Conflict psychology

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The term conflict psychology is used differently in areas that deal with intra-psychological or interpersonal conflicts . In contrast to conflict sociology, conflict psychology is not an established and defined term in the social sciences. It is often used in connection with conflict management , crisis management , conflict resolution, conflict resolution strategy, peace and conflict research and peace education . The conflict psychology directs our attention to psychological effects and causes of conflict fields . Furthermore, she deals with psychological methods of conflict avoidance and management. There is therefore clear overlap with peace psychology .

Conflict psychology in work, organization and socialization

The psychological effects of conflicts in areas of human work came into the focus of scientific knowledge rather by chance . During some industrial sociological experiments carried out between 1924 and 1932 in the Hawthorne factory of the Western Electric Company in Chicago (USA), the researchers noticed a surprising increase in performance despite the artificially deteriorated working conditions. The motivation increased because the employees perceived themselves to be part of the experiment. Since then, in sociology , social and organizational psychology and motivational research, the discourse about the importance of the informal structure alongside or opposite the formal organization has developed . The human relations movement - initiated by Elton Mayo , one of the researchers in the Hawthorne experiment - was looking for better informal structures, such as a working atmosphere, participation concepts and conflict management, in order to increase the motivation and motivation of the workforce . The critical psychology under the leadership of Ute Holzkamp-Osterkamp was able to identify the internal contradictions of this concept with its methods . The permanence of the conflict between owners (manufacturers, shareholders, etc.) on the one hand and dependent workers on the other has been able to be concealed, sometimes mitigated, but never resolved by the human relations movement.

The approach of the London Tavistock Institute promised to overcome this dilemma . Technical efficiency and human needs were perceived as components of an open system that functioned like a natural organism . In this way, technology could also adapt to people and not just the other way around.

Although the question of the extent to which human self-realization is even possible under the conditions of an unequal distribution of power remained unanswered, humans at least moved alongside the technical system. Humans and technology were treated - comparable to other action-oriented system theories - like areas of a system as a whole. The conflicts of interests and actions perceived in the work brought the social scientists into a dynamic connection with the educational organizations and family socialization . The theories of social systems opened up - especially through the socialization components - to an organizational and ultimately conflict-psychological way of thinking. In a comprehensive survey of American war volunteers, David Mantell found that the cause of their military aggressiveness was a power-based family socialization. Like Paul Watzlawick and Thomas Gordon , he saw relationship-rich communication as the prerequisite for peaceful coexistence. This opened up a new way of recognizing conflicts: Conflicts should no longer be "overcome". In every conflict, however, human and evolutionary components of social benefit were recognized. Heinz von Foerster discovered that of the community as an alternative to the solipsistic principle of behavior . In a global synopsis of multiple scientific disciplines, Erich Jantsch observed coevolution and cooperation as a consistent principle of knowledge and ethics . Alfie Kohn recognized the cooperation as the success model of the information society, "associative norms" derived from the cooperation were seen by Karl W. ter Horst as a positive counterpoint to power-oriented action, Joachim Bauer saw the cooperative abilities as the result of his neurological research and therapeutic experiences in the human nature. The term empathy , used by Carl Rogers for the further development of talk therapy , was brought up by Robert F. Antoch for a successful cooperation. Erika Spieß recognized in “empathic cooperation” the possibility of describing communication and the process-like nature of interpersonal behavior.

Cooperation is not a conflict resolution model, but a concept of human orientation. It can therefore be used profitably in all organizations - both in profit-oriented companies such as industry, trade, banks, etc., as well as in non-profit organizations such as hospitals, schools, universities, etc. - and at every hierarchical level of society. Conflict psychology has used different models of cooperation for coping with social crisis situations and can thus contribute its expertise from family to management consulting.

