual or because of his inappropriate behavior);
  • social norms (compliance or non-compliance with them by individuals interacting in the same team, as well as their different understanding);
  • generational difference (a conflict arises from a mismatch or opposition of values ​​inherent in people of different ages);
  • territoriality (disagreements between the inhabitants of different territories due to the mismatch of foundations and orders);
  • destructive leader (pursuing his personal goals, he brings discord into the work of the team);
  • respondent aggression (an individual, having encountered troubles or difficulties, takes out his discontent and aggression on others).
• Personal reasons:
  • cognitive processes (in the course of life and perception of information, people can form a different assessment of certain situations);
  • character traits (due to their upbringing and worldview, as well as their psychological state, an individual may come into conflict with others).

Knowing the main causes that lead to the emergence of conflict situations, it is possible to take timely appropriate measures to prevent or eliminate them.

Conflict functions

Every year the classification of conflicts becomes wider and wider. Conflict functions can be both positive and negative. The first include the following:

• in the course of the conflict, the problem may be resolved or the contradiction between the parties will dry up;
• in the process of confrontation, hidden personality traits that others were not aware of before may appear;
• due to the fact that an outlet is given to negative emotions, tension weakens in the future;
• conflict is a kind of stepping stone to a new stage of interpersonal relations;
• if the individual is upholding public opinion in the course of the confrontation, his authority can increase significantly;
• for an individual, participation in a conflict can be useful in terms of finding their place in society, as well as self-realization.

The classification of conflicts shows us their prevalence, as well as their inevitability. But, unfortunately, among their functions there are also negative ones:

• creation of psychological tension in the team;
• high risk of violence during the aggravation of the contradiction;
• stressful situations negatively affect health;
• as a result of the conflict, strong interpersonal and other ties can be destroyed;
• decrease in the effectiveness of collective and individual work;
• a habit of quarrels and violence is developed.

It can be concluded that the conflict cannot be regarded as an exclusively negative or exclusively positive phenomenon. This is a rather multifaceted situation, which, with proper management, can be translated into a constructive direction.

Classification of social conflicts

Social conflict arises as a result of disagreements between individuals living or carrying out their activities within certain social boundaries. The reason may be a mismatch of interests, the opposite setting of goals, as well as the incompatibility of beliefs and values. The classification of social conflicts is as follows:

• According to the number of participants:
  • intrapersonal - arise when an individual faces a dilemma regarding making an important decision;
  • interpersonal - clash of interests of several people;
  • intergroup - a discrepancy between points of view on certain issues among several teams.
• According to direction:
  • horizontal - between people from the same social or professional stratum;
  • vertical - contradictions between subordinates and superiors (we can also talk about social classes);
  • mixed.
• According to the source:
  • objective - have in front of them specific reasons that are obvious or easily established;
  • subjective - due to the peculiarities of the character or worldview of the warring parties.
• According to the functions:
  • constructive - in the course of conflict resolution, it becomes possible to make a constructive decision;
  • destructive - bring disagreements and destroy the existing system.
• According to content:
  • rational - arise around specific objects or issues;
  • emotional - have an exclusively personal meaning.
• According to duration:
  • short-term - quickly resolved;
  • long-term - do not fade over a long period of time.
• According to the means of resolution:
  • peaceful;
  • armed.
• According to character:
  • deliberately provoked to raise a particular issue;
  • arising spontaneously.
• According to the environmental impact:
  • progressive - bring something new to the development of society;
  • regressive - return the situation to its previous position.
• According to areas of life:
  • political;
  • economic;
  • ethnic;
  • household.

The category of social conflicts is one of the most important to study, because it permeates all spheres of human life. In addition, these situations can be projected onto more serious problems in order to develop similar solutions to them.

