divination 

Conflict. stages of conflict. Stages of development and conflict resolution. Stages of a conflict Stages of development of a conflict give examples

1. Pre-conflict stage- the growth of tension in relations between potential subjects of the conflict, caused by certain contradictions.

characteristic social tension - the psychological state of people before the start of the conflict. Group emotions are a characteristic manifestation.

Phases of the pre-conflict stage (characterizing the features of the relationship between the parties):

· The emergence of contradictions, the growth of distrust and social tension, the presentation of claims, the reduction of contacts and the accumulation of grievances.

· The desire to prove the legitimacy of their claims and the accusation of the enemy of unwillingness to "resolve disputes by fair methods."

· Destruction of interaction structures; transition from mutual accusations to threats; formation of the image of the enemy.

Incident- a formal occasion, a case for a direct collision of the parties.

2. Stage of development of the conflict. The beginning of an open confrontation between the parties, which is the result of conflict behavior, which refers to actions aimed at the opposite side in order to capture, hold the disputed object or force the opponent to abandon their goals (or to change them).

There are the following types of conflict behavior :

· Active-conflict behavior (challenge);

Passive-conflict behavior (response to a challenge);

· Conflict-compromise behavior;

Compromising behavior.

Phases of development of the second stage of the conflict:

· open confrontation. The transition of the conflict from a latent state to an open confrontation of the parties. The struggle uses limited resources, locally. This is a kind of first test of strength.

· Escalation of confrontation. To achieve their goals and block the actions of the enemy, new resources of the parties are introduced. Opportunities to find a compromise are missed. The conflict becomes unmanageable and unpredictable.

· Apogee of the conflict. The conflict takes the form of a total war with the use of all possible forces and means. The main goal of the confrontation is to cause maximum damage to the enemy.

3. Stage of conflict resolution. The resolution of the conflict depends on the goals and attitudes of the parties, the means and methods of waging war, the symbols of victory and defeat, the mechanisms for finding consensus, etc.

Methods of conflict regulation are in the nature of a continuum: at one end - institutionalized ways (such as a duel), - on the other - absolute conflicts (up to the destruction of the opponent). Between these extreme points there are conflicts of varying degrees of institutionalization.

At the stage of conflict resolution, scenarios for the development of events:

r The obvious superiority of one of the parties allows it to impose its own conditions for ending the conflict on a weaker opponent;


r The fight goes on until the complete defeat of one of the parties;

r The struggle takes on a sluggish, protracted character (due to lack of resources);

r The parties make mutual concessions in the conflict (having exhausted resources and not identifying a clear winner);

r The conflict is stopped under the influence of a third force.

4. Post-conflict stage. It marks a new objective reality: a new alignment of forces, new relations of opponents to each other and to the surrounding social environment, a new vision of existing problems, a new assessment of their strengths and capabilities.

At the same time, in any variant of conflict resolution, social tension in relations between former opponents will persist for a certain period of time. Sometimes decades are needed until new generations grow up who have not experienced the horrors of the past conflict.

Conflict- clash of oppositely directed goals, interests, positions, opinions, views of opponents or subjects of interaction.

The basis of any conflict is a situation that includes conflicting positions of the parties on any occasion, or controversial goals and means of achieving them in these circumstances, or a mismatch of interests, desires, and finally, keeps the subjects of a possible conflict and its object. However, in order for the conflict to begin to develop, an incident is necessary when one of the parties begins to act, infringing on the interests of the other side. If the opposite side responds in kind, the conflict moves from potential to actual.

In modern psychology, a number of basic elements of conflict are distinguished:

parties (participants, subjects) of the conflict;

conditions for the passage of the conflict;

images of a conflict situation;

possible actions of the parties to the conflict.

Causes of conflicts

Basically, the main causes of conflicts are different axiological (value) attitudes of the communicants. A.P. Egides proposes to define two main types of communicative behavior - conflictogenic and syntonic.

Conflictogenic behavior provokes conflict, which occurs when the needs of one person interfere with the satisfaction of the needs of another.

Conflict situations arise at every step. For example, two people are talking, a third one comes up. The interlocutors fell silent (conflict situation) or included him in their conversation (synthonic situation). Or: I give a person advice when she asks me (syntonous situation) I give advice when she does not ask me for it (conflict situation). When they switch to “you” with you without permission, this can become the beginning of a conflict situation - where people feel equal, say, in line (“I didn’t herd pigs with you!”). But even if you have to endure such rudeness with party or boss, then a sincere friend, in your person, he, you see, will not acquire a like-minded person.The right way to start a conflict is feigned benevolent phrases like "How would you explain this to you?", "You don't understand ...".

