Social conflict and ways to resolve it: causes of occurrence, stages of social conflicts, measures to eliminate, features of settlement and search for a compromise

Social conflicts are an inevitable part of relationships in society. Modern developed society makes significant efforts in order to establish mechanisms for the favorable course of social conflict and ways to resolve it.

The essence of social conflict

Social conflict is understood as a conflict of interests and needs of individuals or groups of the population, entailing the development of contradictions and sharp confrontation between the parties.

A conflict situation may concern one or several people, as well as affect the interests of large social groups or society as a whole.

Types of Social Conflicts

Types of social conflict and ways to resolve it are closely related to each other. In order to get the parties out of the conflict, it is necessary to understand its cause and nature, to clearly see all its participants. All social conflicts are divided into groups depending on several signs:

Functions of Social Conflict

All possible functions of social conflict are divided into:

• constructive - introducing a positive effect in the current situation;
• destructive - destructive for the situation and the relationship of the parties.

The constructive functions include the relaxation of tension between the parties to the conflict, positive changes in interpersonal relationships, the interaction of groups and society as a whole.

Destructive functions cause destruction and destabilize the relationship between the parties.

One of the most important functions of social conflict are the following:

1. Signal - helps to evaluate the occurrence of a conflict situation as a signal that in the relationship of individuals, groups and in society as a whole there are certain problems that need to be eliminated or minimized.
2. Informational - understanding the essence of the conflict contributes to the most accurate determination of the causes of its occurrence and ways out of it.
3. Differentiating - refers, rather, to conflicts affecting the interests of a large number of members of society. Thanks to this function, social relations become more structured, people are divided into social groups.
4. Dynamic - the role of the engine in the development of society and relations in it is attributed to social conflicts.

Causes of occurrence

The relationship of the causes and ways of resolving social conflicts cannot be ignored in resolving any conflict situation.

The basis of any social conflict is a contradiction - a confrontation of the interests of the parties, expressed in an acute form. The conflict is an open action of the parties aimed at achieving certain goals, as well as an aggressive response to these actions. A contradiction does not always imply a clash of participants; in society, it can take the form of an implicit confrontation and is subjective-objective in nature.

Objective contradictions are the confrontation between superiors and subordinates, parents and children. Subjective reasons arise from the attitude to the conflict of each of the parties involved.

In social science, the ways to resolve a social conflict and its causes are directly dependent. The causes of a conflict situation, depending on its nature and scope, can be a variety of factors:

• confrontation with the environment;
• inequality in the social and economic sphere;
• cultural contradictions;
• aggression;
• confrontation in the sphere of material wealth, life values ​​and many others.

An understanding of the dependence of determining ways to resolve the causes of social conflict is necessary when resolving any emerging conflict situation.

Stages of Social Conflict

Finding ways and means of resolving social conflicts is impossible without understanding the very process of disagreement. The following stages are observed in the development of social conflict:

1. Pre-conflict situation: the emergence of a contradiction, the growth of tension between the parties.
2. Conflict: actions whose purpose is to satisfy interests, to achieve results by the parties that are opposite to each other or incompatible with each other, they become the cause of the confrontation.
3. Conflict Resolution: Awareness of Reasons.
4. The emergence of social conflict and the search for ways to resolve it, reaching a compromise between the parties.
5. The post-conflict phase: the complete resolution of disagreements between the parties to the conflict.

Parties to the conflict

Social conflict and ways to resolve it also depend on the parties involved in the current conflict situation. All parties to the conflict play certain roles in the development and course of the current situation, but not all are in open confrontation with each other.

The main participants in a social conflict are people, social groups, whose various interests and needs have led to the development of a conflict situation. Such participants are considered subjects of social conflict.

Witnesses do not take part in the conflict and observe the course of the conflict situation from the side. The mediators make efforts to resolve disputes and stop the conflict, participate in organizing the necessary activities. The instigators have a provocative effect aimed at developing conflict. Aides in a conflict situation are on the side of one of the entities, but do not participate in an open clash of the parties.

Resolution Path Finding Conditions

Social conflict and its development can be stopped only if certain conditions are met:

• all parties involved in the conflict should understand the interests, motives and needs of other participants;
• goals and contradictions between the parties should be as objective as possible;
• each of the parties to the conflict should be interested in overcoming the current situation and resolving the issue that caused the confrontation;
• parties to the conflict should show respect and readiness for joint resolution of contradictions;
• joint actions by the parties to resolve a conflict situation should be focused on a specific result, which can be clear mechanisms for further interaction, mutual concessions or guarantees of compliance with the agreements.

Social conflict and ways to resolve it

Briefly considering possible ways to resolve conflict situations, you can reduce them to several types:

1. A compromise is the resolution of a conflict situation by agreement of the parties on further peaceful interaction on the basis of mutual concessions.
2. Negotiating is a peaceful solution to the problem by putting forward proposals and bringing arguments that can satisfy all parties to the conflict.
3. Resolution of the conflict with the help of intermediaries is the involvement of a third party, which, based on existing opportunities and experience, is able to resolve the situation.
4. Avoiding confrontation or postponing are similar methods that involve weakening the development of the conflict due to the temporary "withdrawal from the scene" of one of the subjects.
5. Arbitration is a resolution of a conflict situation by an authority having special powers and observing the norms of the law.
6. Power actions - the involvement of the military and weapons.