Interpersonal conflicts

By interpersonal conflict is meant a clash of individuals that arose as a result of certain disagreements. The stumbling block in this case may be the opposite of interests, goals or worldview. The classification of interpersonal conflicts is as follows:

• Towards:
  • horizontal conflicts - arise between people of the same status who are not connected by relationships of subordination;
  • vertical - can develop between individuals due to class or service inequality.
• By appointment:
  • constructive - lead to the development of rational solutions;
  • destructive - lead to the destruction of established relationships.
• By area:
  • business - arise in the process professional activity exclusively around business matters;
  • personal - based on the hostility of individuals to each other or on the intersection of their own interests and goals.
• According to the form of manifestation:
  • hidden - tension remains, but there is no obvious confrontation between the conflicting parties;
  • open - entry into active opposition.
• By time:
  • episodic - occur suddenly and resolve fairly quickly;
  • long-term - do not stop for a certain period (they can flow either into an open or into a latent phase).

The classification of interpersonal conflicts can be considered both independently and in interaction and intersection with other varieties.

Armed conflicts

An armed conflict, as its name implies, is a confrontation using weapons of one kind or another. They can be of different directions, localization, and also have other differences. The classification of armed conflicts can be represented as follows:

• In accordance with the goals:
  • fair (when the expediency of using weapons is recognized by international organizations);
  • unfair (when a weapon is an unnecessary and unjustified measure).
• By territory:
  • local (pass strictly within the boundaries of a certain territory);
  • regional (affect a large area and can often be the result of local clashes);
  • global (as a rule, several states are involved in them, resolving their territorial or resource and political disputes in this way).

Armed conflicts need, first of all, forecasting, which will make it possible to take certain decisions in a timely manner to prevent or eliminate them.

Conflicts within the organization

The labor collective is, perhaps, the most favorable environment for the emergence of disputes and disagreements. The classification of conflicts in the organization is as follows:

• according to the levels of organization, confrontations can be horizontal, vertical or mixed;
• in accordance with the sphere of occurrence, they can be both business and personal in nature (they can also combine these two features);
• according to the degree of manifestation, conflicts can be both hidden and explicit, having a real manifestation (the second option is more preferable, since it speeds up the resolution of the situation);
• based on the nature, it is possible to distinguish both objective (having a real reason) conflicts, and subjective, based solely on individual views;
• according to the consequences, conflicts can be constructive and destructive.

Conflict Management

An integral part of modern reality is such a thing as conflict. Classification of conflicts, conflict management are an objective necessity. This will keep them under control and effectively resolve them. The individual has the ability to directly influence the dynamics and course of confrontation.

The goal of conflict management is to turn a destructive conflict into a constructive direction or to prevent a creative confrontation from becoming destructive. It is also worth noting the need to anticipate such situations in order to prevent them. In some cases, disputes can be artificially provoked to solve certain organizational problems or relieve hidden tensions in the team. The classification of conflicts in this case must be taken into account.

Conflict management includes a number of concepts:

• settlement - the search for an alternative, thanks to which the interests of all warring parties will be satisfied to one degree or another, and tension will be partially or completely removed;
• resolution is the complete elimination of the cause of the conflict situation or the search for a compromise that will make it irrelevant or insignificant;
• forecasting - the ability to anticipate the onset of a contradictory situation based on available data;
• prevention - the adoption of a set of measures to prevent the development of the conflict and its transition to an open form;
• stimulation - creating an atmosphere that would provoke a constructive confrontation or argument.

The classification of conflicts plays an important role in managing disputes. Sometimes the choice of a set of measures may depend on this factor.

conclusions

Classification contemporary conflicts shows us their diversity and multiplicity. One or another confrontation and clash of interests are found in almost all spheres of human life. This prompts scientists and psychologists to closely study conflict situations, because a dispute that has arisen between several individuals can be projected onto larger confrontations. This allows us to develop effective methods of settlement and resolution. The sphere of conflict management can also include such actions as forecasting and foresight, prevention and intentional stimulation.

The main classifications of conflicts affect the most important areas of human life. The most important role is played by interpersonal confrontations, which are found almost everywhere. Entering into labor activity, a person will certainly face organizational conflicts. Of more global importance are interregional and interstate confrontations, which can develop into an armed phase if measures are not taken to resolve them in time.