Many conflicts arise due to the fact that people understand the same word differently or painfully perceive logical and linguistic errors (illogical presentation or use of the word in the wrong sense). At one time, the famous philosopher B. Russell created a "semantic philosophy": she argued that all conflicts, including wars, arise solely due to inadequate perception and interpretation of a foreign language and foreign words. For example, in the Ukrainian, Russian and Polish languages ​​there is a different semantic saturation of the word "sorry". In Ukrainian and Polish, "regret" is empathy, understanding the interlocutor's problems as one's own. In Russian, the word "regret" is perceived as a humiliation.

The conflict flares up especially hotly when verbal aggression is observed - unambiguous images and humiliation of the interlocutor or odious denial of his statements (especially without argumentation). If you want to be noble, you should never stoop in conflict to this kind of thing.

However, to create a conflict situation, no special offensive words are needed. A neutral word or sentence can create both a syntonous and a conflict situation if non-verbal factors are included. For example, “thank you” can be said in such an icy tone that the interlocutor will lose all desire to continue the conversation. Thus, conflict situations are formed not only in line with the actual speech activity. For example, defiantly not noticing or not listening to a person when he addresses you, not responding to a greeting (such a primitive imitation of “aristocratism”, as this subject imagines it) is a conflict situation. And even such a factor as a gloomy facial expression can also lead to a quarrel.

Syntonic behavior (from Latin "tone" - "sound") is a behavior that meets the expectations of the interlocutor. These are any forms of gratitude, smiles, friendly gestures, etc. - what is called “tuning” to the interlocutor in the above-mentioned Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) technique. Example: the wife broke the cup, I, the person, blame her - and this is a conflict situation, but if I blame myself for putting the cup on my own on the edge of the table - this is a syntonic situation.

Most people in most cases adhere to neutral behavior. So, if we take the fulfillment of the requirements of the law, here we can distinguish 3 options for behavior: not obliged, but did (syntonously) obliged, and did not (conflictogenic) obliged and did (neutral). It is not always possible to keep a neutral line: for example, only a moral monster can calmly listen to how a person close to her is insulted.

Stages of conflict development

First step- birth. It is characterized by amorphousness, universality and inclusion in all the diverse relationships between subjects. Contradictions at this stage exist potentially. They are contained in different and even contradictory values, norms, needs, knowledge, etc. There is a starting point around which the conflict can develop in the future; this is a common interest, new connections, relationships, a common space, etc. Therefore, any person is a potential adversary in a future conflict.

Second phase- maturation. From numerous connections and relationships, the subject begins to choose those that he considers acceptable or unacceptable. It can be anything: work, sex, a form of behavior, money, power, the process of cognition, etc. Specifically, a subject (group) stands out as a carrier of one or another attractive or repulsive feature, and certain information begins to concentrate around it. There is a search for people who sympathize with a particular group or person. The second stage is characterized by:

Isolation of a specific opponent;

Accumulation of certain negative information about the subject;

A clear allocation of the scope of the conflict situation;

The concentration of groups of supporters and opponents;

Strengthening and awareness of the psychological tension between the oppositions.

Third stage- Incident. Often before him there is some calm, waiting. The positions of “provocateur”, “victim”, “judge”, “bazaar woman”, fighter for justice are highlighted. No matter how carefully the opposition behaves, there will be a reason for the incident. It can be anything: it was said in the wrong tone, looked in the wrong way, didn’t warn or, on the contrary, shouted, made a remark - this is just a “hook”. The incident itself is a “small pebble” that can cause a collapse, setting in motion the full power of the elements. Its fixation does not allow to see the main contradictions and the subject of the conflict between the subjects, however, it is the starting point for the collision. The participants in the situation are ripe for open confrontation, and a clash begins, i.e. conflict.

Fourth stage- collision (conflict). It can be compared with an explosion, as a result of which both “waste” rock and “valuable” rock are thrown to the surface. Direct collision manifests itself on several levels: emotional-psychological, physical, political, physical, political, economic, etc.

Demands, claims, accusations, emotions, stresses, scandals cause struggle, confrontation and confrontation. The ability to distinguish "valuable breed" from "empty" depends on which path the conflict takes: rational or irrational. This stage is characterized by:

Pronounced confrontations;

Isolation of the subject of the conflict, realized by the subjects;

defining the scope and boundaries of the conflict;

The appearance of a third party (observers, support groups, etc.);

Determination of the scale and boundaries of the conflict situation;

Presentation of means of control and manipulation of subjects in conflict;

The emergence of factors confirming the need for a collision.

