Table of Contents

Understanding Conflict: Causes and Types

⊗ A. Work in pairs.

⇔ How do the pictures below reflect the title of the unit — Peace and Conflict?

Θ Answer Θ :

The images provided reflect the title of the unit “Peace and Conflict” in several ways:

1. Peace Symbol:

The first image depicts a peace symbol, which is a widely recognized international symbol of peace, unity, and non-violence.
This directly represents the concept of peace and its values.

2. Handshake:

The second image shows two people shaking hands, a common gesture of greeting, agreement, or reconciliation.
This symbolizes cooperation, understanding, and the resolution of conflict.

3. Interlocking Fingers:

The third image shows people with interlocking fingers, creating a chain of unity and connection.
This represents harmony, solidarity, and the absence of conflict.

Overall, the images collectively depict various aspects of peace and conflict, including symbols of peace, gestures of cooperation, and the absence of conflict. They visually convey the ideas of unity, harmony, and understanding, which are essential components of a peaceful society.

⊗ B. Here is a quote from Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.

“Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts: differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means and through humane ways.”

— Dalai Lama

⊗ C. Read the text below on conflict to answer the questions that follow.

What is conflict?

Conflict can be described as a disagreement among individuals and groups characterized by antagonism and brutality. This usually happens when parties to conflict cannot agree on a peaceful resolution of a contentious issue. Very often, elements of conflict such as opposing interests or needs, misunderstandings, stress, and frustration, and a lack of communication contribute to an escalation of hostility. However, not all conflicts lead to fights, and a third-party intervention often resolves a conflict.

Conflict is an inevitable part of life. It is as varied as causes that contribute to it. All of us have our own opinions, ideas, and beliefs. We also have our own way of looking at things and we act according to what we think is proper. If, however, we are too rigid about these, and do not allow others to freely express their opinions and beliefs, or even the right to hold them, conflict becomes inevitable.

Conflict involves two or more parties, but we may have conflict within our own selves. If we read the great tragedies of Shakespeare, we realize how his tragic heroes suffered from conflicts within. Conflict thus influences our actions and decisions, and the way we conduct ourselves in society.

Causes and Types of Conflict

Conflicts are basically of three types arising out of three different causes:

Economic conflict:
Resources are limited, and so groups or individuals come into conflict with each other to possess as much of these resources as possible, thus giving rise to hostile behaviours among those involved.
Value conflict:
It is concerned with the varied preferences and ideologies that people have as their principles. Conflicts driven by this factor are demonstrated in wars wherein contending parties have their separate sets of beliefs that they assert in an aggressive manner.
Power conflict:
It occurs when the parties involved intend to maximize what influence they have in the social setting. Such a situation can happen among individuals, groups, or even nations.

Conflicts are also classified into the four following types:

Interpersonal conflicts:
This type of conflict refers to an antagonism between two individuals. This occurs typically because of differences among people. Apparently, it is a natural occurrence which, if there are no hostilities involved, can eventually help in personal growth or developing our relationship with others.
Intrapersonal conflict:
It occurs within an individual. The experience takes place in the person’s mind. Hence, it is a type of conflict that is psychological, involving the individual’s thoughts, values, principles, and emotions.
Intragroup conflict:
It is a type of conflict that happens among individuals within a team. It arises from interpersonal disagreements or differences in views and ideas. Within a team, conflict can be helpful in coming up with decisions which will eventually allow the members to reach their objectives as a team. However, if the conflict is serious and it disrupts harmony among the members, then some helpful guidance from a different party will be needed for its resolution.
Intergroup conflict:
It takes place when a misunderstanding arises among different teams within an organization. This is due to the varied sets of goals and interests of these different groups. In addition, competition also contributes to intergroup conflict.

⊗ D. Give the appropriate meanings of the following words.

Also, mention the part of speech of each word. Then change them as directed within parenthesis and make sentences of your own with each changed form.

a. antagonism (adjective)
b. hostility (adjective)
c. escalation (verb)
d. contentious (noun)
e. harmony (verb)
f. intervention (verb)
g. ideologies (adjective)
h. disrupt (noun)
i. resolution (adjective)

Θ Answer Θ :

¤ Here are the meanings, parts of speech, and transformed forms of the given words:

a. Antagonism

Meaning: Hostility or opposition between individuals or groups.
Part of Speech: Noun
Adjective Form: Antagonistic
Sentence: His antagonistic attitude towards the new policy created tension in the office.

b. Hostility

Meaning: Aggressive behavior or unfriendly feelings.
Part of Speech: Noun
Adjective Form: Hostile
Sentence: The hostile tone of the meeting made it clear that the negotiations would be difficult.

c. Escalation

Meaning: The process of increasing in intensity or magnitude.
Part of Speech: Noun
Verb Form: Escalate
Sentence: The disagreement began to escalate into a full-blown argument.

d. Contentious

Meaning: Likely to cause disagreement or argument.
Part of Speech: Adjective
Noun Form: Contentiousness
Sentence: The contentiousness of the debate was evident in the heated exchanges between the participants.

e. Harmony

Meaning: Agreement or concord among people or things.
Part of Speech: Noun
Verb Form: Harmonize
Sentence: The choir members harmonized beautifully during the performance.

