What does social conflict mean? Social conflict: types and causes of conflicts. Contradictions and causes of conflicts

Social conflict is a necessary condition for the development of society, the result of the incompatibility of the views of individuals. The conflict allows you to expose and solve the 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 the confrontation of various social groups.

Such confrontation can arise in any social group. It can be called one of the necessary conditions for the 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. There are new groups, social strata that have their own value systems, goals and methods for achieving them. All this leads to new conflicts.

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

The life cycle of social conflict includes four stages:

pre-conflict situation. Its sign is the growth of tension in relations between the subjects.
Conflict.
Attempts to resolve the conflict.
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 manage.

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

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

According to adherents of socio-biological theory, the conflict nature of a person is explained by the aggression inherent in all animals.
Proponents of socio-psychological theory associate the emergence of social conflicts with overpopulation and other factors environment. However, this theory does not explain at what point explicit conflict occurs.
According to functionalists, social conflict is a dysfunction in relation to society. In an ideal system, there should be no contradictions.

Causes of social conflict

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

There are many reasons why social conflicts arise. Consider the main ones:

ideological reasons. There is a certain system of ideas and values that determines dominance and subordination. Participants may have different views on this system.
Various value orientations. Each participant in the conflict, whether an individual or a social group, has its own set of value orientations. Each set is strictly individual, and often opposite to the same set of another participant. The ultimate goal - the satisfaction of their own needs - is the same for many participants. As a result, there is an interaction of opposing interests (everyone wants to satisfy their own needs) and a conflict arises.
Social and economic reasons. Associated with the distribution of wealth and power, if one of the participants seems to have been cheated. This is one of the most common causes of social conflict.
Other reasons: the difference in tasks, the introduction of innovations, rivalry between groups and leaders.

Structure

The 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:

Subjects of the conflict. Every social conflict is, first of all, the inability to reach mutual understanding between specific people. This is true for interstate conflict as well as for family conflict. In each case, the main actors are people acting, depending on the situation, as individuals or legal entities.
Thing. This is the contradiction that lies at the heart of a particular conflict, because of which there is a clash of interests of the participants.
An object. This is a certain value that all subjects strive to receive. The form can be any: material (money or other resource), spiritual (any idea), social (power). In each case, it is not easy to single out the object of conflict. It is not always found in its pure form, it is often a mixture of at least two forms.
Micro environment and macro environment. These are the conditions under which the parties have to act. The microenvironment is the immediate environment of the participants. The macroenvironment is belonging to certain social groups.

In each separate conflict there are also 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:

For reasons of occurrence. The reasons can be both objective and subjective.
According to the peculiarities of social differences. Such conflicts differ in the time of action and the nature of disagreements, the sphere of manifestation, etc.
The impact of conflict on others. Forms of conflicts differ in duration (short-term, medium-term, long-term), severity, scale.
According to the characteristics of specific participants. The conflict can be collective, inter-ethnic, etc.
Based on 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.
The most well-known division of conflicts into horizontal and vertical. This division occurs based on the position of the opponents. Vertical conflict happens between the boss and subordinates, horizontal - between people who are on the same level. First of all, these are labor disputes.
Based on the composition of the participants, share interpersonal types of conflicts, group, organizational, political, etc. In interpersonal conflicts, confrontation takes place between people who do not belong to any social community. In group - 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 rather conditional. In practice, one can meet, for example, a vertical closed interpersonal conflict with a unique set of properties.

Role and functions

In public life, social conflict plays a twofold 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 conflict for society are unpredictable.

The conflict has many private functions. Through the adaptive function, individuals adapt to new circumstances. Thanks to the innovative feature, the awareness of the participants about the pros and cons of each other is increased.

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

constructive. They include positive functions: defusing tension, carrying out social changes, etc.
destructive. These include functions of a negative nature: the destabilization of relations that have developed in a certain social environment, the destruction of a social community.

Consequences

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

Functionalist.
Sociological.

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

destabilization of society. The emergence of chaotic processes with unpredictable results. Control mechanisms stop working.
Distracting the participants in the conflict from other problems, focusing on certain interests and defeating the enemy.
Impossibility of further cooperation with the opponent.
The removal of participants in the conflict from society, dissatisfaction, etc.

