Brief Overview of Conflict Theory

1
Brief Overview of Conflict Theory

• An Introduction

2

• Functionalism
• Stability
• Equilibrium
• Consensus
• Conflict theory is the major alternative to
  functionalism as an approach to analyzing the
  general structure of societies
• States that society is composed of groups engaged
  in fierce competition for scarce resources.
• People in positions of authority try to enforce
  conformity, which, in turn, creates resentment
  and resistance.
• The result is a constant struggle.

3

• Functionalists look at societies and social
  institutions as systems in which all the parts
  depend on each other and work together to create
  equilbrium
• They do not deny the existence of conflict, but
  they believe society devleps ways to control it,
  and it is these that they analyze
• Conflict theorists perceptions of society could
  hardly be more different
• Where functionalists see interdependence and
  unity in society, conflict theorists see an arena
  in which groups fight for power, and the control
  of conflict means that one group is able,
  temporarily, to suppress its rivals

4

• The conflict orientation incorporates three
  central and connected assumptions
• People have a number of basic interests, things
  they want and attempt to acquire that are not
  defined by societies but rather are common to
  them all
• Central to conflict perspective is an emphasis on
  power as the core of social relationships
• Conflict thorists always view power not only as
  scarce and unequally divided and therefore a
  source of conflict but also as essentially
  coercieve.
• There is a concern with the distribution of
  resources that give people more or less power

5

1. Values and ideas are seen as weapons used by
   different groups to advance their own ends rather
   than as a means of defining a whole societys
   identity and goals