The conflict becomes an event for others, they see it, they talk about it, a certain attitude is developed towards it.

Fifth stage- the development of the conflict. Speaking of development, we mean a change in some of the elements and characteristics that are present in the situation, as well as factors that have one or another influence on the conflict. At this stage, there are factors that do not develop and do not change, i.e. static, constant: the subject of the conflict; social factors; core values; strategic goals.

Elements that partially change: connections and relations between subjects (groups); interpretation of facts; interests; needs; tactical tasks; ideas about the conflict, the subjects of relations. Elements that can be replaced by others: semantic context; positions, roles; means of struggle; social norms, principles of interaction; reactions; the senses; emotions. This is where the conflict develops. The actions of the conflicting parties are determined by these elements.

Sixth stage post-conflict situation, the consequences of the conflict. From the point of view of highlighting the stages of the conflict, it should be noted that often the conflicting parties begin to realize the situation from the third and fourth stages, when the conflict has matured and many processes have gone out of control. In other words, the subjects are already inside the conflict and act in accordance with its logic of struggle and confrontation, destruction and suppression.

Based on the allocation of stages in the development of a conflict situation and the allocation of specific characteristics, it is possible;

Formulate tasks for the implementation of targeted intervention in conflicts at different stages;

Apply patterns in management practice and in the educational process;

Apply a scheme for diagnosing a conflict situation;

Professionally manage a conflict situation by changing the main characteristics and elements;

Professionally "embedding in the conflict" in order to manage the situation from the inside, etc.;

Thus, by methodically “splitting” the conflict and determining the place of the conflict, we are building a certain structure that allows us to approach the richness of content and recognize the finest nuances of this social phenomenon.

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stages of conflict. Sociologists argue that conflict interaction is a normal state of society. After all, any society, regardless of the era, is characterized by the presence of situations of confrontation. Even when interpersonal interaction is built harmoniously and is based on mutual understanding, clashes are inevitable. So that confrontations do not destroy the life of society, so that public interaction is adequate, it is necessary to know the main stages of the development of the conflict, which will help to identify the moment of the onset of confrontation, effectively smooth out sharp corners in disputes and disagreements. Most psychologists recommend using confrontation as a source of self-learning and life experience. An analysis of a conflict situation allows you to learn more about your own person, the subjects involved in the confrontation and the situation that provoked the confrontation.

Stages of conflict development

It is customary to distinguish four concepts of the stage of development of conflicts: the pre-conflict stage, the conflict itself, the stage of resolving the contradiction and the post-conflict stage.

So, the main stages of the conflict: the pre-conflict stage. It begins with a pre-conflict situation, since any confrontation is initially preceded by an increase in tension in the interaction of potential subjects of the conflict process, provoked by certain contradictions. At the same time, not all contradictions and not always lead to conflict. Only those discrepancies entail a conflict process, which are recognized by the subjects of confrontation as an opposition of goals, interests and values. Tension is a psychological state of individuals, which is latent before the start of the conflict process.

Dissatisfaction is considered one of the key factors in the emergence of conflicts.

The accumulation of dissatisfaction due to the status quo or the development of events leads to an increase in tension. A potential subject of conflict confrontation, dissatisfied with the objectively established state of affairs, finds the alleged and real culprits of his dissatisfaction. At the same time, the subjects of a conflict encounter understand the insolubility of the formed situation of confrontation by the usual methods of interaction. In this way, the problematic situation gradually develops into a clear collision. At the same time, a disputable situation can exist regardless of subjective-objective conditions for a long time without transforming directly into a conflict. In order for the conflict process to start, an incident is needed, that is, a formal pretext for the emergence of a direct clash of participants. An incident may appear by chance or be provoked by the subject of a conflict confrontation. Moreover, it can also be the result of the natural course of events.

A conflict situation, as a stage in the development of a conflict, is far from always identified, since often a clash can begin directly with a clash of parties, in other words, it begins with an incident.

According to the nature of the origin, four types of conflict situations are distinguished: objective-purposeful and non-targeted, subjective-targeted and non-targeted.

A conflict situation, as a stage of a conflict, is created by one opponent or several participants in the interaction and is most often a condition for the emergence of a conflict process.