Adherents of the sociological point of view, for example, Dahrendorf, believe that, under certain conditions, positive results can be achieved. Positive consequences include:

Solution of a problem optimal way which can be accepted by all interested parties. This will bring people together and strengthen their mutual understanding. If each participant feels that he is involved in solving the problem, he will participate in the implementation of this solution.
Renovation of existing and creation of new mechanisms and institutions. New social groups are formed, a certain balance of interests is observed. This provides relative stability.
Additional incentives for participants. Managed conflict between people leads to the development of new ideas and solutions. Without participating in conflicts, a person ceases to develop.

Resolution paths

To analyze the ways of resolving 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, actively work to achieve their own goals. Such a participant may himself withdraw from the conflict.
fixture. 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 seeks only to achieve his own goals and impose his opinion on others.
Cooperation. Each participant works on the implementation of their interests. However, he is ready to work on finding a solution to the conflict in a team with other participants.
Compromise. This style is based on concessions. Each participant is limited to the partial achievement of their goals and is inferior to the others in some way. This style is preferable to the rest, because. allows partially satisfying the desires of all interested parties.

The result of the conflict can be a complete or partial solution. The first option means the complete elimination of the causes of the conflict. In the second case, only part of the problems is 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 in the accelerated training of specialists without eliminating shortcomings in the educational system. The students were followed by mass strikes of workers, employees and engineers.

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

Video: Social conflict and ways to solve it

The social heterogeneity of society, differences in income levels, property, power, prestige naturally lead to an aggravation of social contradictions and conflicts. Conflicts are a special type of interaction, the subjects of which are communities, organizations and individuals with real or supposedly incompatible goals.

social conflict- this is a special interaction of individ-species, groups and associations in the event of a clash of incompatible views, positions and interests. The concept of social conflict includes a wide range of phenomena of different levels: from clashes of individuals to interstate armed conflicts.

Depending on the spheres of contradictions, conflicts are divided into:

For personal;

interpersonal;

Intragroup;

Intergroup;

Conflicts with external environment etc.

The sources of social conflicts can be in social, political or economic relations. Conflict situations of a production, national or ethnic nature in modern society acquire a special social significance and can serve as the basis for the emergence of such a phenomenon as extremism . Extremism represents a commitment to extreme views and measures in social and political activity.

The emergence of extremist views is facilitated by factors of social tension:

A sharp drop in the efficiency of the functioning of various spheres of public life;

Formation of opposing social groups;

Decline in the standard of living of the population:

The possibility of unpredictable, spontaneous mass behavior and the formation of an aggressive crowd;

Economic and social crisis;

Weakening of state power;

Feeling of infringed national identity.

Participants in the conflict can be both individuals and social groups, organizations and states. The main subjects of the conflict are called opponents, or opposing sides. The opposing sides may be unequal, i.e. have different ranks. Rank- this is the strength of the opponent in the conflict, due to his social status, available resources and power. For example, a person may be in conflict with a group and even the state and win if his rank is higher.

Causes of conflicts are diverse, but they are always based on a contradiction associated with a clash of social interests, views, and positions of the two sides.

The subject of conflict in sociology is considered to be an objectively existing or imaginary problem, which is the cause of disagreement between opponents. Each of the parties is interested in resolving this problem in their favor. The object of the conflict is some scarce resource. The emergence of any conflict is preceded by such a combination of objective conditions and circumstances that creates the real subject of the conflict. This combination sociologists call conflict situation. The conflict situation develops gradually, against the background of social tension.

Social tension in society is characterized by:

The spread of dissatisfaction with the existing order among the population;

Loss of confidence in the authorities;

Mass spontaneous actions, etc. The level of social tension in society can change: decrease or increase.

All social conflicts go through three stages:

Pre-conflict;

Directly conflict;

Post-conflict.

Pre-conflict stage- this is the period during which contradictions accumulate (for example, the need to reduce the staff).

