Ch7 Conflict Theory Test Questions & Answers

Chapter 7

Conflict Theory

KEY TERMS

competition bargaining

conflict power

conflict management assertion

conflict resolution aggression

consensus threats

negotiation promises

TRUE-FALSE QUESTIONS

1. One of the advantages of conflict is that, in the contexts of discussions, arguments, negotiations and management, people come to new understandings of one another.

2. Jetse Sprey suggested that our goal should be helping families manage conflict rather than eliminating it.

3. Conflict is more indirect and less personal than competition.

4. Conflict might actually be at the root of progress and change.

5. Conflict theorists believe that humans have an unlimited potential for hope.

6. Conflict resolution occurs when conflict is maintained but negotiated into a stable state.

7. Similar to structure functionalism, conflict theory suggests that society tends to seek equilibrium.

8. One cannot deal with internal conflict while also using energy to fight external conflict.

9. Assertion is acting in a way that affirms one’s rights and positions but does so at the expense of others.

10. Conflict can end only when both parties reach a mutually recognized agreement.

11. Groups that exist over time, such as families, struggle the most to function within a system of competitiveness.

12. Conflict can have positive outcomes.

13. According to conflict theory, the nature of humans is that they are self-oriented.

14. According to conflict theory, families typically do not have power differentials.

15. Aggression is a behavioral use of power to get others to behave to one’s own advantage, often at the other’s expense.

16. Conflict is never healthy or helpful to families.

17. Using a microsocial perspective, conflict theorists would be very interested in looking inside the family to see what things – like age and gender—might bring about conflict.

18. The “Marxian dialect” asserts that an accepted idea (thesis) will be challenged by its opposite (antithesis) until stability can be negotiated in the form of synthesis.

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. Which of the following is NOT a major assumption of conflict theory?

a. Absence of conflict enables one to predict the stability of a relationship.

b. Hierarchy exists within social institutions due to unequal distribution of resources over which conflict will arise.

c. Families can become stronger through successfully completing constructive conflict.

d. Human societies operate under conditions of perpetual scarcity for most resources needed for the lives of its members.

2. According to ______, whatever truth or thesis is accepted will eventually be challenged by an opposing view, or antithesis.

a. Friedrich Hegel

b. Karl Marx

c. Lewis Coser

d. Ralf Dahrendorf

3. With which of the following statements would conflict theorists agree?

a. In all social systems there are scarce resources which lead to conflict.

b. All social systems demonstrate social stratifications, where some people are more powerful and have more status than others.

c. Economic status influences the way in which people interpret and analyze life; this is unavoidable in a capitalistic society.

d. Conflict theorists would agree with all of the above.

4. According to _____, the social philosopher who is sometimes referred to as the father of conflict theory, conflict over resources is inevitable between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.

a. Karl Marx

b. David Olson

c. Lewis Coser

d. Friedrich Hegel

5. From conflict theory, which of the following are scarce resources in families?

a. time

b. money

c. affection

d. territory or space

e. all of the above

6. Which of the following structural distinctions are present in families that make them susceptible to conflict?

a. gender

b. age

c. life cycle stages

d. all of these affect family conflict

7. Which theorist recognized the fact that we need to be concerned about conflict within families?

a. Jetse Sprey

b. Georg Hegel

c. Robert Hegel

d. Karl Marx

8. Why are group dynamics different in families than in other groups?

a. Group membership is not voluntary

b. Dissolving a group is more difficult than dissolving a family

c. The demand for resources varies between groups and families

d. Group power changes over the lifecycle of the group

9. What makes marital conflict the most dramatic form of conflict in families?

a. Marital relationships are typically for life

b. Each partner has people he/she can pull onto his/her side

c. Whereas it takes two to make a relationship, it only takes one to end it

d. It is dynamic

1. Mark and Elias are fighting over who can use the remote control that evening as they each want to watch a different program. Frustrated, Mark says “I allowed you to have the TV the last three nights even though there were shows I wanted to watch. If I can have the TV for the next two hours you can have it for the rest of the night. Which word best describes Mark’s behavior?
2. Power
3. Assertion
4. Aggression
5. Consensus
6. Alberto and Maria decide to see who can lose more weight over the next two months. What word best describes this process?
7. Competition
8. Conflict
9. Power
10. Bargaining
11. Which of the following is FALSE according to conflict theorists?
12. Societies represent organized systems for species survival.
13. Societies operate under a perpetual scarcity of resources, and this leads to perpetual confrontations.
14. Conflict theorists recognize that inequality is an inevitable aspect of most relationships.
15. Social conflict is unhealthy for societies.
16. Which of the following things did Karl Marx believe to be TRUE?
17. People will never have equal access to resources
18. The laborers will eventually organize and overthrow the capitalist landowners
19. Class conflict will not last long before an egalitarian society will be reached
20. Interpersonal relationships are an important component of social change

