Lesson 1. What is conflict: types, types and forms of conflicts

Conflicts are an integral part of a person’s life in society and his interaction with other people. Conflicts arise everywhere and can await 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 subsequent lessons of the presented training on conflict management, we will, of course, talk in detail about the causes of conflicts and analysis of their strategies, and also discuss in detail the issues of conflict management, prevention and prevention of conflicts.

However, before moving on to these more serious topics, we should understand what a conflict actually is, what types of conflicts exist, and how they are characterized.

What is conflict?

The term “conflict” comes from the Latin word “conflictus”, meaning “conflicted”. Usually, when talking about conflict, they talk about the most acute way to resolve contradictions in views, goals, interests that arise during the interaction of people with each other.

As a process, conflict consists of the participants in this social interaction opposing each other, and is accompanied by negative emotions, which often go beyond generally accepted norms and standards. In psychological science, conflict is understood as a lack of agreement between several parties (this 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 conflict is an exclusively negative phenomenon, causing misunderstanding, resentment, hostility or threats, in other words, something that should be avoided at all costs. Also, representatives of earlier schools of management argued that conflict is a sign of poor management of an organization and an indicator of its inefficiency.

But, contrary to this, many modern management specialists are increasingly inclined to believe that some types of conflicts not only can occur, but are also desirable even in the most effective organizations, where employee relationships are worthy of the best assessments. The only thing that is necessary here is to learn how to manage conflict.

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

Causes of interpersonal conflicts

Among the reasons that provoke conflicts, the first place is limited resources. This could be, for example, one TV or computer for the whole family, a certain amount of money for bonuses that needs to be divided among all employees of the department. In this case, one person can achieve his goal only by infringing on another.

The second reason for the development of conflicts is interdependence. This may be a connection of tasks, authorities, responsibilities and other resources. Thus, in an organization, project participants may begin to blame each other if for some reason it was not possible to implement it.

Conflicts can be provoked by differences between people in goals, views, ideas about certain things, and manners of behavior and communication. In addition, the cause of confrontation can be a person’s personal characteristics.

Signs of conflict

Conflict can be distinguished by three characteristic features:

1	BIPOLARITY . Bipolarity, also called opposition, is both opposition and interconnectedness, which contains the internal potential of the existing contradiction. However, bipolarity itself does not mean struggle or clash.
2	ACTIVITY . Activity here is understood as opposition and struggle. For activity to arise, an impulse is required, which is set on the part of the participant (subject) of the conflict by awareness of the conflict situation itself.
3	SUBJECTS OF 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, subjects of conflict are distinguished by a unique type of thinking, called conflict. Contradiction can be a source of conflict situations only for those people who have a conflict mindset.

Next, we will look at the classification of conflicts and talk about what their types and forms exist.

Analysis of the conflict

How to cheer up a girl by correspondence - examples and tips

Rarely do those in conflict try to make a detailed analysis of the situation. Although only in this case contradictions in the interests of each side can become a source of development and contribute to better mutual understanding.

The conflict resolution technique described above is based on their analysis. This is not the only parsing method, but it is very effective. To quickly solve a problem, you need to learn how to formulate it correctly. Analyzing a difficult situation helps this.

This article provided an example of a conflict and its solution. Regardless of its type (interpersonal, intercultural, pedagogical), the path to resolution is approximately the same.

Types of conflicts

There are several classifications of conflicts that, in our opinion, deserve mandatory attention.

Classification of conflicts by impact on the activities of a group or organization

In terms of their impact on the activities of a group or organization, conflicts can be constructive or destructive.

Constructive (functional) conflicts 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 identified:

The conflict is resolved in a way that suits all parties to the conflict; each party feels involved in resolving the problem;
A decision made jointly is implemented as quickly and easily as possible;
The parties involved in the conflict master the skill of effective cooperation when resolving problematic issues;
If a conflict has arisen between subordinates and managers, then the practice of conflict resolution makes it possible to destroy the “submissive 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 become better;
Participants in the conflict no longer view disagreements as something negative and leading to negative consequences.

EXAMPLE: An excellent example of constructive conflict is a common work situation: a manager and a subordinate cannot come to an agreement on any issue regarding their joint activities. After a conversation and each participant expressing their opinion, a compromise is found, and the manager and subordinate find a common language, and their relationship acquires a positive tone.

