The Social Functions of Conflicts


Conflicts at the level of altinter-relationships and at societal level are commonly perceived as being deviant behaviour. Yet, conflicts are an inherent

component of human and social relationships. Inter-personal and social relationships are more complex that one would imagine. They are the resultant of an inter-play of a web of intrinsic factors (referring in internal factors) and extrinsic factors (referring to external an denvironmental factors).

What can be considered as deviant is the mismanagement of conflicts leading to an abuse of power, anger and other negative feelings and behaviour such as physical abuse, verbal abuse and social unrest. In fact, conflicts are normal features of social and psychological behaviour and they have a social function as well.

A correlation can be identified between the conflict distribution and the distribution of differences and inequalities. Differences refer to social, economic, political and cultural differences such as wealth, ethnicity, religion and political affiliation. These differences in turn, often, might underpin differential treatment and inequalities arising from these discrepancies such as denial of suffrage and enjoyment of human rights to minorities.

Social scientists such as Esteban J. and Ray D. (1999) of the University of Boston developed a behavioural model in which they link, I quote: 'the level and pattern of social conflict to the society wide distribution of individual characteristics’. They reported how, I quote: ‘conflict-distribution-relationship is nonlinear and complex’.

The social fabric is divided into several socio-cultural and politico-economic groups that determine, influence and form the base of people social and inter-personal relationships. In other words, people tend to divide society into ‘Us’ referring to people whom they consider to be like them and that form one-group and ‘others’ referring to people who are different and that form another group.

This organisation of society underpins people interactions and social relationships. For example, it determines how people react with others who do not belong to the same group as them. In-group and out-group dynamics are often asymmetrical and unequal that thus might lead to conflictual relationships.

Intensive globalisation and subsequently transnationalisation have brought changes in the organisation of societies and groups internal and external relationships. Group distinctiveness are leading to entrenched inequalities that are accentuated  by competition for resources such as land, political and economic power and access to financial and material resources.

Each group wishes a fair portion of resources and a fair and proportional of distribution of resources. However, it is difficult to measure fairness which is a rather subjective term and appreciation. In fact, the world has been constructed on economic inequalities that built on socio-cultural inequalities. This development model is inherent to capitalism.

For example most colonised countries developed on the social, cultural and economic exploitation of minorities that consisted as the bulk of the lumpenproletariat. At the wake of independence and following working class consciousness awakening, conflicts arose between the working classes and the capitalist classes for better working and social conditions which led to the introduction of the welfare state in many countries.

Hence, distribution conflict in many instances has led to social changes and to the development of a better and more egalitarian society. Often it is thanks to conflicts that revolutionary changes were introduced and that civil society gained rights.

To conclude, it should be stressed that a world free of conflict is a utopia!