f. Intervention

Meaning: The act of intervening or stepping in to alter a situation.
Part of Speech: Noun
Verb Form: Intervene
Sentence: The teacher had to intervene when the students began arguing during the group activity.

g. Ideologies

Meaning: Systems of beliefs or ideas.
Part of Speech: Noun (Plural)
Adjective Form: Ideological
Sentence: The ideological differences between the two parties led to a heated debate.

h. Disrupt

Meaning: To interrupt or disturb something so that it cannot continue as usual.
Part of Speech: Verb
Noun Form: Disruption
Sentence: The unexpected power outage caused a major disruption in the company’s operations.

i. Resolution

Meaning: A firm decision or determination to do or not do something; or the process of solving a problem.
Part of Speech: Noun
Adjective Form: Resolute
Sentence: Her resolute approach to solving the problem ensured that the project was completed on time.

⊗ E. Answer the following questions.

What, according to the text, is conflict?
What causes conflict?
How many types of conflict does the text list? Is there any other type of conflict that you are aware of?
How does conflict influence our actions and decisions?
Do you think conflicts can be resolved without anyone being harmed?
How is intergroup conflict different from intragroup conflict?
How is interpersonal conflict different from intrapersonal conflict?

Θ Answer Θ :

1. What, according to the text, is conflict?
According to the text, conflict is a disagreement among individuals or groups characterized by antagonism and brutality. It occurs when parties cannot agree on a peaceful resolution of a contentious issue, and it often involves opposing interests, misunderstandings, stress, frustration, and lack of communication.

2. What causes conflict?
Conflict is caused by various factors, including:

Economic Conflict: Limited resources lead to competition and hostility among individuals or groups.
Value Conflict: Differing beliefs and ideologies lead to aggressive assertions and disputes.
Power Conflict: The desire for authority and dominance causes conflicts among individuals, groups, or nations.
Misunderstandings and lack of communication can also contribute to the escalation of conflict.

3. How many types of conflict does the text list? Is there any other type of conflict that you are aware of?
The text lists four types of conflict:

Interpersonal Conflict: Between two individuals.
Intrapersonal Conflict: Within an individual’s mind.
Intragroup Conflict: Among members within a group.
Intergroup Conflict: Between different groups or teams.

Another type of conflict not explicitly listed in the text is International Conflict, which occurs between different countries or nations.

4. How does conflict influence our actions and decisions?
Conflict influences our actions and decisions by shaping how we interact with others and make choices. It can drive us to act defensively or aggressively, impact our relationships, and influence the direction of personal and collective goals. Conflict can also lead to personal growth and development if managed constructively.

5. Do you think conflicts can be resolved without anyone being harmed?
Yes, conflicts can be resolved without harm if approached with effective communication, empathy, negotiation, and mediation. Constructive conflict resolution strategies aim to address the underlying issues, find common ground, and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes while minimizing negative impacts on all parties involved.

6. How is intergroup conflict different from intragroup conflict?

Intergroup Conflict: Occurs between different groups or teams within an organization or between different organizations. It often arises from competing goals, interests, or resources.
Intragroup Conflict: Happens within a single group or team. It arises from disagreements or differences in opinions among the members of the same group. This type of conflict can be constructive or disruptive depending on how it is managed.

7. How is interpersonal conflict different from intrapersonal conflict?

Interpersonal Conflict: Takes place between two or more individuals due to differences in opinions, interests, or values. It is external and involves direct interactions between the individuals.
Intrapersonal Conflict: Occurs within an individual’s mind and involves internal struggles with thoughts, values, principles, or emotions. It is internal and does not involve direct interactions with others.

⊗ F. Read the Causes and Types of Conflict again and then read the texts in the grid below.

⇔ The first column includes different types of conflict. The second column shows causes of conflict and the third one shows the parties involved in conflicts. Match the texts in the columns. The first one is done for you.

Θ Answer Θ :

Types of conflict	Causes of conflict	Involving party/ies
a. Economic conflict	1. Struggle to possess more wealth	g. Rich and poor
b. Value conflict	2. Conflict of ideologies	d. Different believers
c. Power conflict	4. Desire for authority and dominance over others	a. Multi-beneficiaries
d. Interpersonal conflict	1. Differences in people’s opinions and beliefs	c. Two individuals
e. Intrapersonal conflict	6. Personal indecision about choosing between right and wrong	b. Self
f. Intergroup conflict	2. Varied opinions of groups competing with each other	f. Teams in an organization
g. Intragroup conflict	3. Varied opinions of members in a group	e. Members in a team

⊗ G. Fill in the gaps in the text with an appropriate word from the box to complete the summary.

→ Box of words:
⇒ defined, whereas, causes, intimidated, another, cause, individuals, values, phenomenon, selves

Θ Answer Θ :

Conflict can be defined as a clash of values and ideas among individuals and groups, and it can lead to deaths or destruction. Constraints of resources is also a cause of conflict. Conflict is a very natural phenomenon in human life, and we are often intimidated by different sorts of conflicts. As we have conflicts with others, we have conflicts with our own selves. The conflict between two individuals is called interpersonal conflict; the conflict with one’s own self is intrapersonal conflict. When different groups are fighting with one another, that is intergroup conflict, and the conflict within any group is intragroup conflict.