Categorising and Resolving Conflicts based on Cause
Introduction:
Conflicts can be categorised into five groups according to their causes. These causes are in the nature of disputes, with each type of dispute giving rise to a specific category of conflict. The categories of conflicts to be discussed are data conflicts, which are caused by data disputes; value conflicts, which are caused by value disputes; relationship conflicts, which are caused by relationship disputes; behavioural conflicts, which are caused by behavioural disputes; and structural conflicts, which are caused by structural disputes.
The note will also discuss how each category of conflict is resolved.
1. Data Conflicts (Caused by Data Disputes):
A. Meaning and Causes:
These conflicts arise from issues related to information. They may be caused by:
Depending on the information people have or lack, they might conclude their interests are incompatible with the interests of another person, resulting in conflict which is defined as behaviour to obstruct the achievement of some other person’s goal.
To illustrate, on the first day of starting the Professional Law Course at the Greenhill campus, Abotsi excitedly informed his friend, Micheal, that he had just found the woman he wanted to marry—it was love at first sight. The woman in question was Araba, Micheal’s cousin and study mate during their LLB program. Later in the day, Abotsi saw Micheal having a lively and cheerful conversation with Araba. Knowing Micheal to be a playboy, Abotsi immediately concluded that Micheal was similarly interested in Araba. He believed that this interest was incompatible with his own interests and was ready to fight Micheal for her affection. He subsequently overcame his shyness, spoke to Araba, and eventually made Michael’s playboy nature the subject of their conversation.
In the above illustration, if Abotsi had had full information on the nature of the relationship between Micheal and Araba, he would not have been so quick to conclude an incompatibility of interests, nor would he have discussed Micheal with Araba.
B. Resolution of Data Conflicts:
Data conflicts are resolved by providing information of such nature and quantum necessary to resolve the conflict. If the conflict was caused by lack of information, it can be resolved by simply providing the necessary information. For instance, in our illustration above, the apparent incompatibility of interests in Abotsi’s head can simply be resolved by informing him of the nature of the relationship between Araba and Micheal.
Beyond merely providing information, data disputes are resolved by ensuring that information is simplified, provided in a timely manner, and is devoid of falsehood.
2. Value Conflicts (Caused by Value Disputes):
A. Meaning and Causes:
To understand this category of conflicts, we need to understand the meaning of values. According to the Collins Dictionary, values are:
The beliefs people have, especially about what is right and wrong and what is most important in life, that control their behaviour.
These beliefs, such as the essence of integrity, gratitude, humility, among others, may either be nominal or fundamental.
Nominal values are those beliefs a person merely proclaims to be important in his life or to control his behaviour but which do not actually control his behaviour because they can be or are easily discarded. For example, most politicians would proclaim to believe in accountability, service, and integrity, but may be quick to discard these values when faced with competing interests or personal gain.
Nominal values may also be characterised as those values a person aspires to or as aspirational values. Most politicians would aspire to be accountable and serve the people, but party and personal interests may render the acquisition of these values impossible.
On the other hand, fundamental values are those core beliefs and principles that truly guide an individual's behaviour. They are deeply ingrained and reflect what a person truly considers important in life and are often tied to a person’s identity. Per the Course Manual on ADR, these values are:
so steeped in the culture and lifestyle of a group that that group is unwilling to compromise on such values.
Having defined values and distinguished between two types of values, it may now be said that value conflicts arise when there is an incompatibility in value or when there is a clash of values. For example, a dishonest person is likely to be in conflict with an honest person. Among electorates that value accountability, honesty, humility, and service, an arrogant politician that prioritises personal gain over public service is likely to face significant conflict and disapproval from the public.
B. Resolution of Value Conflicts:
One way of resolving conflicts caused by value disputes is to impose one value over the other conflicting value. For example, a selfless person desirous of developing a business relationship with a self-centred person may consistently preach the essence of selflessness to get the self-centred person to adopt the value of selflessness. This may or may not work depending on whether the self-centredness is a fundamental value. If the other person is from an environment where self-centredness is an essential survival trait or core to a person’s identity, the attempts at getting him to be selfless will fail, and the incompatibility in values will persist. If on the other hand the person considers self-centredness a nominal value and thus not central to his identity, he may discard it just to preserve a business relationship.
