SOCB43H3 Lecture 10: Lecture 10 (2).docx
Document Summary
There"s obviously a difference between groups who have more conflicts than another. You want to understand typically why one has conflict. Simmel takes a step back and talks about conflict in an interesting way. He doesn"t start with the assumption that conflict is necessarily, speaking generically, something that will break apart a group. Being in conflict with someone is a way of being in a relationship with someone. If you are in conflict, you might care about the other person more than anything. Levels of countries; us vs. soviet union, they weren"t tightly connected before the war. The main point is that conflict is neither good or bad. Any group always have conflictual elements and this thing that pushes it apart; a push-pull tension. Simmel believes that every social unit has conflictual and harmonious elements. Often the conflicts and competitions are what holds the groups together, gives it an energy or vibrancy.
