Concepts of Conflict and Conflict Transformation Paperrs

2. Intra-personal
Intra-group
Inter-group
Inter-personal

3. “Scarce
resources”
MATERIAL / RATIONAL
Parties focus on some
external resource
“Interference from
others”
SOCIAL / RELATIONAL
Parties focus on
relationships and
social structure
“Expressions of Conflict”
“Perceptions”
SYMBOLIC
Parties focus
on competing
world views and meaning-
making systems (lenses)

4. Latent / HiddenLatent / Hidden
conflictconflict
Surface conflictSurface conflict
Open conflictOpen conflict

5. Physical
Psychological
Social
Environmental
Prevent people from reaching their full
human potential
AGGRESSION

6. Aggression as a rooted instinct
Dual Instinct Theory (Freud, 1920)
• Human behavior is driven by 2 basic
forces: life and death instinct
These instincts are a source intra- psychic conflict which can be
resolved by diverting the destructive force away on to others
Built-in Instinct Theory (Lorenz, 1966)
•Aggression is innate, an unavoidable feature of human
nature
•Aggressive behavior serves an adaptive function- “survival of
the strongest”

7. Aggression as drive*
-Frustration-aggression (Dollard, 1941)
aggression is caused by frustration that stems not only from
deprivation but also from the gap between expectations and results
-Aggression-aversive stimulation (Berkowitz, 1989)
 Fear
 Physical pain
 Psychological discomfort
*not a consistently present energy but is
activated when there is deprivation

8. Aggression as learned
behavior
(Bandura, Ross and Ross, 1963)
- aggressive behavior as produced by
“nurture” as opposed to “nature”
(acquired through learning processes)

9. Determinants of Aggression (Factors that Contribute
to Aggressive Behavior)
 Personal variables
1. Sex (men as generally more aggressive than women:
 Men have more criminal records
 Men show more aggressive behavior
 Men have higher levels of testosterones

10.  Situational Variables
-availability and accessibility of weapons
-alcohol consumption
-temperature
-noise
-crowding

11.  Media influences
-weaken viewers’ inhibitions against aggression
-habituation or reduction of sensitivity to suffering

12. Ongoing polarization, mistrust
and hostility between/ among
different groups in the
community
Community Relations
Theory
Incompatible positions and a
“zero-sum” view of conflict
being adopted by the parties
in conflict
Principled Negotiation
Theory
Incompatibilities between
different cultural
communication styles
Intercultural
Miscommunication
Theory

13. Unmet or frustrated basic human
needs – physical, psychological,
and social (e.g., security, identity,
recognition, participation, and
autonomy
Human Needs
Theory
Feelings of threatened identity
often rooted in unresolved past
loss and suffering
Identity Theory
Real problems of inequality
and injustice expressed by
competing social, cultural,
and economic frameworks
Conflict
Transformation
Theory

14. C
O
N
S
T
R
U
C
T
I
V
E
D
E
S
T
R
U
C
TI
V
E
MORE VIOLENCE
LESS TRUST
LESS ACCURATE COMMUNICATIONS
LESS DIRECT CONTACT
P
Problem-
solving
Disagree but
share problem
Person seen as
problem
Shift from
disagreement to
personal
antagonism
Issue proliferation
Multiplication of
issues from specific to
general
Triangle
“Talk about” not
“talk with”

15. C
O
N
S
T
R
U
C
T
I
V
E
D
E
S
T
R
U
C
TI
V
E
MORE VIOLENCE
LESS TRUST
LESS ACCURATE COMMUNICATIONS
LESS DIRECT CONTACT
HOSTILITY
Full blown
Antagonism
>>>>>>>>>>>>>Hostili
ty
Reaction &
escalation
An eye for
an eye, a
tooth for a tooth.
Polarization
Change in social
organization

16. 
The ABC Triangle
of Violence
The ABC Triangle
of Violence
BEHAVIOR: Hatred
for the enemy, direct physical
violence, killing, intimidation,
torture, verbal insults, etc.
BEHAVIOR: Hatred
for the enemy, direct physical
violence, killing, intimidation,
torture, verbal insults, etc.
ATTITUDES: Feelings/ Values
Sources: Hatred,
fear, mistrust, racism, sexism,
intolerance, bigotry
ATTITUDES: Feelings/ Values
Sources: Hatred,
fear, mistrust, racism, sexism,
intolerance, bigotry
CONTEXT + System + Structures:
Structural/ institutional violence,
discrimination (e.g. in education, employment,
health care, etc.), globalization of economy,
denial of rights and liberties, segregation (e.g.,
apartheid)
CONTEXT + System + Structures:
Structural/ institutional violence,
discrimination (e.g. in education, employment,
health care, etc.), globalization of economy,
denial of rights and liberties, segregation (e.g.,
apartheid)

18. Promotes war and armamentsPromotes war and armaments
 Weapons are mystified to represent force,
scientific progress, exercise of power
(through war toys, video games, violent
movies, etc.)
 Art, education, religion, mass
communications are used as the basis
of war by powerful groups in society
(cultural and educational manipulation

19. Commodifies the powerlessCommodifies the powerless
 Those with little power are considered objects.
 Patriarchalism and sexism (women as objects)
 Majority vs. minority relations
 Marginalized groups, (the the poor, the
disabled, indigenous
tribes, etc.)

20. Invokes the image of the
“enemy”
The enemy …
 Can be a nation;
 Can be a religious / ideological group in the community;
 Can be people of a different race, tribe, or language group;
 Belongs to the OUT-Group;
 Is blamed for failure or attack (scapegoat function);
 Threatens everything that is good and valuable to oneself and one’s
community

21. OtheringOthering
 Dualistic thinking: rightDualistic thinking: right
vs. wrong, good vs. bad,vs. wrong, good vs. bad,
etc.etc.
 Separates people into better and worse,Separates people into better and worse,
good or badgood or bad
 Dehumanizes the enemyDehumanizes the enemy
 Removal of all human facesRemoval of all human faces

22. CONFLICT PREVENTIONCONFLICT PREVENTION
CONFLICT SETTLEMENTCONFLICT SETTLEMENT
CONFLICT MANAGEMENTCONFLICT MANAGEMENT
CONFLICT RESOLUTIONCONFLICT RESOLUTION
CONFLICT TRANSFORMATIONCONFLICT TRANSFORMATION
Latent /
Hidden
conflict
Open
conflict
Surface
conflict
I NTERVENTION

23. J U S T I C E
ISSUE
POWER
RELATION-SHIP
HOW
WHAT
WHONEEDS
INTE-RESTS
WHO
CULTPOL
ECO
DYNAMICS OF
SOCIAL
CONFLICT