What have I learned in the Conflict Resolution class

Conflict Resolution
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People tend to have differing points of views concerning various issues and situations which in turn bring about conflicts between two or more individuals or parties. A dispute involves disagreement amongst people or parties typified by the opposition and in some instances, hostility. The rise of conflict tends to be stimulated by the antagonism of one group to another, to attain a goal dissimilar to the one proposed by the other group. Mostly, the features entailed in a conflict involve different sets of values and principles which as a result allow the emergence of such a conflict. This paper discusses various items I have learned from the Conflict Resolution class including Perspective Conflict, the Nature of Conflict, the Structures of Conflict, and the Styles and Tactics in Conflict Situations.
Conflicts are common occurrences experienced and seen throughout the history of human and nature existence. But, its recognition from a theoretical perspective in the scholarship field only became adopted following the First World War. It is evident following numerous studies performed since then that the existence of conflicts is so much a facet of people’s lives. Therefore, I learned that conflicts would continue to exist in all forms as well as in all backgrounds regardless of one’s status or capabilities. Also, the comprehension of any disagreement that an individual or party may have largely depends on the perspective they may have towards the nature of this dispute.

The Nature of Conflict
Actors, Interests, Sources, and Solutions for Conflicts
Considering the fact that disagreements are universal aspects in all human societies, it was noteworthy to learn its foundation to expound on its scope which includes differences in economic fights. This conflict involves contending motives to achieve limited resources. Other causes of conflicts involve the value disagreement in which participants have varying and incompatible principles of life and ideologies (Hocker & Wilmot 2014). Another source includes power disagreement in which each party seeks to obtain or maintain the amount of impact it has on a given community or individual setting. All these origins of disagreements are intrinsically conflict-causalities that become apparent through the creation of conflict groups or persons that have or assumed to have equally irreconcilable objectives. The items disagreed upon, the personality of conflicting persons or parties and the level of conflict tend to vary with time, and also these factors are subject to being disputed over time.
Conflicts involve actors who are those participating or affected by the fight. The actors include people, parties or institutions engaged in or impacted by the conflict and also groups or individual dealing with the fight. Actors vary based on their interests and aims, positions and abilities to determine their correlations with other actors. Solutions to solving disputes involve the use of a win-lose approach whereby one party wins while the other loses in the resolution using commonly endorsed techniques like a majority vote. Another way involve lose-lose method whereby both parties obtain a little measure of their objectives and lose some part of the deal. Ultimately, these groups settle for partial satisfaction of the solution. The last method includes win-win approach in which both parties agree and reach expected objectives thus satisfactorily solving the issue. It was also noteworthy understanding the difference between constructive and destructive disagreements.
Destructive versus Constructive Conflict
While a destructive clash needs avoidance or prompt resolution before it reaches a point that causes harm to participants and collateral damage to non-participants, constructive conflicts do the opposite. In fact, productive clashes are considered healthy, a necessity as well as an important feature of human and societal progress and creativity. Destructive disagreements happen when individuals or people engage in behaviors and activities resulting from augmented rivalry instead of clash resolution (Hocker & Wilmot 2014). A good example can be when workmates start making verbal assaults and employ aggressive gestures during a dispute making the quarrel between the to be destructive. On the other hand, a constructive fight occurs when parties or individuals convey conflicts without aggression and with a dedication to reaching a satisfactory resolution of the disagreement (Hocker & Wilmot 2014). For instance, different conflicting governments or siblings may opt to discuss the disagreed areas until they attain an equally embraced decision.
Therefore, in as much as disagreements can be destructive, I learned that some of these fights could be beneficial for both participating parties. Some of the different elements evident in deadly clashes include defensiveness, inflexibility, personal attacks and use of remarks that are reproachful. Moreover, groups or people participating in destructive disagreements tend also to demonstrate signs of competition during the clash period or choose to shun the battle altogether. On the other hand, elements included in constructive differences entail respect and support for other actors, collaboration, and sincerity. Additionally, it is worth noting that participants in constructive conflict focus on the underlying problems as well as uphold their dedication in ensuring an effective resolve of the issue.
Conflict versus Consensus Theories of Conflict
The consensus concept stresses on the social order sustained by the respective values, norms, and beliefs of individuals within a given community. Based on this point of view, the public maintains the prerequisite to retain the status quo, and once a person defies what the majority mutually agrees on and shares, then this individual is seen as deviant. This theory offers a reputation to a culture in attempts to uphold harmony within a society. It also underlines the incorporation of the norms and principles that a group of individuals has. This concept tends to offer a little focus on the significance of the social change and instead emphasize on the maintenance f a community through consensus practices. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the theory does not entirely discard the probability of social change. In contrast, theorists behind this theory believe that social change can happen within the limits of an agreement.
Karl Marx was the initiator of the conflict theory. The scholar started this idea of perceiving a community through the disparities in societies that bring about the rise of class fights. Karl Marx believed that all societies have two categories including those that have and ones that lack. The status quo is stimulated and sustained based on the desires of the leading groups or rather the affluent people in a community. This occurrence applies in particular even in the contemporary world where the dominant parties control and run processes in people’s lives. For instance, developed countries in the world dictate and influence the outcomes including economic statuses of developing worlds. Also, the wealthy individuals within a society play the top roles that ultimately and directly impact its members. The contents learned in this topic helped in expanding the general understanding of the today’s world as well as the dynamics that surround it. It was also noteworthy that the dominant party employs both ideological state devices as well as suppressive mechanisms to sustain a social order that is favorable to them and not necessarily others.
The Structure of Conflict
Power, Power Imbalances and Strategies of Balancing Power
Power is an important part of the conflict and several ways to defining it include distributive, integrative and designated power. Integrative power stresses on the power with the other party. Hocker & Wilmot (2014) suggest that it focuses on the collaboration of forces by both actors in a fight to attain a mutually acceptable objective. In contrast, distributive power emphasizes the aggression and control an individual may employ to reach their goals while overlooking ones of other actors. Designated power focuses on issuing power to a correlation or an external group instead of individuals or participating groups. It is notable in a relational power theory that power is granted and not owned but depends on a relationship. The scoop of authority the fighting individuals possess range from being high in which one party has more power and uses it to meet their goals. Other power imbalances include low and collaboration power whereby both arguing participants exercise using cooperative abilities into sorting the issue. Finally, several tactics of balancing powers include meta-communication where involve persons continually communicate, staying engaged with each other, exercising interdependence, as well as give and obtain power.
Conclusion
In conclusion, conflicts are disagreements that arise between individuals or groups due to varying perspectives on various issues or conditions. These disputes involve actors who are the participants involved in the conflict, interests which vary based on one’s needs and objectives. Various reasons cause disputes including economic, value and power disagreements in which participants have disputable principles and need to obtain a specific amount of control in a given situation. While the consensus theory stresses on the sustenance of the social order, conflict theory emphasizes on attaining and maintain ideas proposed by the wealthy in the society. Conflicts can either be destructive where it harms the actors or constructive where it benefits them. Power involves the distribution of power among actors in a conflict where some instances imbalances are evident. However, power can be balanced by obtaining and giving, extensive communication, and engaging with each other. Finally, the use of win-win, win-lose and lose-lose mechanisms can help solve disputes.
References
Hocker, J. L. & Wilmot, W. W. (2014). Interpersonal conflict. New York: McGraw-Hill.