There are various classifications of conflicts in the scientific literature. In our opinion, the most optimal is the division by direction, but by value, by volume, by the duration of the course, by the source of occurrence.

By direction, conflicts are divided into:

• - "horizontal" - in which persons of the same social rank or status are involved;
• - "vertical" - which affect persons who are in a relationship of subordination;
• - "mixed" - which are represented by both "horizontal" and "vertical" components.

"Vertical" conflicts average 70-80% of the total. They are the most destructive in their consequences for the leader, since in such a conflict he is usually tied hand and foot. Each of his actions is viewed by all employees through the prism of this conflict.

According to the importance for the organization, conflicts are divided into: constructive (creative);

Destructive (destructive).

Constructive conflict happens when opponents do not go beyond ethical norms, business relations and reasonable arguments. The resolution of such a conflict leads to the development of relations between people and the development of the group.

A destructive conflict arises in two cases: when one of the parties stubbornly and rigidly insists on its position and does not want to take into account the interests of the other side; when one of the opponents resorts to morally condemned methods of struggle, seeks to psychologically suppress the partner, discrediting and humiliating him.

By volume, conflicts are divided into:

• - intrapersonal;
• - interpersonal;
• - between the individual and the group;
• - intergroup.

These conflicts should be considered in more detail.

Intrapersonal conflicts arise as a result of the fact that production requirements are not consistent with the personal needs or values ​​of the employee, as well as in response to work underload or overload, conflicting requirements.

It must be remembered that this type of conflict does not fully correspond this definition. Here, the participants in the conflict are not people, but various psychological factors of the inner world of the individual (needs, motives, values, feelings, etc.).

Intrapersonal conflict can take many forms. One of the most common - role conflict, when one person)" is presented with conflicting demands about what should be the result of his work.

Intrapersonal conflict can also arise as a result of the fact that production requirements are not consistent with personal needs or values.

For example, a woman - the head of a department - has been planning for a long time and even made a promise to her family to go out of town on weekends, relax, and spend time with the children. On Friday, a manager comes in with a problem and insists that the work must be completed by Monday.

Interpersonal conflict involves two or more individuals who are in opposition to each other with respect to goals, values, or behavior. This is perhaps the most common type of conflict.

It manifests itself in organizations in different ways. Many leaders believe that the only reason for it is the dissimilarity of characters. Indeed, there are people who, due to differences in characters, attitudes, and behavior, find it very difficult to get along with each other. However, a deeper analysis shows that such conflicts, as a rule, are based on objective reasons. Most often, this is a struggle for limited resources, material resources, etc. Conflicts arise between a leader and a subordinate, for example, when the subordinate is convinced that the leader makes exorbitant demands on him, and the leader believes that the subordinate does not want to work at full strength.

The conflict between the individual and the group manifests itself as a contradiction between the expectations or requirements of the individual and the norms of behavior and work that have developed in the group. This conflict arises because of the inadequacy of the leadership style to the level of maturity of the team, because of the mismatch between the competence of the leader and the competence of the team's specialists, because the group does not accept the moral character and character of the leader.

Conflict can arise between an individual and a group if that individual takes a position that differs from that of the group.

For example, at a business meeting there is a discussion about the possibility of increasing sales. Most believe that this can be achieved by lowering the price. Some, however, strongly believe that such tactics will reduce profits and create the perception that their products are inferior in quality to those of competitors. Although this person, whose opinion differs from that of the group, may be guided by the interests of the company, he can still be seen as a source of conflict because he goes against the opinion of the group.

Intergroup conflicts - conflicts within the formal groups of the collective (for example, the administration and the trade union), within informal groups, as well as between formal and informal groups. Usually such conflicts are of an intense nature and, if they are not properly managed, do not give any of the groups a gain.

By flow duration conflicts can be divided into:

- short-term; protracted.