Destructive (dysfunctional) conflicts are conflicts that impede the making of competent decisions and effective interaction between the subjects of the conflict. The dysfunctional consequences of conflicts are the following:

Competitive, adversarial relationships between people;
Lack of desire for positive relationships and cooperation;
Perception of the opponent as an enemy, his position - exclusively as incorrect, and one’s 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 more important than finding a common solution;
Bad mood, negative emotions, feeling of dissatisfaction.

EXAMPLE: Examples of unconstructive conflict include war, any manifestations of physical violence, family quarrels, etc.

Classification of conflicts by content

In terms of content, conflicts can be realistic or unrealistic.

Realistic conflicts are conflicts that are caused by the dissatisfaction of specific demands of the participants or the unfair, according to the opinion of one of the parties, 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 former Nord-Ost hostages and relatives of the victims due to the state’s failure to comply with certain requirements.

Unrealistic conflicts are conflicts whose purpose is the specific expression of negative emotions, hostility or grievances, in other words, the conflict is the main goal.

EXAMPLE: murder by one person of another because the first believes that the second is to blame for his problems and troubles; terrorist acts without expressing specific demands.

Classification of conflicts by the nature of the participants

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

Intrapersonal conflict - occurs when there is no harmony between various factors of a psychological nature in a person’s inner world, 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 a person's different roles 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 manager obliges him to often stay late at work in the evenings. The intrapersonal conflict here is caused by a mismatch between personal needs and the requirements of his activities.

Interpersonal conflict is the most common type of conflict. It may appear differently in different situations. But the reasons for such a conflict can be not only differences in people’s behavior, their manners, views, opinions or characters, which are subjective reasons, but also objective reasons, and 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 space, equipment, money and all kinds of vital goods. For example, one person believes that he, and not someone else, needs resources most of all, while this other person thinks the same way.

Conflict between an individual and a group - the presented conflict appears in cases where 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 an individual and a group is clearly illustrated by the example of a conflict between subordinates and a leader who adheres to an authoritarian leadership style; Also, similar conflicts can be observed in youth parties, where one of the members of the party suddenly behaved not according to the laws of the “pack.”

Intergroup conflict is a conflict that arises between formal and/or informal groups that are part of a society or organization. It is interesting that during periods of intergroup conflict, people can unite into 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 an 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 opposing parties and the conditions for the development of the conflict

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

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

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

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

EXAMPLE: An example of an external conflict is the confrontation between man and natural elements or the struggle of the body with the external environment.

Antagonistic conflicts are one of the most acute conflicts, because are interactions between social groups that are irreconcilably opposed to each other. What is unique is 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 considered as an opposition of interests. In its pure 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, a correct understanding and interpretation of conflicts, as well as their functions, features, essence and consequences, is impossible without typology, i.e. without identifying the basic types of conflicts based on identifying their similarities and differences and ways of identifying them with the commonality of the main differences and characteristics.

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 classify conflicts according to their main characteristics: methods of resolution, areas of manifestation, direction of influence, degree of expression, 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 characteristics.

Types of conflicts by resolution method

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

Violent (antagonistic) conflicts are methods of resolving contradictions in which the structures of all subjects of the conflict are destroyed or all subjects, except one, refuse to participate in the conflict. In the end, the subject who remains wins.

EXAMPLE: An excellent example of violent conflict is government elections, tough discussions, debates, etc.

Non-violent (compromise conflicts) are conflicts that allow several options for resolving the situation through mutual changes in the goals of the subjects of the conflict, conditions of interaction, deadlines, etc.

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

The next classification that we will consider is determined by the areas of manifestation of conflicts. Spheres, in turn, can be very diverse - this includes politics, people’s beliefs, social relations, economics and much more. Let's talk about the most common of them.

Types of conflicts by area of manifestation

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

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

Social conflict is a contradiction in the system of human relationships. These contradictions are characterized 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 based on contradictions in the sphere of economic interests of individuals and social groups.

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

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

EXAMPLE: A striking example of an organizational conflict is the use of job descriptions, assigning certain responsibilities and rights to an employee, the introduction of nominal management structures, the presence of certain provisions for the assessment and remuneration of employees, as well as their bonuses, etc.

Next, we should consider the types of conflicts in terms of the direction of impact and the severity of the conflict confrontation.

Types of conflicts by direction of impact

Based on the direction of impact, 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 emergence of a conflict situation.

Vertical conflicts are those 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 are conflicts in the process of which subjects of equal power or hierarchical level interact.