As mentioned above, for the occurrence of a direct collision, the presence of an incident, coupled with a situation of confrontation, is necessary. In this case, the situation of confrontation arises before the incident (incident). It can be formed objectively, that is, outside the desire of people, and subjectively, due to the motives of behavior, the conscious aspirations of opposing participants.

The main stages in the development of a conflict are the conflict itself.

The beginning of a clear confrontation of the participants is a consequence of the conflict style of behavioral response, which refers to actions aimed at the confronting party for the sake of capturing, holding the object of the dispute, or forcing the opponent to change their own intentions or renounce them.

There are four forms of conflict behavior style:

Challenge or active-conflict style;

Challenge response or passive-conflict style;

Conflict-compromise model;

compromising behavior.

The confrontation acquires its own logic and development depending on the problem setting and the style of conflict behavioral response of the participants. The developing confrontation is characterized by a tendency to create additional reasons for its own aggravation and growth. Therefore, each confrontation has its own stages of conflict dynamics and is unique to some extent.

The confrontation can develop according to two scenarios: enter the escalation phase or bypass it. In other words, the dynamics of the development of a collision at the stage of a conflict is denoted by the term escalation, which is characterized by an increase in the destructive actions of the opposing sides. Escalation of conflicts can often lead to irreversible consequences.

Usually, there are three main stages of conflict dynamics that occur at this stage:

The development of confrontation from a latent form into an open clash of opponents;

Further growth (escalation) of the conflict;

The confrontation reaches its peak and takes the form of a general war, which is not shunned by any means.

At the last stage of the conflict, development occurs as follows: the conflicting participants "forget" the real causes of the conflict. For them, the main goal is to cause maximum damage to the enemy.

The main stages of the development of the conflict - the resolution of the confrontation.

The intensity and duration of the confrontation depend on many conditions and factors. At a certain stage of the course of the confrontation, the opposing participants can significantly change their opinion about their own potential and about the capabilities of the opponent. That is, the time has come for a “reassessment of values”, due to the renewed relationships that arose as a result of the conflict, the realization of the exorbitant “cost” of success or the inability to achieve goals. This pushes opponents to transform the tactics and style of conflict confrontation. At this stage, one of the opposing parties or both seek to find ways to resolve the problem situation, as a result of which, as a rule, the intensity of the struggle is on the decline. With this, the process of ending the conflict interaction begins. However, this does not exclude a new aggravation.

The final stage of confrontation is after conflict.

The end of the immediate confrontation of opponents does not always mark the complete resolution of the confrontation. In many respects, the degree of satisfaction of the subjects of conflict interaction or dissatisfaction of the participants with the “concluded peace agreements” is characterized by dependence on the following provisions:

Has the goal pursued by the conflict been achieved, and to what extent is it satisfied;

By what means and methods was the confrontation waged;

How great is the damage of the parties (for example, material);

How high is the degree of infringement of the dignity of opponents;

Was it possible to eliminate the emotional tension of the participants during the conclusion of the “peace”;

What methods were the basis of negotiation interaction;

To what extent it was possible to coordinate the interests of the participants;

Whether the compromise solution was imposed as a result of coercion or was the result of mutual finding a way to resolve the conflict;

What is the reaction of the social environment to the results of the conflict.

Stages of social conflict

Taking a direct part in the confrontation, it is quite difficult to abstract and think about something else, because often the divergence of views is quite sharp. At the same time, observers of confrontation can easily identify the main stages of social conflict. Sociologists usually disagree on the number of stages of social confrontation. But all of them are similar in the definition of social confrontation. In a narrow sense, social confrontation is a confrontation caused by disagreements between social communities in the justification of labor activity, a general deterioration in the economic condition and status situation, or in comparison with other teams, a decrease in the level of satisfaction with joint activities. A characteristic sign of social confrontation is the existence of an object of confrontation, the possession of which is associated with individuals involved in social confrontation.

The main stages of social conflict: latent (hidden growth of discontent), peak of social tension (clear expression of confrontation, active actions of the participants), resolution of the collision (reduction of social tension by overcoming the crisis).

The latent stage marks the stage of the emergence of the conflict. Often it is not even visible to an outside observer. All actions of this stage develop at the social and psychological level.

Examples of the stage of the conflict - the origin (talks in smoking rooms or offices). The growth of this phase can be traced by a number of indirect signs. At the latent stage of the conflict, examples of signs can be given as follows: an increase in the number of absenteeism, layoffs.

This stage can be quite lengthy in duration.