Conflict stage- this is a set of certain actions of the warring parties (for example, the administration determines candidates for dismissal, and trade unions protest).

Post-conflict stage- the stage when measures are taken to eliminate contradictions between the opposing sides (removal of socio-psychological tension in the relationship between the administration of the enterprise and the remaining employees).

As a rule, any conflict begins with an incident. An incident (or cause) of a conflict is an event or circumstance, as a result of which latent (i.e. hidden) contradictions between the parties pass into the stage of open confrontation. If none of the parties tries to make concessions and evade the conflict, then the latter goes into an acute stage. The escalation of conflict is called escalation. . The end of a conflict does not always mean its resolution. The resolution of the conflict is the decision of its participants to end the confrontation . The conflict may end with the reconciliation of the parties, the victory of one of them, the gradual fading or development into another conflict. Sociologists consider reaching a consensus the most optimal solution to the conflict.

Consensus is the agreement of a significant majority of representatives of a certain community regarding important aspects of its functioning, expressed in assessments and actions. Consensus does not mean unanimity, since it is almost impossible to achieve a complete coincidence of the positions of the parties, and it is not necessary. The main thing is that none of the parties should express direct objections; also, when resolving the conflict, a neutral position of the parties, abstention from voting, is allowed.

Social conflicts can lead to both non-integrative(partnerships are destroyed), and integrative(group cohesion increases) consequences. In the prevention and timely resolution of social conflicts, the social policy pursued by the state plays an important role. Its essence is the regulation of the socio-economic conditions of society and concern for the well-being of all its citizens.

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 (difference in screen size, or 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 resolved positively, they help members of society to 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.

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).
Direction of conflict:
- horizontal (between people of the same level: worker against worker);
- vertical (employee against superiors);
- mixed (both those and others).
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).
According to duration:
- short-term;
- protracted.
By permission:
- peaceful or non-violent;
- armed or violent.
Content of the problem:
- economic;
- political;
- production;
- household;
- spiritual and moral, etc.
According to the nature of development:
- spontaneous (unintentional);
- intentional (planned in advance).
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:

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

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 the 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 -

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

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 the contradiction of two or more parties. In addition, there is also an 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. Conflictologists distinguish the most different grounds for a confrontation, here are the main ones:

Aggression, which can be shown by all animals, including humans.
Overcrowding and environmental factors.
hostility towards society.
Social and economic inequality.
Cultural contradictions.

Separately taken individuals and groups can conflict because of material goods, paramount life attitudes and values, powers of power, etc. In any field of activity, a dispute can 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 people standing on both sides of the barricades. In the course of the current situation, they can be both individuals and legal entities. The peculiarities of social conflict are 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 seeks to obtain. And their immediate environment is the micro or macro environment.

Social conflict - pros and cons

On the one hand, an open clash allows society to evolve, to achieve certain agreements and understandings. As a result, its individual members learn to adapt to unfamiliar conditions, to take into account the desires of other individuals. On the other hand, modern social conflicts and their consequences cannot be predicted. In the case of the most difficult development of events, society can completely collapse.

Functions of social conflict

The former are constructive, while the latter are destructive. Constructive ones are positive - they defuse tension, carry out changes in society, etc. Destructive ones bring destruction and chaos, they destabilize relations in a certain environment, destroy the social community. The positive function of social conflict is to strengthen the society as a whole and the relations between its members. Negative - destabilizes society.

Stages of social conflict

The stages of conflict development are:

Hidden. Tension in communication between subjects is growing due to the desire of each to improve their position and achieve superiority.
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 irreconcilability of the parties leads to a very strong confrontation.
Antagonism. This is a consequence of high tension.
Incompatibility. Actually, the opposition itself.
Completion. Resolution of the situation.