The former are most often the result of mutual misunderstanding or mistakes that are quickly recognized. The latter are associated with deep moral and psychological traumas or with objective difficulties. The duration of the conflict depends both on the subject of contradictions and on the nature of the people involved. Prolonged conflicts are very dangerous, because conflicting personalities consolidate their negative state in them. The frequency of conflicts can cause deep and lasting tensions in relationships.

By origin conflicts can be divided into:

• - objectively conditioned;
• - subjectively conditioned.

objective the emergence of a conflict in a complex contradictory situation in which people find themselves is considered. The objective causes of conflicts include:

• - unfavourable conditions labor;
• - imperfect system of remuneration;
• - irregularity of work (downtime);
• - overtime work;
• - omissions in work (when the employee's earnings suffer, and not through his fault);
• - insecurity of tasks with resources;
• - discrepancy between rights and obligations;
• - lack of clarity in the distribution of responsibilities (in particular, outdated or too vague job descriptions);
• - low level labor and performance discipline.

It is possible to eliminate conflicts caused by such reasons only by changing the objective situation. In these cases, the conflict performs a kind of signal function, indicating trouble in the life of the team.

The emergence of a conflict in connection with the personal characteristics of the conflicting will be subjective. Decision seems erroneous, the assessment of work is incorrect, the behavior of colleagues is unacceptable. Subjective reasons include:

• a) incorrect actions of the manager or subordinates (associated with violation of official etiquette, labor legislation, unfair assessment of labor results);
• b) psychological incompatibility of some people.

Types of personality behavior in conflict

People behave differently in conflict situations: some often give in, giving up their desires and opinions, others - rigidly defend their point of view. Doctor psychological sciences N. N. Obozov distinguishes three types of behavior in conflict: the behavior of "practitioner", "interlocutor", "thinker". The conflict can proceed in different ways - depending on the types of personalities included in it.

"Practician" operates under the slogan "The best defense is an attack." The "effectiveness" of the practical type tends to prolong the duration of the conflict. His irrepressible need to transform the external environment, including changing the positions of other people, can lead to various clashes and tensions in relationships. When solving problems that arise in the "supervisor - subordinates" system, conflict is inevitable if these relations are defined by official instructions. The "practitioner" is less sensitive to small omissions, therefore, as a result of the conflict, relations are violated very strongly.

The "interlocutor" is characterized by the slogan: " bad world better than good war"The main thing for him is communication with people. "Interlocutors" are more superficial in relationships, their circle of acquaintances and friends is quite large, and close relationships are compensated for by this. "Interlocutors" are not capable of long-term confrontation in a conflict. They know how to resolve this conflict, in order to affect the deepest feelings as little as possible.This type of personality is sensitive to changes in the mood of the partner and seeks to smooth out the contradiction that arises at its very beginning. "Interlocutors" are more open to accepting the opinion of the other and are not very eager to change this opinion, initially preferring cooperation. Therefore very often they become unofficial emotional-confessional leaders of the team.

"Thinkers" are characterized by the position "Let him think that he won!" "Thinker" is focused on the knowledge of oneself and the world around. In a conflict, he builds a complex system of proofs of his rightness and the wrongness of his opponent. The "thinker" thinks through the logic of his behavior well, is more cautious in his actions, although he is less sensitive than the "interlocutor". In communication, "thinkers" prefer distance, so they are less likely to get into conflict situations, but are more vulnerable in close personal relationships, where the degree of involvement in the conflict will be very high.

"Thinkers" are most sensitive to contradictions and conflicts in the sphere of spiritual values ​​or ideas. "Practice" is more important than the unity of practical outcomes, the goals of joint activities. "Interlocutors" react sharply to the assessment of emotional and communicative abilities, while the assessment of intellectual qualities or practical acumen affects them much less.

Some experts believe that each sufficiently large institution has its own "squabbler" and "anti-squabbler". A "squabbler" is a universally conflicted personality type, for whom the state of confrontation is as natural as cooperation for an "anti-squabbler". And if the "squabbler" inflates the conflict, then the "anti-squabbler" tries to put it out by any means.

The ability to define a conflict, clearly outline its boundaries, identify the causes is the key to success in business communication.