The characteristics of Conflict:
Conflict is Universal: Conflict or cash of interests is Universal in nature. It is present in almost all the societies. In some societies conflict may be very acute and vigorous while in some others. It may be very mild. Karl marx, Frederich Engels, Saint Simon and others have emphasized the role of conflict as a fundamental factor in the social life of man.
Karl Marx, the architect of communism, has said that “The history of the hitherto existing human society is nothing but the history of the class struggle.” He has mentioned the capitalists and the labourers as belonging to two distinct social classes which have mutually opposite interests.
Conflict is a conscious action: Individual and group who are involved in Conflict are aware of the fact that they are Conflicting As Park and Burgess have pointed out conflict is always conscious and evokes the deepest emotions and stronger passions.
Conflict is personalized by competition: When competition is personalized it leads to conflict. In the struggle to overcome the other person or group, the goal is temporarily related to a level of secondary importance.
Conflict is not continuous but intermittent: Conflict never takes place continuously. It takes place occasionally. No society can sustain itself in a state of continuous Conflict.
Conflict is conditioned by culture: Conflict is affected by the nature of the group and its particular culture. The objects of Conflicts maybe property, power and status, freedom of action and thought, or any other highly desired value when the stability of a political order is threatened, political Conflict may be the result. If sectarianism is ripe, we may expect Conflict to occur in region. The culturally determined values of a society will set the stage for this struggles.
Conflict and norms: Not only culture modifies conflict and its forms but also controls and governs it. When conflict is infrequent and when no adequate techniques have been worked out, more violent and unpredictable sorts at Conflict such as race, riots arise.
Frustration and insecurity promote Conflict: Sometimes, factors like frustration and insecurity promote Conflicts within the same society, individual feel frustrated if they are thoroughly disturbed in their attempts to reach their goals. These goals may be desire for power, position, prestige, status, wealth, money etc.
insecurities like economic crisis, unemployment, the fear of deprivation of love and affection may add to the frustration. In extreme case of this sort one may even lose mental balance or even commit suicide. A society marked by widespread insecurity is one in which Conflict is potential.
Types of conflict:
George Simmel has distinguished four types of conflict
(a) war
(b) feud or rational strife
(c) litigation
(d) conflict of impersonal ideas.
War: According to Simmel war represents a deep seated antagonistic impulse in men. But to bring out this impulse into action some define objectives is needed. The objective may be the desire to gain material interests.
Feud and factional strife: This is an intra-group conflict. It may arise because of injustice alleged to have been done by one group to another.
Litigation: Litigation is a judicial form of conflict. It is a judicial struggle by an individual or group to protect right to possessions. This kind of conflict is more objectives in nature.
Conflict of impersonal ideas: This is a conflict carried on by the individuals not for themselves but for an ideal. In such a conflict each party attempts to justify truthfulness of its own ideas. For ex, the communists and Capitalists carry on conflicts to prove that their own system can bring in a better world order.