Types of social conflicts

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

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

Ways to resolve social conflicts

Most effective ways conflict resolution:

avoidance of confrontation. That is, one of the participants leaves the "stage" physically or psychologically, but the conflict situation itself remains, since the cause that gave rise to it has not been eliminated.
Negotiation. Both sides are trying to find common ground and a path to cooperation.
Intermediaries. include the use of intermediaries. His role can be played by both an organization and an individual who, thanks to the available opportunities and experience, does what would be impossible to do without his participation.
postponing. In fact, one of the opponents is only temporarily losing ground, wanting to accumulate strength and re-enter the social conflict, trying to regain what was lost.
Appeal to arbitration or arbitration court. At the same time, the confrontation is dealt with in accordance with the norms of law and law.
Force method with the involvement of the military, equipment and weapons, that is, in fact, war.

What are the consequences of social conflicts?

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

Destabilization of society. The levers of control no longer work, chaos and unpredictability reign in society.
The consequences of social conflict also include participants in certain goals, which are to defeat the enemy. At the same time, all other problems fade into the background.
Loss of hope for further friendly relations with the opponent.
Participants in the confrontation are removed from society, they feel dissatisfied, and so on.
Those who consider confrontation from a sociological point of view believe that this phenomenon also has positive aspects:
With an interest in a positive outcome of the case, people are united and mutual understanding is strengthened between them. Everyone feels his involvement in what is happening, and does everything so that the social conflict has a peaceful outcome.
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.
Managed conflict additionally stimulates the participants. They develop new ideas and solutions, that is, they “grow” and develop.

social conflict(from lat. confliktus - clash) - this is the highest stage of development of contradictions in relations between people, social groups, society as a whole, which is characterized by a clash of oppositely directed interests, goals, positions of subjects of interaction.

Social conflict occurs only when conscious contradiction between the intentions, goals and aspirations of the participants. The conflict lies in the desire of one of the parties to change any elements of existing social relations, and the other - to preserve them. At the same time, the parties must be aware of the contradictory nature of their intentions. In addition, when deciding on a confrontation, they, as a rule, understand that by their conflict actions they are able to inflict damage (material, moral, physical) on the opposite side.

Social conflicts are inevitable in any social system because they serve to necessary condition social development. The social structure of a society with rigid differentiation into classes, social strata, groups and communities presupposes conflicts and is their source.

The concept of social conflict

The word "" (from Latin confliktus) means a clash (of parties, opinions, forces). The concept of social conflict as a collision of two or more subjects of social interaction is widely interpreted by representatives of various areas of the conflictological paradigm.

Yes, in the view K. Marx in a class society, the main social conflict manifests itself in the form of antagonistic class struggle culminating in a social revolution.

According to L. Koser, the conflict is one of the types of social interaction, during which there is " struggle for values and claims to status, power and resources, during which opponents neutralize, damage or eliminate their rivals.

In the interpretation R. Dahrendorf social conflict is a variety of intensity types of clashes between conflicting groups, in which the class struggle is one of the types of confrontation.

It is an open confrontation, a clash of two or more subjects (sides) of social interaction, the causes of which are incompatible needs, interests and values.

The form of clashes - violent or non-violent - depends on many factors, including whether there are real conditions and opportunities (mechanisms) for non-violent conflict resolution, what goals the subjects of confrontation pursue, what attitudes the conflicting parties are "guided", etc.

So, social conflict- this is an open confrontation, a clash of two or more subjects (sides) of social interaction, the causes of which are incompatible needs, interests and values.

Contradictions and causes of conflicts

The conflict is based on subjective-objective contradictions. However, not every contradiction develops into a conflict. The concept of contradiction in its content is broader than the concept of conflict. Social contradictions are the main determining factors social development. They "penetrate" all spheres social relations and for the most part do not escalate into conflict. In order for objectively existing (periodically arising) contradictions to transform into a social conflict, it is necessary that the subjects (subject) of interaction realize that this or that contradiction is an obstacle to their achievement of vital goals and interests. According to K. Boulding, the conflict arises when the "matured" contradictions are recognized by the parties as incompatible and each of the parties seeks to seize a position that excludes the intentions of the other side. Therefore, conflict contradictions are subjective-objective in nature.

Objective contradictions are those that actually exist in society, regardless of the will and desire of the subjects. For example, the contradictions between labor and capital, between the managers and the ruled, the contradictions between "fathers" and "children", etc.

