Social Dimensions of Human Behavior

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Social Dimensions of Human Behavior

• Conflict Theory (Social Action)

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Conflict Theory Overview

• Underlying Theory
• There is really very little theory development
  that pertains directly to social work
  practicelargely philosophical
• Concepts include disadvantaged populations,
  social injustice, deprivation, inequality
• Key focus includes power, conflict, and
  confrontation
• Community is seen as made up of conflicting
  interests that are not easily reconcilable and as
  having scarce resources

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Conflict Theory Overview

• Practice Application
• Goal Shifting the power of relationships and
  resources, as well as facilitating institutional
  change, that benefits me and mine
• Social Worker Advocate, agitator, negotiator,
  and partisan
• Client Victim of powerful elite in
  macrosystemic environment
• Strategy Crystallize issues and develop
  organization to take action against, the enemy

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Differentiating Functional Theory from Conflict
Theory

• Functional
• Values Consensus/ Cooperation
• Homeostasis
• Retention of the Norm

• Conflict
• Conflict is assumed to be the norm
• Focus on coercion and use of power to bring about
  social change

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Conflict Theory

• Historical Impact On Individual Group Function
• Psychodynamic Theory
• Dyadic Fluctuates between intimacy and intense
  conflict
• Triadic
• Foursomes

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Conflict Theory

• Basic Principles
• Conflict is normative and a fact of life
• Structural Functionalism Cooperation is the
  glue that holds society together Conflict
  Theory The role of coercion, constraint, and
  domination
• Two Categories of Theory
• Endogenous Conflict within a system or society
  (change of values, distribution of resources,
  authority)
• Exogenous Conflict between systems or external
  environment (war, cultural ideology)

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Conflict Theory

• Presuppositions (Page 65)
• Interest are the basic elements of social life
• Social life involves coercion
• Groups have varying interests
• Social life generates opposition, exclusion, and
  hostility
• Social life generates conflict
• Social differences involve power
• Social systems are not united or harmonious
• Change is inevitable Every element of society
  contributes to change social structure rest on
  the constraint of some of its members

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Conflict Theory

• Basic Terms
• Conflict Clash or struggle between opposing
  forces
• Power The ability to control and influence
  collective decisions and actions
• Minority a group that has limited access to
  power, even though they may be the larger group
• Change Normative and healthy aspect of social
  life

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Conflict Theory

• Marxism (Class Conflict)
• We are not powerless beings as much as people
  are oppressed, they can gain influence and power
  over oppression
• Marx proposed two dominant classes
• Proletariat Workers
• Bourgeoisie Capitalists
• Technical Freedom does not translate into Literal
  Freedom
• We are slaves to our employers.we sell ourselves
  into slavery
• Cultural ideology/ systems maintain this
  quasi-slavery

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Conflict Theory

• Problems in Class Conflict
• Exploitation (Surplus Value)
• Poverty
• Alienation (Political, Religious, Economic)
• Alienation is the disconnected self from the life
  process/ creative process (production)
• Political institution controlled by the
  Bourgeoisie to support their interest in surplus
  value or to serve the needs of the ruling class
  I.e. going to war for national interest
• Economic Difference between actual production
  cost and purchase cost creates a slave class
• Religion You will get your reward some day

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Conflict Theory

• Two Additional Classes that depend on the
  establishment of the Elite Class
• Petit Bourgeoisie Small business owners and
  professionals (perilous class designation)
• Lumpenproletariat Criminal Class

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Conflict Theory

• It permeates every level of society (Global)
• Core Nations Ruling elitedominate the world
  economy
• Periphery Nations Have the raw materials, labor
• Semi-periphery Nations In between nationscore
  nations watch carefully and periphery nations
  fear
• Emerging Capitalism
• Megacorporations (Walmart, Microsoft) become the
  ruling elite class
• Government maintains monopoly elite due to
  economic benefit (I.E. taxation)

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Conflict Theory (pg 73)
Personal Taxes
Government
The Middle Class
Public Assistance
1
The Lower Class
The Working Class
Conduit Capitalism
The Upper Class
Private, Corporate Profits
1. Corporate Subsidies
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Conflict Theory (pg 75)
Power Elite Enacts policy in their own interest
Government Planners Rubber stamps policy to
maintain status
Masses Screwed
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Conflict Theory

• Interest Groups/American Pluralist Tradition
• No one ruling class really exists
• There are multiple ruling classes lobbying for
  power
• Example Pro-life versus Pro-choice, Gay rights
  initiatives versus Pro-family initiatives
• Power not in numbers, but in voice

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Conflict Theory

• Group Questions (Page 79)
• Is social work a primary agent of the elite
  classes, in charge of maintaining the poor,
  underprivileged, and marginalized?
• How does the source of funding or income in
  social work define your performance and
  functions?
• Do we help maintain a repressive system of
  poverty and ideological control over the masses?

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Conflict Theory Social Work Practice

• Defining Practice
• Largely Group Work (Task focused)
• Defining the Problem
• Problem exists in the group due to external
  conditions or internal coalitions
• Problem exists in this population due to
  classism, racism, or other forms of equality
• It is helpful to utilize flowcharts on 82 and 83
  of your text

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Conflict Theory

• Conflict Theory Case StudyDo Quakers and
  Methodist challenge the powerful elite?
• 2 Groups