The peak phase is the critical point of opposition. At the peak stage of the course of the conflict, the interaction between the opposing sides reaches the utmost sharpness and intensity. It is important to be able to identify the passage of this point, since the situation of confrontation after its peak, as a rule, is manageable. At the same time, sociologists argue that intervention in a collision at the peak phase is useless, often even dangerous.

At the peak stage of the conflict, examples include the following: armed mass uprisings, territorial disagreements between the powers, strikes.

The fading of the confrontation occurs either due to the exhaustion of the resources of one of the parties involved, or the achievement of an agreement.

Stages of conflict resolution

Social confrontation will be observed until obvious and clear conditions arise for its completion. An external sign of the end of the conflict may be the end of the incident, which means the end of the conflict interaction between the subjects of the confrontation. Completion of conflict interaction is considered a necessary, but not sufficient condition for the extinction of confrontation. Because under certain circumstances, an extinguished conflict can ignite again. In other words, the situation of not fully resolved conflict provokes its resumption on the same foundation or due to a new reason.

However, the incomplete resolution of the confrontation still cannot be considered as a detrimental action. Often it is caused objectively, since not every collision is resolved on the first try and forever. On the contrary, human existence is filled with conflicts that are resolved either temporarily or partially.

The concepts of the stage of conflicts enable the subjects of confrontation to outline the most appropriate behavioral model.

The stage of confrontation resolution involves the following variations in the development of the situation:

The clear superiority of one subject of interaction allows him to impose his own conditions for the completion of the collision on the opponent;

The struggle may drag on until the surrender of one of the participants;

Due to the scarcity of resources, the struggle takes on a long, sluggish character;

Having used all the resources, without revealing the indisputable winner, the subjects make concessions;

The confrontation can be terminated under pressure from a third party.

The stage of resolving conflict interaction with the ability to regulate the confrontation can and even should begin before the actual conflict arises. To this end, it is recommended to use the following forms of constructive resolution: collective discussion, negotiations, etc.

There are many ways to constructively end the confrontation. For the most part, these methods are aimed at modifying the situation of confrontation itself; they also apply influence on the subjects of the conflict or change the characteristics of the conflict object.

Speaker of the Medical and Psychological Center "PsychoMed"

No social conflict arises instantly. Emotional stress, irritation and anger usually accumulate over time, so the pre-conflict stage sometimes drags on so much that the root cause of the collision is forgotten.

A characteristic feature of every conflict at the moment of its inception is the presence of an object, the possession of which (or the achievement of which) is associated with the frustration of the needs of the two subjects drawn into the conflict. This object must be fundamentally indivisible or appear as such in the eyes of the opponents. It happens that this object can be divided without conflict, but at the moment of its inception, the rivals do not see the way to this, and their aggression is directed at each other. Let's call this indivisible object the cause of the conflict. The presence and size of such an object must be at least partially realized by its participants or opposing sides. If this does not happen, then it is difficult for the opponents to carry out an aggressive action and, as a rule, there is no conflict.

The pre-conflict stage is the period in which the conflicting parties evaluate their resources before deciding to act aggressively or retreat. These resources include material values ​​that can be used to influence an opponent, information, power, connections, prestige, etc.

At the same time, there is a consolidation of the forces of the warring parties, the search for supporters and the formation of groups participating in the conflict.

Initially, each of the conflicting parties is looking for ways to achieve goals, avoid frustration without influencing the opponent. When all attempts to achieve the desired are in vain, the individual or social group determines the object that hinders the achievement of goals, the degree of his "guilt", the strength and ability to counteract. This moment in the pre-conflict stage is called identification. In other words, it is a search for those who interfere with the satisfaction of needs and against whom aggressive social actions should be used. It happens that the cause of frustration is hidden and difficult to identify. Then it is possible to choose an object for aggression, which has nothing to do with blocking the need. This false identification can lead to an impact on a third-party object, a response and a false conflict. Sometimes false identification is created artificially in order to divert attention from the true source of frustration. For example, a government in a country tries to avoid dissatisfaction with its actions by shifting the blame to national groups or to certain social strata. False conflicts, as a rule, do not eliminate the causes of collisions, but only exacerbate the situation, creating opportunities for the spread of conflict interactions.

The pre-conflict stage is also characterized by the formation of each of the conflicting parties of a strategy or even several strategies. Moreover, the one that best suits the situation is used. In our case, strategy is understood as the vision of the situation by the participants in the conflict (or, as they say, "bridgehead"), the formation of a goal in relation to the opposing side, and, finally, the choice of a method of influencing the enemy.

Rivals scout to find out each other's weaknesses and possible ways to respond, and then they themselves try to calculate their own actions several moves ahead.

The pre-conflict stage is of scientific and practical interest, both for scientists and managers, since with the right choice of strategy and methods of action, conflicts can be prevented.

Question. Concepts of conflict and conflict situation.

Conflict - this is a clash of incompatible views, positions, interests, a confrontation between two or more parties that are interconnected, but pursue their goals.

Conflict situation - a situation that objectively contains clear prerequisites for conflict, provoking hostile actions, conflict.

Conflict situation - this is the emergence of disagreements, i.e., a clash of desires, opinions, interests. A conflict situation occurs during a discussion, a dispute.

Question. Structural elements of the conflict.

Structural elements of conflict

Parties to the conflict (subjects of the conflict) - social subjects. interactions that are in a state of conflict or that explicitly or implicitly support conflicting

The subject of the conflict, what causes the conflict;

Images of the subject of the conflict (conflict situation) - displaying the subject of the conflict in the minds of the subjects of conflict interaction.

Motives for the conflict - internal motivating forces pushing the subjects of social interaction to conflict (motives appear in the form of needs, interests, goals, ideals, beliefs).

The positions of the conflicting parties - what they say to each other during the conflict or in the negotiation process.

Question. The main stages of the conflict.

The main stages of the development of the conflict

Usually, four stages of development are distinguished in social conflict:

  1. pre-conflict stage.
  2. The actual conflict.
  3. Conflict resolution.
  4. post-conflict stage.

Let's consider each of the stages in more detail.

Pre-conflict stage
A pre-conflict situation is an increase in tension between potential subjects of the conflict, caused by certain contradictions. But contradictions do not always develop into conflict. Only those contradictions that are recognized by potential subjects of the conflict as incompatible lead to an aggravation of social tension.

Social tension is also not always a harbinger of conflict. This is a complex social phenomenon, the causes of which can be very different. Let's name the most characteristic reasons causing the growth of social tension:

  1. Real infringement of the interests, needs and values ​​of people.
  2. Inadequate perception of changes taking place in society or individual social communities.
  3. Incorrect or distorted information about certain (real or imaginary) facts, events, etc.

Social tension, in fact, is the psychological state of people and before the start of the conflict is latent (hidden) in nature. Group emotions are the most characteristic manifestation of social tension during this period. A certain level of social tension in an optimally functioning society is a natural protective and adaptive reaction of the social organism. However, exceeding the optimal level of social tension can lead to conflicts.

In real life, the causes of social tension may overlap or be replaced by one another. For example, negative attitudes towards the market among some Russian citizens are caused primarily by economic difficulties, but often manifest themselves as value orientations. And vice versa, value orientations, as a rule, are justified by economic reasons.

One of the key concepts in social conflict is also dissatisfaction. The accumulation of dissatisfaction with the existing state of affairs or the course of events leads to an increase in social tension. At the same time, dissatisfaction is transformed from subjective-objective relations into subjective-subjective ones. The essence of this transformation is that the potential subject of the conflict identifies (personifies) the real (or alleged) culprits of his dissatisfaction and at the same time realizes the insolubility of the current situation by the usual methods of interaction.

The pre-conflict stage can be divided into three phases of development, which are characterized by the following features in the relationship of the parties:

  1. The emergence of contradictions about a certain controversial object; growth of distrust and social tension; presentation of unilateral or mutual claims; reduction of contacts and the accumulation of resentment.
  2. The desire to prove the legitimacy of their claims and the accusation of the enemy of unwillingness to resolve disputed issues by "fair" methods; closing on their own stereotypes; the appearance of prejudice and hostility in the emotional sphere.
  3. Destruction of interaction structures; transition from mutual accusations to threats; growth of aggressiveness; the formation of the "image of the enemy" and the setting for the fight.

Thus, the conflict situation is gradually transformed into an open conflict. But by itself, it can exist for a long time and not develop into a conflict. In order for the conflict to become real, an incident is needed.

Incident- a formal occasion, a case for the start of a direct clash of the parties. For example, the assassination in Sarajevo of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne Franz Ferdinand and his wife, carried out by a group of Bosnian terrorists on August 28, 1914, became a formal reason for the start of the First World War. Although, objectively, tension between the Entente and the German military bloc has existed for many years.

An incident can happen by accident, or it can be provoked by the subject (subjects) of the conflict, be the result of a natural course of events. It happens that an incident is prepared and provoked by some third force, pursuing its own interests in the alleged "foreign" conflict.