In addition to objectively existing (arising) contradictions, imaginary contradictions may arise in the imagination of the subject, when there are no objective reasons for the conflict, but the subject is aware (perceives) the situation as a conflict. In this case, we can talk about subjective-subjective contradictions. Another situation is also possible, when conflict contradictions really exist, but the subject believes that there are no sufficient reasons for the conflict.

Contradictions can exist for quite a long period of time and not develop into a conflict. Therefore, it must be borne in mind that the conflict is based only on those contradictions caused by incompatible interests, needs and values. Such contradictions, as a rule, give rise to an open struggle of the parties, confrontation.

The causes of the conflict can be a variety of problems, for example, a conflict over material resources, over values and the most important life attitudes, over power (domination problems), over status and role differences in the social structure, over personal (including emotional -psychological) differences, etc. Thus, conflicts cover all spheres of people's life, the totality of social relations, social interaction. Conflict but in essence is one of the types of social interaction, the subjects and participants of which are individual individuals, large and small social groups and organizations. However, conflict interaction involves the confrontation of the parties, i.e., the actions of subjects directed against each other.

It is one of the varieties of social conflict.

Structure of social conflict

In a simplified form, the structure of social conflict consists of the following elements:

an object a - the specific cause of the collision of subjects;
two or more subjects, conflicting because of any object;
incident- a formal reason for the start of an open confrontation.

Conflict is preceded by conflict situation. These are contradictions that arise between subjects about the object.

Under the influence of growing social tension, the conflict situation is gradually transforming into an open social conflict. But the tension itself can exist for a long time and not develop into a conflict. In order for the conflict to become real, an incident is needed - a formal reason for the start of the conflict.

However, the real conflict has a more complex structure. For example, in addition to subjects, it involves participants (direct and indirect), supporters, sympathizers, instigators, mediators, arbitrators, etc. Each of the participants in the conflict has its own qualitative and quantitative characteristics. An object can also have its own characteristics. In addition, the real conflict develops in a certain social and physical environment, which also affects it. Therefore, a more complete structure of the social (political) conflict will be discussed below.

The essence of social conflict

Sociological understanding and modern understanding of social conflict was first laid down by a German sociologist G. Simmel. In work "Social Conflict" he notes that the process of development of society goes through social conflict, when obsolete cultural forms become obsolete, “demolished” and new ones are born. Today, a whole branch of sociology is already engaged in the theory and practice of regulating social conflicts - conflictology. Most well-known representatives this direction are R. Dahrendorf, L. Koser. C. Bouldinghydr.

German sociologist R. Dahrendorf created theory of the conflict model of society. According to the scientist, in any society, social conflicts can arise every moment, which are based on a conflict of interests. Dahrendorf considers conflicts as an indispensable element of social life, which, being sources of innovation, contribute to the constant development of society. The main task is to learn to control them.

The American sociologist L. Koser developed the theory of positive-functional conflict. By social conflict, he understood the struggle for values and claims to a certain status, power and resources, a struggle in which the goals of opponents are to neutralize, damage or eliminate the enemy.

According to this theory, social inequality, which inevitably exists in every society and causes natural social dissatisfaction of people, often leads to social conflicts. L. Koser sees the positive functions of conflicts in the fact that they contribute to the renewal of society and stimulate social and economic progress.

General theory of conflict owned by American sociologist K. Boulding. The conflict in his understanding is a situation in which the parties realize the incompatibility of their positions and at the same time strive to get ahead of the opponent, beat him. V modern society According to Boulding, conflicts are inevitable, so it is necessary to control and manage them. Main signs of conflict are:

the presence of a situation that is perceived by the opposing parties as a conflict;
the parties to the conflict have opposite goals, needs, interests and methods of achieving them;
interaction of the conflicting parties;
results of conflict interaction;
using pressure and even force.