EXAMPLE: A horizontal conflict can be a conflict between managers holding equivalent positions, employees at the same level, consumers and suppliers, etc.

Types of conflicts according to the severity of conflict confrontation

Depending on the severity of conflict confrontation, conflicts can be hidden or open.

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

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

Open conflicts are distinguished by the fact that they involve 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 norms that correspond to the position of the participants and the situation.

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

It is important to distinguish between conflicts based on 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 are confrontations based on the clash of interests of the subjects of the conflict, which can be individuals, groups of people, organizations, etc.

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

Cognitive conflicts 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 his position, opinion or point of view is correct.

EXAMPLE: Examples of cognitive conflict can also be found quite often - these are discussions of various problems, disputes, debates, disputes, during which participants express different points of view and provide all sorts of arguments to prove that they are right.

Summarizing the conversation about the types and types of conflicts, it should be noted that the distribution of conflicts by type is in fact 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, etc.

Way out of the conflict

How to get out of conflict situations? To get out of this unpleasant situation you need to take the following steps :

Stop using words or taking actions that provoke a negative response from your opponent.
Do not react to such behavior on the part of your interlocutor.
Show affection towards another person.
This can be done using gestures, facial expressions, and words. Smiling, patting the shoulder, shaking hands, and using polite phrases all help smooth out arguments. The interlocutor immediately acquires a positive attitude and the situation is soon resolved.

What else do you need to know about conflicts?

The history of humanity, its morality, culture, and intellect is an ongoing struggle of ideas, aspirations, competition of forces and interests, rivalry. Throughout his life, every person systematically faces conflicts of all kinds. When a person wants to achieve something, the goal may 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 life contradictions. It is common for people to be dissatisfied with something, to perceive something with hostility, and not to agree with everything. And all this is natural, because such is human nature. However, these and other similar internal properties can become harmful if a person is not able to resolve his own conflicts with the people around him; if he is unable 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, everything is somewhat different. And not all conflict situations that arise from time to time between people end in conflict.

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

Being able to recognize and prevent conflicts means mastering the culture of communication, being able to control oneself, showing respect for the personality of other people, and using various methods of influencing them. Nothing can contribute as strongly to the elimination of various kinds of misunderstandings as competent, civilized communication, which includes knowledge of basic etiquette skills and the ability to master them, as well as the ability to establish and maintain effective contact, develop your own style of communication and interaction with others people.

If you find yourself in a difficult, contradictory situation, the most important thing is to control your behavior and behave socially competently. If a 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 to the stability and balance of your nervous system.

EXERCISE: One of the most effective methods of working with your psyche is to set yourself in a state of calm. It’s not at all difficult to implement: sit in a comfortable chair, relax, close your eyes and try not to think about anything for a while. Then clearly and slowly say to yourself a few phrases that will set you up for self-control, endurance, and a state of calm. Strive to feel a sense of balance take over you, you become more cheerful, feel a surge of strength and good mood; you feel great physically, mentally and psychologically. Regularly performing this exercise will allow you to become more resistant to emotional stress of any intensity.

Let us remind you 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 training on conflict management, you can learn not only a lot of theoretical information, but also learn a lot of practical tips that you can immediately put into practice.

Types of pedagogical situations

You need to know this classification in order to choose the right solution. But they can all be called pedagogical problem situations, because they develop into an educational conflict.

Activity situations that arise in the process of student fulfillment of pedagogical tasks.
Behavioral situations - they are associated with violation of the rules of behavior and routine at school.
Situations of relationships that arise in the process of communication between a teacher and a student.

The teacher must analyze the pedagogical situation in order to resolve it without infringing on the rights of the student and without harming the educational process.

Examples of conflict typology

As N.V. Grishina notes, in everyday consciousness, examples of conflicts include a fairly wide range of phenomena - from armed conflict and confrontation between certain social groups and up to marital disagreements. It does not matter whether we are talking about a debate in parliament or a struggle of personal desires. In modern science, one can find a huge number of different classifications, but there is no clear differentiation between the concepts of “types” and “kinds” of conflicts. Examples from both groups are more often used as synonyms. Meanwhile, in our opinion, it is more expedient to highlight three main aspects in the typology of conflicts:

The first aspect seems to be the broadest in scope. Each type may include several types of conflicts, which, in turn, can occur in one form or another.

