Conflict Theory

CONFLICT THEORY
• Karl Marx is the father of the social

conflict theory, which is a
component of the four major
paradigms of sociology. Certain
conflict theories set out to highlight
the ideological aspects inherent in
traditional thought. While many of
these perspectives hold parallels,
conflict theory does not refer to a
unified school of thought, and
should not be confused with, for
instance, peace and conflict studies,
or any other specific theory
of social conflict.
• In conflict theory , class interests dictate who
shall be defined as deviant and how severely
they shall be punished.
• Economic conditions of the lower classes lead
to behavior defined as criminal.
• Their behavior is determined by the
inequalities that exist due to the wealth and
power of a few and the fundamental causes of
crime are the social and economic forces
operating within the society.
• For eg. Stealing , protest movements , punk
rock movement and exploitation.
• In classical sociology:-
• Marx ushered in radical change,
advocating freedom from the ruling classes. At
the same time, Karl Marx was aware that most of
the people living in capitalist societies did not see
how the system shaped the entire operation of
society. Just as modern individuals see private
property (and the right to pass that property on
to their children) as natural, many of the
members in capitalistic societies see the rich as
having earned their wealth through hard work
and education, while seeing the poor as lacking in
skill and initiative.
• Marx rejected this type of thinking and
termed it false awareness, explanations of
social problems as the shortcomings of
individuals rather than the flaws of society.
Marx wanted to replace this kind of thinking
with something Friedrich Engels termed class
consciousness, the workers' recognition of
themselves as a class unified in opposition to
capitalists and ultimately to the capitalist
system itself.
• In the social productions of their existence, men
enter into definite relations, which are
independent of their will, namely relations of
production appropriate to a given stage in the
development of their material forces of
production. The totality of these relations of
production constitutes the economic structure
of society, the real foundation, on which arises a
legal and political superstructure and to which
correspond definite forms of social
consciousness.
• At a certain stage of development, the
material productive forces of society come
into conflict with the existing relations of
production or – this merely expresses the
same thing in legal terms – with the property
relations within the framework of which they
have operated hitherto. From forms of
development of the productive forces, these
relations turn into their fetters. Then an era of
social revolution begins. The changes in the
economic foundation lead sooner or later to
the transformation of the whole immense
superstructure.
• In studying such transformations it is always
necessary to distinguish between the material
transformation of the economic conditions of
production, which can be determined with the
precision of natural science, and the legal,
political, religious, artistic or philosophic – in
short, ideological forms in which men become
conscious of this conflict and fight it out. Just as
one does not judge an individual by what he
thinks about himself, so one cannot judge such a
period of transformation by its consciousness,
but, on the contrary, this consciousness must be
explained from the contradictions of material life,
from the conflict existing between the social
forces of production and the relations of
production.
• No social order is ever destroyed before all the
productive forces for which it is sufficient have
been developed, and new superior relations
of production never replace older ones before
the material conditions for their existence
have matured within the framework of the old
society.
• Modern approaches
• C. Wright Mills has been called the founder
of modern conflict theory. In Mills's view, social
structures are created through conflict
between people with differing interests and
resources. Individuals and resources, in turn,
are influenced by these structures and by the
"unequal distribution of power and resources
in the society." The power elite of American
society, (i.e., the military–industrial complex)
had "emerged from the fusion of the corporate
elite, the Pentagon, and the executive
branch of government."
• Mills argued that the interests of this elite were
opposed to those of the people. He theorized
that the policies of the power elite would result
in "increased escalation of conflict, production
of weapons of mass destruction, and possibly
the annihilation of the human race."
conclusion
• Conflict theory is quite impressive and influential.
But it does not account for all forms of social
change. It only gives us a means of analysing some
of the most significant changes occurring in history
of social functioning. It does not tell us much about
the direction of social change.
• Thus, there have been present several theories of
Social Change and each of it is advocated by several
protagonists and criticized by several critics. Since
Social change is a universal, complex and dynamic
phenomenon in which several factors play a part, no
single theory can really explain its nature and scope.
We have to use several theories for studying all
dimensions of Social Change.
• Made by –JATIN CHAUHAN
• B.A.L.L.B HONS
• 2ND YEAR

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CONFLICT THEORY

• Karl Marx is the father of the social

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