A family of sociological perspectives holding that individuals and social groups, especially social classes, interact and compete for scarce resources and power, so that social order and change are driven more by conflict and coercion than by shared consensus. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Core ClaimSourced to the subject's own accountSociety is best understood as an arena of unequal power and competing interests, in which dominant groups use political, economic and ideological means to maintain their advantage against subordinate groups, producing ongoing tension rather than stable consensus. 1 Origin YearSourced to the subject's own account1908 marks Georg Simmel's early formal use of conflict as a sociological framework; the classical roots of conflict theory are usually traced further back still, to Marx. Connections
Associated With
Alienation is a core concept within the conflict/critical theory tradition this atlas already groups it under (SubLabel Conflict and Critical Theory).
Critiqued Here
Classical structural functionalism (Durkheim) is described on the same page as opposing the conflict view of society; neither account is presented here as having won the argument.
Source Wikipedia: Conflict Theories
Developed By
Source Wikipedia: Lewis A. Coser
Ralf Dahrendorf is a foundational figure of modern conflict theory (Class and Class Conflict in Industrial Society, 1959).
Source Wikipedia: Conflict Theories
In the Other Atlases
Influenced By
Also in Philosophy Atlas: which influenced this subject.
Source Wikipedia: Conflict Theoriestier 3
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Conflict Theories
WikipediaOpening definition, description
argue that individuals and groups (social classes) within society interact on the basis of conflict rather than agreement
Opening paragraphs, origin
Georg Simmel was one of the earliest sociologists to formally use 'conflict' as a framework to understand social change, writing about the topic in his 1908 book
In classical conflict theory (Durkheim), contrast with functionalism
opposed conflict theory views and instead saw society as a functioning organism
View the Source Wikipedia: Lewis A. Coser
WikipediaDeveloped By: Lewis A. Coser, Sociology sectionQuote, Developed By: Lewis A. Coser, Sociology section
Coser was the first sociologist to try to bring together structural functionalism and conflict theory; his work was focused on finding the functions of social conflict.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.