3. Behavioural Conflicts (Caused by Behavioural Disputes):
A. Meaning and Causes:
These are conflicts caused by differences in behaviours. A person may behave in a particular manner that is considered unacceptable. Such behaviour may be impulsive or stem from a person’s fundamental values. Often, people make the fundamental attribution error by which they conclude that a person’s behaviour is caused by internal characteristics rather than external factors.
B. Resolution of Behavioural Conflicts:
An attempt at a resolution may involve getting people to recognise that behaviour is sometimes caused by external factors and is not always reflective of internal characteristics or values. For example, a man may behave in a disturbing manner, and this behaviour may be merely caused by the alcohol he consumed. Without averting people’s minds to the fact that he is under the influence of alcohol, they are likely to respond to him as if he were sober.
Another way of resolving behaviour conflict is to get people to appreciate that people are different and consequently behave differently.
4. Structural Conflict (Caused by Structural Disputes):
A. Meaning and Causes:
This category of conflicts is caused by structural factors such as laws, politics, religion, and distribution of resources, among others. For example, in feminist jurisprudence, there is an understanding that society is patriarchal and laws are used to promote male interest and perpetuate male dominance. Before now, most feminists would argue that the law on the distribution of spousal property is against the interests of women, as the case of Quartey v. Martey [1959] GLR 377 held that by customary law, it is the domestic responsibility of a man’s wife and his children to assist him in his work, and any properties the man acquires from the proceeds of such work are by customary law the individual properties of the man.
B. Resolution of Structural Conflict:
This type of conflict may be resolved by making changes to the social structure. This may involve changing laws, policies, among others. For instance, this may involve changing the law on the distribution of spousal property from the position in Quartey v. Martey (supra) to the position in Gladys Mensah v. Stephen Mensah, Civil Appeal No. J4/20/2011, where their lordships of the Supreme Court advanced that:
Common sense, and principles of general fundamental human rights requires that a person who is married to another, and performs various household chores for the other partner like keeping the home, washing and keeping the laundry generally clean, cooking and taking care of the partner’s catering needs as well as those of visitors, raising up of the children in a congenial atmosphere and generally supervising the home such that the other partner, has a free hand to engage in economic activities must not be discriminated against in the distribution of properties acquired during the marriage when the marriage is dissolved.
Another way structural conflicts can be resolved is by making people aware that their perception that the social structure is against them is not real or accurate. Sometimes, people may selectively pay attention to the parts of the social structure that confirm their beliefs and ignore those parts that negate it. For instance, some feminists may fail to recognise all the ways the law protects the interests of women and conclude that the law (in its entirety) is oppressive to women. If they are shown all the ways in which the law protects women, they may adopt a different view.
Similarly, people may be made to understand that although a particular arrangement in the social structure negatively impacts them, the arrangement is still relevant (perhaps as a necessary evil).
5. Relationship Conflict (Caused by Relationship Disputes):
A. Meaning and Causes:
These are conflicts that occur within the context of special relationships, such as between a parent and a child, a husband and wife, siblings, among others. This type of dispute is often caused by stereotypes, assumptions, and expectations. For instance, a parent expects her child to visit, take care of her, among others. If there is a failure on the part of the child to meet these expectations, there may be conflicts.
B. Resolution of Relationship Conflict:
To resolve this, one must be conscious of the expectations of others and of his own expectations. For instance, a child who is conscious of his mother’s expectations of him is more likely to fulfil those expectations or communicate his inability to fulfil those expectations than a child who is not aware of those expectations.
Conclusion:
This note discussed five categories of conflict that are caused by five types of disputes: data disputes, relationship disputes, structural disputes, value disputes, and behavioural disputes. Based on the nature of the dispute, the resulting conflict would have to be resolved in a particular way. Thus, one does not resolve a conflict based on lack of information by making changes to the social structure.
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