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STAGE 1: Entrenchment
The first stage of conflict escalation develops when a divergence over some issue or frustration in a relationship proves resilient to resolution efforts. The problem remains, and leads to irritation.
The threshold to stage 2 is taken when one or both parties lose faith in the possibility of solving the problems through straight and fair verbal discussions.
STAGE 2: Debate
The parties look for more firm and stronger ways of pushing through their standpoints. The dispute is no longer restricted only to a well-defined issue, but the parties start to feel that their general position is at stake. Debates are no longer only focused on which standpoint has more merits, but also on who is most successful in promoting the standpoints, and how the outcomes of the debates affect one's reputation.
When rational and issue-relevant arguments don't promisingly ensure success, the parties resort to "quasi-rational" argumentation, such as the underlying causes of the present problems avoiding blame; strong exaggeration of the implications and consequences of the counterpart's standpoints; suggestive comments about the relation of the central issue with other concerns, linking the issue to larger value ideologies, reference to recognized authorities or tradition in order to gain legitimacy for a standpoint; stating the alternatives as extremes, in order to get the opponent to accept a "reasonable compromise."
Discussions now turn into debates, where inflexible standpoints collide. The growing mistrust creates a sense of insecurity and loss of control. Efforts to control the counterpart belong to later escalation stages.
The threshold to stage 3 is related to the basic right of each party to be heard of mutual interest.
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...the adversary. When a party is attacked in a way that threatens to shatter it, it is forced to make strong efforts to suppress internal conflicts. The only restraining factor is the concern for one's own survival.
The threshold to stage 9 is reached when the self-preservation drive is given up. When this happens, there is no check at all on further destructiveness.
STAGE 9: Total destruction
In the last stage of conflict escalation, the drive to annihilate the enemy is so strong that even the self-preservation instinct is neglected. Not even one's own survival counts, the enemy shall be exterminated even at the price of destruction of one's own very existence as an organization, group, or individual. All bridges are burnt, there is no return. The only remaining concern in the race towards the other side is to make sure that the other side is equally destructed too.
Conflict is constant. It is everywhere. It exists within one’s own mind, different desires fighting for dominance. It exists outside in nature, different animals fighting for the limited resources available, and it exists in human society, in the courts. It can occur subtly, making small changes that do not register consciously, and it can occur directly and violently, the use of pure strength, whether physical, social, economic, or academic, to assert dominance and achieve one’s goals; this is the use of force. Yet, with the use of force, the user of force is destined to be one day felled by it. “He who lives by the sword will die by the sword.”
The way someone manages a difference can make conflict turn into a sphere of harm or a sphere of value. The sphere of harm is when differences are managed in destructive and damaging ways. Littlejohn states (2014) states, “Conflicts are managed so badly that damage is done to people, relationships, and, indeed, entire social worlds” (p. 188). If a party were to react to an indifference by using physical or verbal violence the conflict would move into the sphere of harm. On the other hand, the sphere of value is when differences are significant, but not controversial. Instead, parties value the difference, appreciate it and view it as a positive asset. The goal of conflict is to move from the sphere of harm to the sphere of
The second stage is when the female protagonist has to confront her biological femaleness. This happens with the little girl in 'Remember the Titans' when she starts spending time with Coach Boone's children, who are more conventionally "girly". At first she scorns them, but after a while a friendship grows up between them. She...
“We all fight on two fronts, the one facing the enemy, the other facing what we do to the enemy” (Boyden 199).
The second stage is autonomy verses shame and doubt. This occurs from about 18 months of age to 3 years old. The basic virtue of this stage is will; can they do things on their own or do they require the help of others? Erikson believed that children around this age wanted to develop a greater sense...
Abigail, R. A., & Cahn, D. D. (2011). Managing conflict through communication. 4th Ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
- Trust vs. Mistrust. This stage occurs between birth and approximately 18 months of age. During this stage, the infant is uncertain about the world in which they live. According to
Despite the fact that people have common goals, more often than not, we see them grouped into contentious factions, fighting tooth and nail to promote differing government policies in the name of achieving those commonly held goals. Often the policies may be unproductive and often have the unintended consequence of sabotaging the goal. Almost always the conflict is centered around the means to achieve goals rather than the goals themselves.
On any given night when watching the news, there are bound to be a number of stories involving arguments. Usually there are two sides to each point of contention, and both sides seem unable to compromise. But there are also a large number of times when the media examines stories which are not argumentative, sometimes regarding fact, possibly human interest. This mix represents the multiple ways we view the world. Without a doubt, the argument culture to which Deborah Tannen refers in The Argument Culture exists, but it is nevertheless countered by a distinct interest in goodness and compromise rather than strictly confrontation. Unfortunately, differences in opinion are often staged as brutal battles rather than the potential for learning. Our society has started to shift from intellectually stimulating opinion-based discussions to more confrontational polarized debates, nevertheless there are a number of issues which are not argued at all.
The third stage is the concrete operational stage. Children from 7 years to 11 are most likely in this stage. In this stage children start to think logical about concrete events. They begin to understand basic concept of conservation. Their thinking becomes more logical and they start being less egocentric and begin to think about how other people might think and feel.
...e), and Stage III Balance (Normal). “Some people simply get caught in Stage I and never move beyond it. They may need some help to get to Stage III,” declares Grohol.
This includes discussions on how decisions should be made, whether it is consensus, unanimity or majority ruled. Finally, the addition of parties makes the gathering and sharing of information much more difficult. Negotiations need to be flexible enough to allow new information into a discussion. However, by increasing the size of a group, the amount of new information grows.
According to McShane and Von Glinow, conflict is “a process in which one party perceives that his or her interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party” (328). The Conflict Process Model begins with the different sources of conflict; these sources lead one or more parties to perceive that a conflict exists. These perceptions interact with emotions and manifest themselves in the behavior towards other parties. The arrows in the figure illustrate the series of conflict episodes that cycle into conflict escalation (McShane and Von Glinow 331-332).
There is thus an implied willingness from each side to not only listen, but also to find common ground.