Of great importance for the sociological analysis of social conflicts is the identification of the main types. There are the following types of conflicts:

1. by the number of participants in the conflict interaction:

intrapersonal- the state of dissatisfaction of a person with any circumstances of his life, which are associated with the presence of contradictory needs, interests. aspirations and can cause affects;
interpersonal— disagreement between two or more members of one group or several groups;
intergroup- take place between social groups that pursue incompatible goals and interfere with each other with their practical actions;

2. according to the direction of conflict interaction:

horizontal- between people who are not subordinate to each other;
vertical- between people who are subordinate to each other;
mixed- in which both are presented. The most common are vertical and mixed conflicts, averaging 70-80% of all conflicts;

3. according to the source of occurrence:

objectively determined- caused by objective reasons, which can be eliminated only by changing the objective situation;
subjectively determined- associated with the personal characteristics of conflicting people, as well as with situations that create barriers to satisfying their desires, aspirations, interests;

4. According to its functions:

creative (integrative)- contributing to the renewal, the introduction of new structures, policies, leadership;
destructive (disintegrative)— destabilizing social systems;

5. according to the duration of the course:

short-term- caused by mutual misunderstanding or mistakes of the parties, which are quickly recognized;
protracted- associated with deep moral and psychological trauma or with objective difficulties. The duration of the conflict depends both on the subject of the contradiction and on the character traits of the people involved;

6. according to its internal content:

rational- covering the sphere of reasonable, business rivalry, redistribution of resources;
emotional- in which participants act on the basis of personal dislike;

7. according to the ways and means of resolving conflicts there are peaceful and armed:

8. taking into account the content of the problems that caused conflict actions, they distinguish economic, political, family, household, industrial, spiritual, moral, legal, environmental, ideological and other conflicts.

The analysis of the course of the conflict is carried out in accordance with its three main stages: pre-conflict situation, the conflict itself and the resolution stage.

Pre-conflict situation- this is the period when the conflicting parties evaluate their resources, forces and consolidate into opposing groups. At the same stage, each of the parties forms its own strategy of behavior and chooses a way to influence the enemy.

Direct conflict- this is the active part of the conflict, characterized by the presence of an incident, i.e. social actions aimed at changing the opponent's behavior. The actions themselves are of two types:

actions of rivals that are open in nature (verbal debate, physical impact, economic sanctions, etc.);
hidden actions of rivals (associated with the desire to deceive, confuse the opponent, impose on him an unfavorable course of action).

The main course of action in a hidden internal conflict is reflective control, meaning that one of the opponents, through "deceptive movements", is trying to get the other person to act in this way. how beneficial to him.

Conflict Resolution is possible only when the conflict situation is eliminated, and not only when the incident is exhausted. The resolution of the conflict can also occur as a result of the depletion of the resources of the parties or the intervention of a third party, creating an advantage for one of the parties, and, finally, as a result of the complete exhaustion of the opponent.

Successful conflict resolution requires the following conditions:

timely determination of the causes of the conflict;
definition business conflict zone- causes, contradictions, interests, goals of the conflicting parties:
mutual desire of the parties to overcome contradictions;
joint search for ways to overcome the conflict.

There are various conflict resolution methods:

conflict avoidance- departure from the "scene" of conflict interaction physically or psychologically, but the conflict itself in this case is not eliminated, since the cause that gave rise to it remains;
negotiation- allow to avoid the use of violence, achieve mutual understanding and find a way to cooperation;
use of intermediaries- conciliation procedure. An experienced mediator, which can be an organization and an individual, will help to quickly resolve the conflict there. where without his participation it would not have been possible;
postponement- in fact, this is a surrender of its position, but only temporary, since as the forces accumulate, the side will most likely try to return what was lost;
arbitration or arbitration, - a method in which the norms of laws and rights are strictly guided.

The consequences of conflict can be:

1. positive:

resolution of accumulated contradictions;
stimulation of the process of social change;
convergence of conflicting groups;
strengthening the cohesion of each of the rival camps;

2. negative:

tension;
destabilization;
disintegration.

Conflict resolution can be:

complete- the conflict ends completely;
partial- the conflict changes the external form, but retains motivation.

Of course, it is difficult to foresee all the variety of conflict situations that life creates for us. Therefore, in resolving conflicts, much should be decided on the spot based on the specific situation, as well as the individual psychological characteristics of the participants in the conflict.