Conflict Psychology in International Conflicts and Peace Research

The term structural violence comes from Johan Galtung , one of the leading founders of peace and conflict research . The poverty gap of a people or a nation can be so great that structural violence prevails. Galtung wanted to use the term to express something that has taken on a gloomy shape under the surface, as it is with people who have had to endure suffering and hardship for many decades and can no longer imagine a life without this " fate ". It happens in secret, takes shape and structure in it. This is where the approach and task of conflict psychology lie: like psychology par excellence, it wants to make the psychological and psychological - mass , ethno and group psychological - backgrounds perceptible. Corresponding strategies in conflict psychology are essential to prevent the transition from structural to external violence - tribal feuds , rebellions , civil wars , ethnic and international conflicts. The principle applies: Violence contribution to violence prevention is a last resort and usually - historically well documented recently in the Iraq war - oil that brings the fire to blaze. The Christian ethics of peace therefore endeavors to consistently overcome the doctrine of a “ just war ” and to replace it with that of “just peace”. The World Council of Churches (= World Council of Churches) bundles the political, economic and ecological dimensions of peace in the conciliar process for justice, peace and the integrity of creation.

An international conflict often smoulders - the most dangerous globally was the East-West conflict - based on the principle of mutual deterrence through armament . The term autistic structures introduced by Dieter Senghaas can serve conflict psychology as an instrument for neutral and objective assessment of the situation and situation. In the event of a violent conflict, conflict psychology develops concepts of pacification with the aim of resolving the conflict through the cooperation of initially moderate conflict participants. A parable for this approach is the novel Bel Canto by Ann Patchett . A center for peace and conflict research where many threads come together is the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute . One of the most difficult tasks of conflict psychology is dealing with the consequences of conflict, war and violence. The spectrum ranges from therapeutic trauma coping to the co-conception of pedagogical didactics for dealing with the past and redesigning a peaceful community .

Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 , numerous English-language publications on Conflict Psychology have appeared . Most of them were intended to serve the psychological, often religious psychological assessment of global terrorism and often ended in a justification of the Western hegemony of values . In addition, there are also differentiated assessments of the origin and reality of current terrorism, including the respect and appreciation of the Islamic religion and culture. Only in this way - that is the knowledge of serious conflict psychologists - violence can be reduced and earthly peace increased.

Institutions for peace and conflict research

literature

  • Kurt Lewin: The solution of social conflicts (Ed. By Gertrud Weiss Lewin). Christian Verlag, Bad Nauheim, 1953 and: Kurt-Lewin-Werkausgabe , Vol. 4, Field Theory (edited by Carl-Friedrich Graumann). Huber Verlag, Bern, 1982 ISBN 312935140X
  • Johan Galtung: Structural violence. Contributions to peace and conflict research . Rowohlt Verlag, Reinbek near Hamburg, 1982 ISBN 3-499-11877-7
  • Alfie Kohn: With united forces: why the cooperation is superior to the competition? . Beltz Verlag, Weinheim, 1989 ISBN 3-407-85095-6
  • Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker: The threatened peace - today . Hanser Verlag, Munich 1994 ISBN 3-446-17697-7
  • Thomas Gordon: Family Conference . Heyne Verlag, Munich, 1996 (19th edition) ISBN 3-453-02984-4
  • Bernhard Zangl and Michael Zürn: Peace and War: Security in the National and Post-National Constellation . Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt a. M., 2003 ISBN 3-518-12337-8
  • Gert Sommer and Albert Fuchs (eds.): War and Peace: Handbook of Conflict and Peace Psychology . Beltz-Verlag, Weinheim, 2004 ISBN 3-621-27536-3
  • Dieter Senghaas: On earthly peace, realizations and assumptions . Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt a. M., 2004 ISBN 3-518-12384-X
  • Lutz von Rosenstiel, Walter Molt, Bruno Rüttinger: Outline of Psychology: Organizational Psychology , Vol. 22. Kohlhammer Verlag, Stuttgart, 2005 ISBN 3-17-016933-5
  • Joachim Bauer: The principle of humanity. Why we cooperate naturally . Hoffmann and Campe Verlag, Hamburg 2006 ISBN 978-3-455-50017-2
  • Georg Schreyögg and Jörg Sydow (eds): Cooperation and competition . From the series: Management Research Vol. 17. Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden, 2007 ISBN 978-3-8349-0575-8
  • Erika Spieß: Cooperation and Conflict . In: Heinz Schuler and Karlheinz Sonntag (Eds.): Concise dictionary of work and organizational psychology (pp. 339–347). Hogrefe Verlag, Göttingen, 2007 ISBN 978-3-8017-1849-7

