Theoretical Approaches

 

Definitions of conflict

It is difficult to find one encompassing definition of conflict. Some consider violence to be “A state of opposition, disagreement or incompatibility between two or more parties, which is sometimes, but not necessarily characterized by violence”, while others perceived violence as “An interaction or situation of tension between interdependent people who perceive incompatible interests, needs and goals.”

Boulding (1962) sees conflict as “a form of competitive behavior between two different parties. It occurs when two or more parties compete over perceived or actual incompatible goals or limited resources”.  This definition indicates competitive behaviour but as we discussed, conflict does necessarily need to take competitive forms. What we often have in mind when we talk about conflict is violence. But you can end conflicts peacefully. Violence is just one option you have when in conflict.

Aspects of conflict

Conflict can be both negative and positive. Negative conflict:

–          creates an environment of fear, frustration, distrust and avoidance,

–          hampers productivity

–          lowers moral

While conflict and also positively help people:

–          raise and address problems

–          focus on the most appropriate issues in their communities

–          “be real” and motivates them to participate in society

Types of conflict are also diverse. They include:

–          Intrapersonal (struggle within yourself)

–          Interpersonal (between to people – but others around you are also affected)

–          Group

–          Organizational

–          Community

–          Intra-state (civil)

–          International

It is important to recognize, however, that even localized conflicts may have global implications.

Understanding violence

There are three main understandings of what violence is – direct, structural, cultural. The most common perception and indeed the one most visible is direct violence.

Direct violence refers to acts such as killing, repression, detention, domestic violence, and torture.

Structural violence is all forms of unequal treatment, oppression and discrimination. They are interpreted as expressions of structural violence because they are built into the structures of societies and organisations, although seldom taking directly violent form. The example was give that in Germany, those seeking asylum do not have the right to work while their application is pending. The concept of addressing structural violence is underpinned by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is the baseline reference in establishing a normative point of view. Addressing  structural violence does not necessarily occur through law, but also through informal mechanisms such as UN declarations.

Cultural violence is often an instrument to justify structural or direct forms of violence. Cultural violence includes all forms of symbolic aspects of culture that are used to legitimize direct and structural violence.

Johan Galtung is the father of peace and conflict studies – the Galtung triangles attempt to summaries his approached to peacebuilding. All are interlinked.

                    

The first triangle highlights the link between stakeholders:

Attitudes –What do I feel about the conflict? Often linked to cultural forms of violence

Behaviour – Attitude has an influence on behaviour. Link to direct violence

Contradiction – What are they struggling about in the context?

Triangle 2 looks at the links between structural, cultural and direct violence, while the third highlights the interconnectedness of peacebuilding, peacemaking and peacekeeping.

Definitions of peace, approaches to peace and approaches to conflict:

Peacebuilding is an umbrella term that refers to measures designed to consolidate peaceful relations. It refers to the structural transformations required to ensure sustainable and peaceful societies. There are two main aims of peacebuilding. One, stopping violence and destructive conflict, and two, building just and sustainable peace. Similarly, there are different approaches to ending conflicts, and this remains a very academic debate.

Peace can either be negative peace or positive peace. Negative peace is an absence of direct violence, while positive peace addresses structural and cultural violence.

Just peace is a context of high justice and low violent patterns in a given society which determine social interaction and conflict transformation.

Peacemaking refers to changing universal attitudes through dialogue and mediated negotiations.

Peacekeeping refers to ending direct violence

Conflict management – An umbrella term referring to any efforts undertaken to settle a conflict and to get the conflicting parties involved in that process. Term referring to high level negotiations settling wars with ceasefires etc.

Conflict resolution – aims to resolve a conflict by addressing its roots and identifying possible solutions to conflict at the stake

Conflict transformation – is any process transforming relationships, interests, needs, pattern of behaviour or social contexts to bring about peace. The transformation cycle is not asymmetric, however, as power structures are not equal.  Most peacebuilding practitioners prefer to talk about conflict transformation.