What´s Conflict Theory?

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Conflict theory is a theory that claims society is in a state of everlasting conflict due to competition for limited resources. Conflict theory holds that social order is preserved by domination and authority, rather than harmony and conformity. According to conflict theory, those with fortune and power try to hold on to it by any means possible, primarily by suppressing the underprivileged and powerless. Conflict theory also credits most of the fundamental developments in human history, such as democracy and civil rights, to attempt to control the common people rather than to a desire for social order. Conflict theory proposes that each individual or group struggles to attain the maximum benefit. This causes society to change constantly in response to social inequality and social conflict. Karl Marx rooted and developed the idea of conflict theory. Marx is a German philosopher, economist, and sociologist that were born on May 5, 1818 in Trier. He studied at the University of Berlin and Bonn where he formulated Marxism, theories about society, politics, and economics. He called capitalism the "dictatorship of the bourgeoisie," believing it to be ran by the wealthy classes for their own benefit; like previous socioeconomic systems, capitalism produced internal tensions which would lead to its self-destruction and replacement by a new system: socialism. Marx vigorously fought for their seat at the big table, arguing that social theorists and underprivileged people alike should carry out organized action to topple capitalism and bring change. Conflict theory is a macro level theory. It has three main points of view: 1) society is a system of accommodations among competing interest groups/ social class of conflict, 2) Social systems ... ... middle of paper ... ...s of women, has been a topic of serious discussion not only within academic and activist communities, but also by governmental agencies and international bodies such as the United Nations. These discussions seek to identify widespread, barriers to access for women in their societies. Another example of inequality is racial inequality. Racial inequality is the result of discrimination between ethnic groups within a society and often established based on characteristics such as skin color and place of origin or culture. Unequal treatment and opportunities between racial groups is usually the result of some people being considered superior to others. This inequality can manifest through discriminatory hiring practices on job sites. In some cases, employers have been shown to prefer hiring potential employees based on the professed ethnicity of a candidate’s given name.

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