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ute Holzkamp-Osterkamp: Fundamentals of Psychological Motivation Research I. Campus Verlag, Frankfurt, 1975 Fundamentals of Psychological Motivation Research 1
  2. ^ Talcott Parsons : Family, Socialization and Interaction Process. Free Press, 1955 (Ed. By Robert F. Bales ). In the further history of sociology see: Niklas Luhmann : Social Systems: Outline of a General Theory. 1st edition (reprint from 1984). Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt a. M., 2006
  3. ↑ On "Conflict" and "Organizational Psychology" cf. the articles of the same name in: Siegfried Grubitzsch and Günter Rexilius: Basic Psychological Concepts - Man and Society in Psychology - A Manual. Rowohlt Verlag, Reinbek bei Hamburg, 1987, pp. 552 ff. And 733 ff., ISBN 3-499-55438-0 . The term conflict psychology was introduced into German-speaking psychology by: Heinz-Rolf Lückert: Conflict Psychology. Reinhardt Verlag, Munich, 1957
  4. ↑ David Mantell: Family and Aggression. To practice violence and non-violence. An empirical study . Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt a. M., 1972 ISBN 3-10-047101-6
  5. ↑ Albert Vollmer gives an overview of the theories of conflicts in organizations: Conflict: a structure and process quality in interorganizational cooperation . University of Zurich, Zurich, 2005, p. 41 ff. ( PDF ( Memento from February 21, 2007 in the Internet Archive ))
  6. ↑ Heinz von Foerster : Constructing a Reality. In: Paul Watzlawick (ed.): The invented reality - How do we know what we think we know? Contributions to constructivism . Piper Verlag, Munich, 1981
  7. ↑ Erich Jantsch : The self-organization of the universe: From the Big Bang to the human spirit . Hanser Verlag, Munich 1980
  8. ^ Karl W. ter Horst : The split of consciousness - to a theory of social norms of action . Campus Verlag, Frankfurt a. M., New York, 1980 [1] and: The evolution of consciousness. In: Barbara Schenkbier and Karl W. ter Horst: Healing and new birth . Via Nova Verlag, Petersberg, 2004
  9. ^ Robert F. Antoch: From communication to cooperation. Studies on individual psychological theory and practice . Reinhardt Verlag, Munich, 1981. New edition as paperback: Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt a. M., 1989 ISBN 3-596-24618-0
  10. ↑ Erika Spieß: Cooperative action in organizations . Peter Hampp Verlag, Munich and Mering, 1996 and: Cooperate effectively. Beltz Verlag, Weinheim, 2003. Page no longer available , search in web archives: Furthermore: Frank R. Pfetsch (ed.): Conflict. Heidelberg Yearbooks 48 . Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, Berlin, 2004. Erika Regnet: Conflict and Cooperation. Conflict handling in leadership and team situations (practice of personnel psychology ). Hogrefe Verlag, Göttingen, 2007 ISBN 978-3-8017-1737-7@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.paed.uni-muenchen.de
  11. ↑ Conflict psychology is becoming increasingly important in student and educational counseling and the corresponding teacher training and further education ( PDF )
  12. ^ Gerhard Schwarz: Conflict Management. Six basic models of conflict resolution. Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1997 ISBN 3-409-39605-5
  13. ↑ Ann Patchett: Bel Canto . HarperCollins Publishers Inc., New York, 2001; as paperback by Piper Verlag, Munich, Zurich, 2006 ISBN 978-3-492-26184-5
  14. ^ For example, the scientific publication by Stanford Siver: A Process Oriented View of Conflict Psychology . Online publication, 2005 ( PDF ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / stanfordsiver.net