The whole history of mankind is full of confrontations, and there is no reason to assume that this will change in the near future. Disputes occur at the highest level, and in everyday life they do not leave us. Therefore, it is desirable to know the structure, functions and dynamics of the social conflict in order to be able to navigate the situation and choose the most appropriate strategy of behavior. Also, this information will help to understand what advantages and disadvantages are present in the existing confrontation, and how can they be used with advantage for themselves.
Structure, dynamics and functions of interpersonal conflict
Any quarrel has a certain framework, a structure that allows you to navigate in the purposes, causes and flow of the dispute.
- Parties to confrontation (opponents), which differ in roles, social status, strength, declared interests, ranks or positions.
- The subject of the dispute is a contradiction, because of which a dispute arises.
- The object is the cause of strife. Can be social, spiritual or material.
- The aims of the conflict are the motives of the participants, explained by their views and interests;
- Causes of the dispute. Understanding them is necessary to prevent, overcome or resolve.
- The environment, which is a set of conditions for confrontation.
It must be understood that only the "skeleton" is unchanged, but the remaining components can be very diverse.
The dynamics of the conflict called the stages of its development. There are three main stages:
- pre-conflict, which is characterized by the emergence of a problematic situation;
- the stage of open confrontation, during which the main events of the conflict take place;
- post-conflict stage, consisting in the full or partial normalization of relations between opponents.
The structure and dynamics of interpersonal conflict make it possible to understand the outcome of the dispute and understand its functions. It is often believed that any opposition is only negative, but it is not. Conflicts have positive functions, for example, relaxation of the current situation, the possibility of rapprochement and renewal of relations. In addition, conflicts reveal the true motives of people's behavior, reveal contradictions that were previously hushed up. Therefore, any confrontation must be viewed from different angles.