The Conflict Perspective
Dawn Peace
September 15, 2016
Western Carolina University
Author Note
Prepared for SOCW 354 taught by Dr. Tonya Westbrook The conflict perspective interprets society as a struggle for power between groups engaging in competition for limited resources. This perspective developed from the concepts of Karl Marx, who believed society is a dynamic entity, constantly undergoing change driven by class conflict (Boundless, 2016). These conflicts arise when resources, status, and power are unevenly distributed between groups in society, and that these conflicts become the engine for social change. Using this perspective, power can be understood as control of material resources and accumulated wealth, control of politics and the …show more content…
Contemporary conflict perspective is usually credited to Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels, along with Max Weber (Hutchison, 2015). C. Wright Mills, founder of the modern conflict theory, believes social structures are created out of conflict between differing interests. People are then impacted by the creation of social structures, and the usual result is a disparity of power between the "elite" and the "others." An example of the “elite” would be large corporations (Boundless, 2016). Conflict theory emphasizes change, stating that society is in constant conflict over resources, which is what drives social change. This change comes about through conflict between competing groups instead of consensus or adaptation (Ahmed & Chaudhry, 2014). As an example, conflict perspective would explain the civil rights movements of the 1960s by studying how the oppressed group challenged the lopsided distribution of power and resources. As in this example, conflict perspective generally sees social change as abrupt, rather than incremental (Nasir & Chaudhry,
Dawn Peace
September 15, 2016
Western Carolina University
Author Note
Prepared for SOCW 354 taught by Dr. Tonya Westbrook The conflict perspective interprets society as a struggle for power between groups engaging in competition for limited resources. This perspective developed from the concepts of Karl Marx, who believed society is a dynamic entity, constantly undergoing change driven by class conflict (Boundless, 2016). These conflicts arise when resources, status, and power are unevenly distributed between groups in society, and that these conflicts become the engine for social change. Using this perspective, power can be understood as control of material resources and accumulated wealth, control of politics and the …show more content…
Contemporary conflict perspective is usually credited to Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels, along with Max Weber (Hutchison, 2015). C. Wright Mills, founder of the modern conflict theory, believes social structures are created out of conflict between differing interests. People are then impacted by the creation of social structures, and the usual result is a disparity of power between the "elite" and the "others." An example of the “elite” would be large corporations (Boundless, 2016). Conflict theory emphasizes change, stating that society is in constant conflict over resources, which is what drives social change. This change comes about through conflict between competing groups instead of consensus or adaptation (Ahmed & Chaudhry, 2014). As an example, conflict perspective would explain the civil rights movements of the 1960s by studying how the oppressed group challenged the lopsided distribution of power and resources. As in this example, conflict perspective generally sees social change as abrupt, rather than incremental (Nasir & Chaudhry,