Completion Forms

What is the form of ending a conflict? A conflict of interest can be resolved as follows:

Permission . The prerequisites may be that the parties desire to end the dispute and not return to it in the future. To finally resolve the conflict, it may be necessary to involve third parties. This is especially true in the field of professional relationships.
Attenuation .
The dispute may cease to be relevant for one of the parties or for all participants in the process. In the first case, the second party does not find a response to its own words and actions and is forced to end the conflict. In the second case, the parties simultaneously decide that they do not want to continue the dispute due to fatigue, the end of the arguments, loss of interest in the subject of the dispute, etc. This type of ending a conflict is not always a positive result, since if a new stimulus arises, the dispute may resume with renewed vigor.
Settlement . The parties come to a compromise and reach mutual agreements. As a result, the dispute is resolved through constructive dialogue and effective interpersonal interaction.
Elimination . The basis of the conflict is eliminated, transformed, modified, etc. In other words, the subject of the dispute ceases to be relevant at the current moment in time and the fact of a conflict of interests automatically disappears.
Growing into a new dispute . Unexplained contradictions on one issue can become a source of new conflicts generated by the primary dispute. This effect is especially often observed in the sphere of family relationships, when a remark made by one of the spouses on any issue develops into a mutual exchange of reproaches.

How to behave in different situations

In a conflict situation, you should avoid excessive emotionality - this can complicate it. It is necessary to remain calm and restrained, to maintain respect for the opponent. Mutual negativity will make it impossible to resolve controversial issues.

Methods of psychological influence - techniques for influencing people

There are certain strategies for human behavior in a conflict situation:

Rivalry. A tough strategy when you need to win by any means in an open struggle for your interests. There is a dangerous “who will win” principle at work here.
Cooperation. Joint decision making that satisfies both parties.
Compromise. Between the parties to the conflict, in the form of a discussion, a compromise solution is sought by analyzing disagreements and mutual concessions.
Avoidance. Participants in the conflict ignore its danger, do not want to take responsibility for making decisions, and want to quietly get out of the situation. With this strategy, the solution to the problem can be postponed to another time.
Device. This is a method of smoothing out disagreements by neglecting one’s own interests and completely accepting all the demands of the opposite side.

Each confrontation has its own characteristics, and there are no identical ways out of it. To avoid stress, you need to adhere to certain rules of behavior and response. Psychologists give the following recommendations to simplify the resolution of all types of conflicts:

Behave with restraint, watch your movements, speech and facial expressions, avoid closed poses.
You cannot immediately and sharply deny someone else’s opinion, interrupt, or raise your voice.
Listen carefully and tolerantly to the interlocutor, repeat his words to confirm that he has been heard.
After listening to the opposite side, present your arguments in a soft, friendly manner. This will disarm a negative opponent.
You should not take verbal abuse seriously and take it personally.
During a developing conflict, restrain the response, be sure that you have understood your opponent correctly.
It is necessary to beware of entering into disagreements with individuals who have mental disabilities or a low level of intelligence. A reasonable ending is excluded in this case.

Additional Information. Distracting your opponent with questions on other topics will help buy time to think about further behavior.

Table with main types

Main classification	Types of conflicts	a brief description of
By number of participants	Intrapersonal	Lack of self-confidence, dissatisfaction with work and life due to a discrepancy between personal needs and outside demands. Accompanied by irritability, split personality, and great mental stress. They are difficult to resolve on your own.
Interpersonal	They can be considered the most common in all areas of human relationships. The clash of individuals with different characters and beliefs, candidates for the same position, managers over resources.
Between the individual and the group	When an individual does not accept the established positions and norms of behavior of the group.
Intergroup	They are characterized by a variety of forms of manifestation. This is the production sector, strikes, rallies.

Since the classification of conflicts into types is rather arbitrary, without clear boundaries, other types periodically arise against the background of complex social relationships. Unsatisfied human needs make life unthinkable without disagreements and contradictions. The ability to resolve conflict situations makes life easier in many ways.

Forms of conflicts

This category implies the presence of a certain specificity of actions that form the conflict. Among the main forms in which a conflict can occur, the following can be identified (Samsonova N.V.): dispute (controversy), claim, condemnation, boycott, strike, sabotage, strike, abuse (swearing), quarrel, threat, enmity, encroachment , coercion, attack, war (political conflicts). Examples of disputes and polemics can also be found in scientific communities, which once again proves the possibility of a constructive nature of the conflict.

In relation to all types of conflicts, three main theoretical approaches can be considered: