Types of Conflict

Conflict can occur in many situations and may be of varied types. Especially important to understand are the differences between (1) content and relationship conflicts, (2) online and workplace conflicts, and (3) the various conflict styles that individuals have.

Content and Relationship Conflicts

We may distinguish between content conflict and relationship conflict. Content conflicts center on objects, events, and persons in the world that are usually, but not always, external to the parties involved in the conflict. These include the millions of issues that you argue and fight about every day – the value of a particular movie, what to watch on television, the fairness of the last examination or job promotion, the way to spend your savings.

Relationship conflicts are equally numerous and include such conflict situations as a younger brother who does not obey his older brother, group members who all want the final say in what the group decides, and the mother and daughter who each want to have the final word concerning the daughter's lifestyle. Here the conflicts are concerned not so much with some external object as with the relationships between the individuals – with such issues as who is in charge, how equal the partners in a primary relationship are, the importance of each group member, or who has the right to set down rules of behavior.

Content conflicts are usually manifest; they're clearly observable and identifiable. Relationship conflicts are often latent; they tend to be hidden and much more difficult to identify. Thus, a conflict over where you should vacation may on the surface, or manifest, level center on the advantages and disadvantages of Mexico versus Hawaii. On a relationship and often latent level, however, the conflict may be about who has the greater right to select the place to vacation, who should win the argument, who is the decision maker in the relationship, and so on.

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