Power/Perspectives on Conflict

 

Scholars in the field of psychology argue that power shapes individuals behavior, because it elevates a sense of influence. I believe that power is the degree of influence in interpersonal relationship emerging at work, friendships, family, neighborhood, and even romantic relationships. Powers has a reflective impact on individuals. For instance, possessing power leads an individual to experience more positive and less negative effects, pursue a more assertive approach, and enjoy higher self-esteem, physical health, and longevity. Additionally, power may refer to the control of valued resources such as money, information, or decision-making premise. Therefore, I perceive power as a psychological and social state in this professor essay writing paper where an individual possesses influence over valuable resources.

In the current conflict, rank differences are behind all social situations, and they contribute to a greater percentage of conflict among parties. Signals such as postures, tone of voice, clothing, language, and gestures demonstrate rank. As a result, an individual holding a lower rank experiences power in a more acute way than the persons above him. In most cases, persons holding higher ranks may not be aware of the pressure they cause when delegating tasks, but which may be interpreted as an abuse of power by subordinates. As a result, parties involving persons with power and subordinates develop divergent views, which cause intergroup conflicts.

Much of the conflict arises because of divergent views on how to utilize resources. At most, subordinates do not agree with decisions made by persons holding power. As a result, subordinates do not show willingness to implement or work with constraints created by such decisions. However, there are usually parties within a working relationship who are obedient and willing to follow the decisions. As a result, the two parties seem to conflict while performing tasks.

Conflict is a challenge to the way a person thinks or behaves. As a child, I recall various situations of conflicts. However, the most significant happened when I extended the time set by parents for viewing television. In such a situation, I would cry. However, mother would always hold me and try to calm me down. She would praise me and encourage positive behavior rather than forcing me to stop crying. Additionally, she made sure that prior to making any rules she would involve me in the decision-making process. As a result, this made me knowledgeable of positive and negative behavior in the house.

When in conflict with adults I was on the wrong, there were norms that applied. The most common was time-out. The rule was to place me in isolation for some time and reflect on the problem I caused. The other norms were withdrawal of privileges. The process would involve taking away items I enjoyed or missing out on a favorite activity, such as watching television. However, the intensity of the punishment increased as I grew.

Most of the norms applied in a conflict stem from the community. For example, most urban families do not apply modes of punishments to children. They use psychological punishments which are equally effective just like corporal punishment. Practices such as time out and withdrawal of privileges allow time to reflect on behavior and the consequences. Additionally, the family I come from believes that an idle creates conflict. As a result, there were additional tasks when on time-out. For example, I would be asked to read a book and then narrate it to the family. Finally, norms stemming from the family influence conflicts I have with colleagues. At times, I find their values divergent from what I believe in and learn from family.