  1. Objective purposeful (for example, new forms of education are introduced, and there is a need to change the structure of teaching and replace the teaching staff).
  2. Objective non-purposeful (the natural course of development of production comes into conflict with the existing organization of labor).
  3. Subjective goal-oriented (a person goes into conflict in order to solve his problems).
  4. Subjective non-targeted (inadvertently the interests of two or more parties collided); for example, one ticket to a health resort, but there are several applicants.

The incident marks the transition of the conflict to a new quality. In this situation, there are three options for the behavior of the conflicting parties:

  1. The parties (side) strive to settle the contradictions that have arisen and find a compromise.
  2. One of the parties pretends that “nothing special happened” (avoidance of the conflict).
  3. The incident becomes a signal for the beginning of an open confrontation. The choice of one or another option largely depends on the conflict setting (goals, expectations, emotional orientation) of the parties.

Stage of development of the conflict
The beginning of an open confrontation of the parties is the result of conflict behavior, which is understood as actions aimed at the opposing side with the aim of capturing, holding the disputed object or forcing the opponent to abandon their goals or to change them. Conflictologists distinguish several forms of conflict behavior:

  • active-conflict behavior (challenge);
  • passive-conflict behavior (response to a challenge);
  • conflict-compromise behavior;
  • compromise behaviour.

Depending on the conflict setting and the form of behavior of the parties, the conflict acquires the logic of development. Developing conflict tends to create additional causes of deepening and expansion. Each new "victim" becomes an "excuse" for the escalation of the conflict. Therefore, each conflict is unique to some extent. There are three main phases in the development of the conflict at its second stage of development:

  1. The transition of the conflict from a latent state to an open confrontation of the parties. The struggle is still being waged with limited resources and is local in nature. There is a first test of strength. At this stage, there are still real opportunities to stop the open struggle and resolve the conflict by other methods.
  2. Further escalation of confrontation. To achieve their goals and block the actions of the enemy, new resources of the parties are introduced. Almost all opportunities to find a compromise are lost. The conflict is becoming more and more unmanageable and unpredictable.
  3. The conflict reaches its climax and takes the form of a total war with the use of all possible forces and means. At this phase, the conflicting parties seem to forget the true causes and goals of the conflict. The main goal of the confrontation is to cause maximum damage to the enemy.

Stage of conflict resolution
The duration and intensity of the conflict depend on the goals and objectives of the parties, the resources, means and methods of waging a struggle, the reaction to the conflict of the environment, the symbols of victory and defeat, the available (and possible) methods (mechanisms) for finding consensus, etc.

Conflicts are also classified according to the degree of normative regulation, on one end of the continuum - institutionalized (such as a duel), and on the other - absolute conflicts (struggle until the opponent is completely destroyed). Between these extreme points there are conflicts of varying degrees of institutionalization.

At a certain stage in the development of the conflict, the opposing sides may significantly change their ideas about the capabilities of their own and the enemy. There comes a moment of reassessment of values, due to new relationships, alignment of forces, awareness of the real situation - the inability to achieve goals or the exorbitant price of success. All this stimulates a change in the tactics and strategy of conflict behavior. In this case, the conflicting parties begin to look for ways of reconciliation, and the intensity of the struggle, as a rule, subsides. From this moment, the process of ending the conflict actually begins, which does not exclude new aggravations.

At the stage of conflict resolution, the following scenarios are possible:

  1. the obvious superiority of one of the parties allows it to impose its own conditions for ending the conflict on a weaker opponent;
  2. the struggle goes on until the complete defeat of one of the parties;
  3. the struggle takes on a protracted, sluggish character due to lack of resources;
  4. the parties make mutual concessions in the conflict, having exhausted their resources and not identifying a clear (potential) winner;
  5. the conflict can be stopped under the pressure of a third force.

Social conflict will continue until there are real conditions for its termination. In a fully institutionalized conflict, such conditions can be determined before the confrontation begins (as in a game where the rules for its completion are defined), or they can be worked out and agreed upon in the course of development. If the conflict is partially institutionalized or not institutionalized at all, then additional problems of its completion arise.

There are also absolute conflicts in which the struggle is fought until the complete destruction of one or both rivals. The more rigidly the subject of the dispute is outlined, the more obvious the signs that mark the victory and defeat of the parties, the greater the chances for its localization.

Ways to end the conflict are mainly aimed at changing the conflict situation itself, either by influencing the participants, or by changing the characteristics of the object of the conflict, or in other ways. Let's look at some of these methods.

