Applying Conflict Theory to the Real World

Running head: APPLYING CONFLICT THEORY 1 Applying Conflict Theory to the Real World The social conflict theory, which derives from the 19th-century philosopher and activist Karl Marx, is based on the idea of numerous groups competing for scarce resources and the rise in struggles, conflicts, and disorders. The difficulties include distinctions between Democrats and Republicans, racial struggles, and gender conflicts. Marx viewed society as divided into two classes: the proletariat (working class) and bourgeoisie (holders of the means of production). To Marx, societal struggles increase due to competition for inadequate resources in an economy, causing a momentous revolution or war. Ruling classes kept working classes in conditions of domination with control, which forced supremacy with social rules that all followed. Political economist Max Weber stretched this description to include different types of class levels, such as those built on religion, gender, and race. He supposed that in adding to political revolution, social struggle, and change can result from the discussion and the trade of ideas. Marx understood that there are two groups of people in society, the wealthy and the poor. He analyzed what would happen if one group decided to stand up and go against each other. He watched to see what would happen and what roles the people involved in would choose. Once the roles are selected and the revolt had begun, Marx would analyze the internal functioning of the dominant class to see how they maintain their status after the conflict settled. The social conflict theory best explains social life for numerous reasons. It clarifies the inequalities of gender, money, age, and class in the most precise way. It also tries to show that society constructs conflict because of the discriminations that exist in everyday life. It utilizes terms like inequality, power, authority, competition, and exploitation. Authority relates to the family, patriarchy, ethnicity, and race hierarchies of influence. In inequality, there is health, 2 APPLYING CONFLICT THEORY family, and property. Inequality views how people are treated and how they are looked upon by others. Next, there is competition which can be anything from religion, education, to who will win a poker game. Competition is built in all of us from the beginning of life until the end. Power and exploitation can coincide with each other. The people that are in power can obtain it by exploiting citizens along the way. Power can make an honest man corrupted. Once the corruption hits, individuals can use that power to exploit people in the process to gain more power. Social conflict can either be used for good or bad. Take any rebellion against the local government as an example. In some countries, citizens have been rebellious towards their government for equality and justice. Throughout time there have been moments when humans rebelled against those in power. The earlier fights were battled for land, the later fights were fought for gluttony, control, and wealth. Some instances of bad social conflict are the recent school killings, bombings, and general violence that is afflicting countries today. Sadly, those who are innocent are usually the ones getting hurt. Individuals that are in power want further power and wealth to control those who are considered to be less fortunate. Surely, we can apply the conflict theory to real-world events. An example would be the Black Lives Matter movement. Black Lives Matter is a social movement that protests against violence towards black people. It all started in the year 2013 after George Zimmerman was involved in the death of a young black American named Trayvon Martin. Since then the movement’s supporters continue to protest when black people are murdered in circumstances that are known to be non-threatening. Like the civil rights movement that happened more than sixty years ago, the Black Lives Matter movement is another instance of a social uprising after years of unequal treatment. 3 APPLYING CONFLICT THEORY The news article I will be discussing is an article posted on the ABC News website titled, “Timeline: The Impact of George Floyd’s Death in Minneapolis and Beyond.” This contemporary news story discusses the events that lead to the worldwide protests for the fight of the Black Lives Matter movement. First, the article describes what happened to George Floyd, the unarmed African American man who died while being arrested by a white police officer. The article further discusses an eyewitness video recording of the event showing the white police officer restraining Floyd to the ground while he was handcuffed. Moreover, the article explains how the police officer’s knee constrained into the back of Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, even after Floyd lost perception and consciousness. Furthermore, the article states that in the video Floyd was heard saying, “Please, I can’t breathe. My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts. I cannot breathe.” The news article additionally states that the incident was shared widely on social media and that this event led to community and nationwide anger, an F.B.I. civil rights investigation, and the firing of the police officer, Derek Chauvin, and three other officers who were also present at the scene. The news story then states that since the death of George Floyd, there have been protests all around the country, including Minneapolis, Atlanta, New York City, Denver, Memphis, Phoenix, Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, and many other cities. According to Meriam-Webster racism is defined as the certainty that race is the main cause of human traits and abilities and that racial distinctions produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. Racism shows up in all parts of our lives and society such as in interpersonal communication, through discriminatory rules and practices, in unfair language, and in our rules and institutions. Many view Floyd’s death as an example of systematic racism, referring to the way race hindrances people of color in the criminal justice system. Conflict theory implies that 4 APPLYING CONFLICT THEORY two or more groups have built pressure surrounding a social problem, in this case, Black Lives Matter protestors who are fighting for fairness for the death of George Floyd and other black Americans, mainly killings from the police. Conflict is reflected to be expected and predictable within a society. Black Lives Matter is a social assembly trying to speak of social issues and the oppression of this group. The individuals within it that are fighting to generate social change. Marx theorized that an influential minority and an oppressed majority would produce conflict due to different interests, as well as resources being unfairly dispensed among the two. This can easily be seen in modern America in terms of the Black Lives Matter movement, where illegitimate killings, police brutality, and unfair sentencing in courts are happening almost every day. The social conflict theory is mainly about those in power that want to keep power and those who are not in power wanting to obtain it. Throughout time there have been many battles fought in the wish to gain power. The Black Lives Matter movement is a perfect example of applying conflict theory to the real world. The social conflict theory highlights that groups and individuals in a society are controlled by individuals and groups with more power. It puts effort into the inequalities that already exist. Pressures and conflicts are unavoidable when power is unfairly spread between groups in a society. However, these conflicts eventually become a source for social change. The social conflict theory intensely shows the process of society by the wealthy group and powerful individuals using their positions in abusing the services from the poor. It stresses merely on the capitalist and the labor as the reason for inequality. However, it does not only stress on the circulation of power and resources. It emphasizes on social inequality as well. Therefore, it can be used to explain matters such as racism. Thus, I recognized that it is 5 APPLYING CONFLICT THEORY the perfect sociological theory to discuss one of the major current events happening in our world today, the Black Lives Matter movement.