What Is Conflict Perspective

Also known as ‘Conflict Model’, ‘Conflict Perspective’ is one of the two major theories of sociology. Conflict Perspective has been described and supported by many sociologists and theorists such as Karl Marx, and is the other side of known Order Perspective. It presents another important theory of social system which considers ‘Conflict’ as an ordinary and essential instrument. The theorists find it important factor in social development as it diversifies the power and brings about changes and gives a new direction to the society.

This is mostly more common in societies which have inherent divisions of societies with social inequality and often put forth different and competing interests. A general assumption is that social structures and cultural ethics reflect favours interest of some privileged members of the society and do not reflect the actual picture of the society. And this is where conflict perspective comes into existence. Marxism and feminism are examples of some of similar cases.

The term is said to be first introduced by Karl Marx in 1800s. Marx had introduced several controversial social theories during these periods which gave way to dissentions and tensions among classes then. The maestro suggested that conflict is the important factor that defines happenings in the society. According to Marx this is the conflict which explains major historical events and helps us understands its outcome. One of his famous conflict perspective about uneven split between the divisions of labour raised great turmoil in society, conflict between masses and had resulted into a great change in society at that time.

Conflict Perspective highlights that it is not ‘cooperation’ that makes a society interact but ‘competition’ it is. This is the struggle of gaining better advantage from others that creates competition and raises conflict and thus introduces change. When the conflict is among the large groups of the society, the change that it brings about is also of greater significance to society. The conflict can be raised for anything such as greater power, better benefits, higher positions, more money or just anything and can even bring about revolutionary changes in the society, for example the conflict of the communist societies that practiced Marxist theories.

The obvious reasons or situations that give way to conflict are either diversified interests, or differences in goals of several groups or individuals in society. The groups may not necessarily be the racial adjustments, but also the groups of oppressed, the dominant, of those who are powerful or those who are struggling for it, etc. Likewise, there can be different issues that may raise conflict such as legal, religious, educational or public affairs. The most visible form of conflict is between powerful for protecting their realm and weaker to oppose the injustices, or encroachment on rights, thus to maintain status quo.

There have been several incidents of conflict perspective in history all over the world. There are many important social events in last two centuries that gives us real example of the possibilities of this theory. For example the great Russian Revolution of 1917 is one of the major outcome of conflict perspective. The event had resulted into the rise of one dominated social group over other domineering one. Generally these examples show a complete change in the social situations i.e. power of the ‘have-nots’ against the ‘haves’. Theorists of conflict perspective argue that there are always possibilities of revolutionary conflict where few Powerful hold the control over many who do not have it.

There are theories that advocate the existence of conflict perspective for dynamic development of the society. They support duality in society which fosters conflict and order side by side. Examples of both these theories ‘conflict perspective’ and ‘order perspective’ can be found in almost any society. The society which nurtures them together, that is competition and subordination both, has greater prospects of development than that relies only in ‘order perspective’.

Picture- St. Gallen Symposium