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Conflict theories are perspectives in political philosophy and sociology which argue that individuals and groups (social classes) within society interact on the basis of conflict rather than agreement, while also emphasizing social psychology, historical materialism, power dynamics, and their roles in creating power structures, social movements, and social arrangements within a society.
Social conflict theory is a Marxist-based social theory which argues that individuals and groups (social classes) within society interact on the basis of conflict rather than consensus. Through various forms of conflict, groups will tend to attain differing amounts of material and non-material resources (e.g. the wealthy vs. the poor).
Conflict theory emphasizes interests, rather than norms and values, in conflict. The pursuit of interests generates various types of conflict, which is thus seen as a normal aspect of social life, rather than an abnormal occurrence. Competition over resources is often the cause of conflict. The theory has three tenets:
The sociological study of peace, war, and social conflict uses sociological theory and methods to analyze group conflicts, especially collective violence and alternative constructive nonviolent forms of conflict transformation. These concepts have been applied to current wars, like the War in Ukraine, and researchers note that ordinary people ...
The German sociologist Max Weber formulated a three-component theory of stratification that defines a status group [1] (also status class and status estate) [2] as a group of people within a society who can be differentiated by non-economic qualities such as honour, prestige, ethnicity, race, and religion. [3]
The foundational basis of Marxist sociology is the investigation of capitalist stratification. An important concept of Marxist sociology is "a form of conflict theory associated with…Marxism's objective of developing a positive science of capitalist society as part of the mobilization of a revolutionary working class."
Conflict theory is therefore a macrosociological approach, in which society is interpreted as an arena of inequality that generates conflict and social change. [1]: 15 Other important sociologists associated with social conflict theory include Harriet Martineau, Jane Addams, and W. E. B. Du Bois.
In micro-sociology, interactionism is a theoretical perspective that sees social behavior as an interactive product of the individual and the situation. [1] In other words, it derives social processes (such as conflict, cooperation, identity formation) from social interaction, [2] whereby subjectively held meanings are integral to explaining or understanding social behavior.