  1. Eliminate the object of conflict.
  2. Replacing one object with another.
  3. Elimination of one side of the parties to the conflict.
  4. Change of position of one of the parties.
  5. Changing the characteristics of the object and subject of the conflict.
  6. Obtaining new information about an object or creating additional conditions.
  7. Prevention of direct or indirect interaction of participants.
  8. The arrival of the parties to the conflict to a single decision or appeal to the arbitrator, subject to submission to any of his decisions.

One of the forced methods of ending the conflict is coercion. For example, the military conflict between Bosnian Serbs, Muslims and Croats. Peacekeeping forces (NATO, UN) literally forced the conflicting parties to sit down at the negotiating table.

Negotiation
The final stage of the conflict resolution stage involves negotiations and legal registration of the agreements reached. In interpersonal and intergroup conflicts, the results of negotiations can take the form of verbal agreements and mutual obligations of the parties. Usually one of the conditions for starting the negotiation process is a temporary truce. But options are possible when, at the stage of preliminary agreements, the parties not only do not stop hostilities, but go to aggravate the conflict, trying to strengthen their positions in the negotiations.

Negotiations involve a mutual search for a compromise between the conflicting parties and include possible procedures.

  1. Recognition of the existence of a conflict.
  2. Approval of procedural rules and regulations.
  3. Identification of the main contentious issues (drawing up the “Minutes of Disagreements”).
  4. Exploring possible solutions to problems.
  5. Search for agreements on each controversial issue and settlement of the conflict as a whole.
  6. Documentation of all agreements reached.
  7. Fulfillment of all accepted mutual obligations.

Negotiations can differ both in the level of the contracting parties and in the existing disagreements. But the basic procedures (elements) of negotiations remain unchanged. The method of "principled negotiation" or "substantive negotiation" developed by the Harvard Negotiation Project, outlined in the book The Path to Agreement, or Negotiating Without Defeat by Roger Fisher and William Ury, boils down to four points.

  1. People. Make a distinction between the negotiators and the subject of the negotiation.
  2. Interests. Focus on interests, not positions.
  3. Options. Highlight the possibilities before making a decision.
  4. Criteria. Insist that the result be based on some objective standard.

The basis of the negotiation process can be based on the method of compromise, based on mutual concessions of the parties, or the method of consensus, focused on the joint solution of existing problems.

The methods of conducting negotiations and their results depend not only on the relationship between the warring parties, but also on the internal situation of each of the parties, relations with allies and other non-conflict factors.

Post-conflict stage
The end of the direct confrontation of the parties does not always mean that the conflict is completely resolved.

The degree of satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the parties with the concluded peace agreements will largely depend on the following provisions:

  • to what extent it was possible to achieve the pursued goal during the conflict and subsequent negotiations;
  • what methods and ways the struggle was waged;
  • how great are the losses of the parties (human, material, territorial, etc.);
  • how great is the degree of infringement of the self-esteem of one or another side;
  • whether it was possible, as a result of the conclusion of peace, to relieve the emotional tension of the parties;
  • what methods were used as the basis of the negotiation process;
  • to what extent it was possible to balance the interests of the parties;
  • whether the compromise was imposed by one of the parties or by a third force, or was the result of a mutual search for a solution to the conflict;
  • what is the reaction of the surrounding social environment to the outcome of the conflict.

If the parties believe that the signed peace agreements infringe on their interests, tensions will continue, and the end of the conflict may be perceived as a temporary respite. Peace, concluded as a result of mutual depletion of resources, is also not always able to resolve the main contentious problems. The most durable is a peace concluded on the basis of consensus, when the parties consider the conflict to be completely resolved and build their relations on the basis of trust and cooperation.

With any option for resolving the conflict, social tension in relations between former opponents will persist for a certain period of time. Sometimes it takes decades to remove mutual negative perceptions, until new generations of people grow up who have not experienced all the horrors of the past conflict. On a subconscious level, such negative perceptions of former opponents can be passed on from generation to generation and each time “pop up” with the next aggravation of controversial issues.

The post-conflict stage marks a new objective reality: a new alignment of forces, new relations of opponents to each other and to the surrounding social environment, a new vision of existing problems and a new assessment of their strengths and capabilities. For example, the Chechen war literally forced the top Russian leadership to build its relations with the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria in a new way, take a fresh look at the situation in the entire Caucasus region and more realistically assess Russia's combat and economic potential.