Social Strife

Conflicts arise when two or more parties have, or think they have, incompatible goals and interests. Social strife refers to a conflict in which the parties are collective actors, such as communities, groups, or organizations. Conflicts between groups, especially in culturally diverse societies, are almost inevitable, but all do not necessarily turn violent. Because they often bring about change, conflicts are said to be transformative. Therefore, speaking about social strife does not necessarily entail armed conflicts or civil wars, but it does refer to tense situations where at least one group thinks that its interests are diverging from those of other groups or of the broader environment (political, cultural, and economical) in which it is embedded. These groups are not bound to use violence and ...