You chose two subjects - Research Paper Example

Since the conflict topic is a huge area that attracts interventions that range from diagnosis of intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts to resolution, a specific and limited area of interest must be picked at a time for significant contribution to be made. The author of this book dedicates a subtopic on conflicts to the perspective of defining social conflicts, which is an important step in construction of appropriate sociological intervention. As mentioned above, the diagnosis of a conflict must be involved in the design of respective intervention (2).

The author clearly diagnoses the existence of a conflict by manifestation of incompatible beliefs between the conflicting individuals. Further clarification of the social conflict involves social environment, number of individuals and the manifestation of the dispute, where the author describes the tensions likely to emerge in the dispute. Perhaps an important element of a conflict definition that the author introduces in the chapter is belief by each party to the conflict that they are facing opposition from the other party.

Accordingly, the issue of competition among the individuals or groups of persons involved in the conflict emerges since each side wants to overcome the other’s opposing belief (3). In this definition, the author clarifies that the involved parties must perceive the dispute as a conflict which finally forces them to create the division in thought and belief. Without the aspect of awareness of opposing perceptions resulting into some form of competition, the author reckons that it is difficult to amount to a social conflict as defined in the text.

As an illustration, the author gives an account of people competing for employment, yet due to the lack of focus on each other’s intentions, it cannot be quantified as a social conflict. In order for such a scenario to be raised to a social conflict, the author gives a perspective of divisive thoughts