Conflict Theory
A Brief Introduction to Conflict Theory, its Applications, and its Shortcomings
In a world as complex as ours, conflict theory provides a lens to better understand societal friction and division. Although there are many interpretations of conflict theory, this essay focuses on one in particular: Karl Marx’s. Marx, one of the most influential philosophers of his time, is widely known today for developing the Communist Manifesto with Friedrich Engels and for founding Marxism. His views on conflict lay the groundwork for Marxism, explaining much of his broader ideology and offering a framework for understanding society’s core motivations.
Key Concepts in Conflict Theory
Marx’s conflict theory was developed to explain his interpretation of society and what drives it. At its core, Marx’s social conflict theory argues that society is always in a state of competition over resources, knowledge, and wealth. Those in power, the bourgeoisie, retain resources to exercise control over the rest of society, the proletariat, thereby maintaining their dominance. Marx believed that society was only composed of those two classes — the bourgeoise and the proletariat. The bourgeoise in this theory are the minority class that holds the majority of the wealth. Those within this group have mutual interests and standing in the society in terms of prosperity. The other, the proletariat, are the majority and are the working, or poorer class. Marx argued that the bourgeoise would set up various institutions, traditions, and laws in order to maintain their power. This idea that society is in a constant state of conflict leads to seeing social and economic constructs as nothing but a tool to further perpetuate inequality. Additionally, under conflict theory, Marx claimed that the proletariat often would not realize economic and social inequality — they would fall into the trap of “false consciousness”. This is when the working class perceives their circumstances differently than what they really are. He posited that false consciousness is a result of the upper class’s restrictions on knowledge and control over public perception. It allows the bourgeoise to stay in control without the proletariat ever realizing that there is anything unjust about their situation or society as a whole.
Applications of Conflict Theory
This concept of social inequality and control can be applied to various modern institutions, such as the justice system. The justice system in America is often criticized for favoring the wealthy while discriminating against those without the same resources. The rich are less likely to be convicted, have more favorable sentencing, and have better circumstances throughout the judicial process. This exemplifies how institutions, established long ago by wealthier, more educated members of society, were created to maintain a power structure that benefits them.
Critiques of Conflict Theory
Despite its applications in our society, Marx’s conflict theory still often faces criticism. Those who believe in structural functionalism believe that society is inherently stable and thus take the contrarian stance on many of Marx’s arguments and claims. One of the main points that are often raised against Marx’s ideas is that his theory is almost entirely unfalsifiable. A conflict theorist can always argue that a movies are a way for the upper class to profit off of the lower classes while feeding them only with stories and points of view that the bourgeoise allow. This could be true — maybe all of Hollywood is an institution that is meant to pacify and distract, but maybe its the opposite. What if Hollywood is a medium for people to share new perspectives and broaden the horizons of their audience to make the world a better, more understanding place? This is just one example of a common critique of this theory and shows that it is not infallible. Conflict theory tends to assume negative intentions behind societal actions, without a definitive way to prove or disprove them, which is why it remains a theory rather than a testable framework.