The 16 types of conflicts (and their characteristics)

Conflicts are part of everyone's daily life, for a very simple fact: we live in societies made up of individuals with different interests.

Of course, that does not mean that the existence of these frictions has to evolve into heated arguments, fights or even battles or wars.

But it does imply that this factor is important enough for Social Psychology to have studied it extensively. background, because this issue is related to phenomena that are related in a very direct way to the quality of life of women. people.

In this article we will see what are the most important types of conflicts, what are the effects they have on our lives.

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The 16 types of conflicts, and what they consist of

Here we will see different ways of classifying the types of conflicts that exist, starting from several criteria that allow them to be ordered and included in different categories. In each case we will see their harmful potential, and the characteristics that define them.

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1. Types of conflicts according to their degree of violence

Based on this criterion, we can distinguish between these types of conflicts:

1.1. Conflicts through social channels

In these conflicts, the interests of each party are defended through mechanisms that are part of the social order, and therefore there is no violence. For example, it is what happens in an auction in which different people compete for the same good.

1.2. Conflicts due to symbolic violence

In this kind of conflict, at least one of the parties breaks the rules of coexistence by symbolically attacking the other. This implies a direct psychological wear on the attacked part, and sometimes also a wear in terms of their social capital (for example, when a humiliation causes that approaching the victim is seen with bad eyes).

1.3. Conflicts due to physical limitation

The conflicts that develop in this way include an element of attack on the integrity of the person, either causing pain or limiting the range of movement of it. There is a debate about whether the application of the law in its criminal repercussions can be considered part of a conflict of this kind, since technically it does not violate norms of coexistence.

1.4. Conflicts for attempts on life

This is the most violent form of conflict, because it includes motivations for ending the lives of others. It is what happens in wars or fights to the death.

2. According to its participants

If we look at who is involved in the conflict, we can establish these categories.

2.1. Intergroup conflicts

This is the type of conflict that we can observe in sports competitions with teams or in battles and wars: there are at least two clearly defined groups that face each other.

2.2. Intragroup disputes

This is one of the most common types of conflicts in groups in the labor or political context. It appears when within a group appear two or more opposing sides.

2.3. Interpersonal conflicts

This conflict occurs between people as isolated units. This is what happens, for example, in cases where someone owes us money.

2.4. Intrapersonal conflicts

Interpersonal conflict occurs in a single person who feels contradictory ideas or feelings. There is no consensus on whether it is a real conflict, since to accept its existence we should accept that within a person there may be coherent entities with motivations and interests own.

3. According to its content

If we look at what causes the confrontation, these are the types of conflicts that we will observe:

3.1. Conflicts of values

In this case, what is at stake is the preeminence of some values ​​over others. It happens a lot in the realm of political, ideological and religious propaganda.

3.2. Power conflicts

When conflicts for power occur, you compete for access to a role from which you are It is possible to make relevant decisions that affect the organization of a team, an organization or a society. For example, it can arise within a political party with several candidates who want to go to the General Secretariat.

3.3. Relational conflicts

Relational conflicts usually arise due to communication failures or external events that affect the relationship and leave it marked. They can happen a lot in relationships or in groups of friends.

3.4. Conflicts of interest

In this case, the origin of the conflict is partly determined by the position that each person occupies in a certain social network. For example, the police chief and the thief are going to have a naturally conflictual relationship, especially because of their roles.

3.5. Personality conflicts

These conflicts arise for relatively subjective reasons, such as incompatibilities of tastes, differences in interests and priorities, etc.

4. According to its degree of veracity

Finally, based on the criterion of veracity, the types of conflicts are the following:

4.1. Imaginary conflicts

These occur in the fictional, although they may be inspired by real events. For example, it occurs when we believe that someone wants to harm us at work, when in reality it is not. However, if this phenomenon persists, it can become a real conflict.

4.2. Invented conflicts

In this case there is no real conflict either, but it is not caused by a misunderstanding, but by someone's intention to act as if there is a conflict. For example, it happens when someone pretends to be offended by someone else's comment, to make a profit by showing everyone how the other apologizes.

4.3. Real conflicts

As the name suggests, these conflicts are real, and are recognized as such by practically all parties involved. They are the most common of all those that are part of the classification according to the criterion of veracity.

Bibliographic references

• Dahrendorf, R. (1996). Elements for a theory of social conflict. In: Society and freedom: towards a sociological analysis of today. Madrid: Tecnos.
• Entelman, R.F. (2002). Conflict theory: towards a new paradigm. Barcelona: Gedisa. ISBN 84-7432-944-2.
• Pastor, X; et al. (2005). Practical guide to conflict management in the associative fabric. Barcelona: Editorial Mediterrània.