14. Who is sometimes referred to as the father of conflict theory?

a. Karl Marx

b. Richard Hegel

c. Sigmund Freud

d. George Hegel

1. Conflict management requires recognizing:
2. There are at least two competing perspectives
3. There are many resources that could be accessed if you work together to find them
4. Every person will not have an opportunity to access resources
5. All of the above are true
6. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to conflict theory?
7. Conflict is inevitable
8. Conflict can be internal
9. Conflict is never positive
10. All of the above
11. Only a and b
12. Conflict management is needed because relationships will always have conflict. Which of the following is a reason why relationships will always have conflict according to conflict theory?
13. People have different ideas about how things should be done.
14. There are scarce resources.
15. Each person feels like s/he should have access to resources
16. All of the above
17. Only a and b
18. Which of the following best describes a microsocial perspective of conflict theory?
19. Analyzing the role of age in family conflict.
20. Looking at who has access to health care and who doesn’t
21. Looking at why some people are employed and others are not.
22. Studying how adoption placements are made.
23. Which of the following is based on behavior?
24. Threats
25. Promises
26. Assertion
27. Aggression
28. Which of the following is most likely to empower one person over another?
29. Assertion
30. Negotiation
31. Aggression
32. Bargaining
33. According to Machiavelli and Hobbes, which is TRUE?
    1. Humans will be in a perpetual state of conflict as they compete for material goods, power and esteem.
    2. Human conflict must be controlled by the state.
    3. Social contracts, in the forms of things like laws and rules, are necessary to allocate scarce resources and secure social stability.
    4. All of the above are true.

MATCHING QUESTIONS

Match the term or concept with its appropriate definition.

1. Conflict a. both the end state of conflict and the

process of a given conflict’s ending

2. Power b. the ability to control the direction or course

of action of others

3. Consensus

c. acting in a way that affirms one’s rights and positions but does not necessarily do so at the expense of others

4. Assertion

d. direct confrontation between individuals or groups over scarce resources

5. Conflict resolution

e. all parties agree to a given course of action or perception of a situation

SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION/ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. What are resources in your culture that are scarce and over which people engage in conflict?
2. Think about a conflict situation with which you have previously dealt. Were there any positive outcomes to the conflict? Was it a microsocial or macrosocial issue? How did the fact that “the nature of humans is that they are self-oriented” play into your conflict situation?
3. Think about the exercise that was done for human ecological theory. How can you relate conflict theory to the development of the family budget that was done in that exercise? What are examples of conflict over scarce resources when planning a family budget? How do family dynamics differ than group dynamics in that process? What conflict management skills can you use to resolve disagreement over family budget amounts?

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES OR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS

Movie Analysis: God is Not Dead (or any other movie which has two opposing views)

In this movie there is a thesis (God is dead) and antithesis (God is not dead). Students should identify examples of the conflict that exists between the thesis and antithesis. How do each of the characters try to convince others to share their view? How are negotiation, bargaining, threats, promises, assertion and aggression employed? Is consensus possible? How is conflict managed or resolved?

Small Group Discussion or Personal Writing Activity:

Over what resources has your family experienced competition and/or conflict? How has your family managed the conflict? Are there any issues around which conflict was resolved? Describe how, and under what circumstances, your family has sought consensus, exhibited power, and employed the use of negotiating/bargaining, assertion and aggression, and threats and promises.

Case Study Application (See Handout 7.1 and 7.2)

Exploring Family Theories

Appendix 7

Conflict Theory

Handout 7.1

Case Study Application

PURPOSE

This exercise will help students apply concepts from conflict theory to a case study which involves various levels of conflict. Students will also see the applicability of this theory to families with whom some of them will work in the family science/human services field.

GOALS

Upon completion of this exercise:

1. Students will better understand conflict theory.

2. Students will practice critical thinking skills.

3. Students will grasp the significance of conflict theory in explaining social issues such as poverty.

OBJECTIVES

1. Students will apply conflict theory concepts and assumptions to a realistic case study.

2. Students will discuss the role of scarcity of resources in people’s lives.

MATERIALS

Case study handouts

Handout 7.3 provides one possible case study, but it is easy to find examples of case studies on the Internet. It is helpful to have 5-6 per class so not every group has the same case study, but multiple groups have the same case to facilitate class discussion.

PREPARATION

Make copies of the handouts for each student prior to class.

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS

1. You will be divided into groups and given a case study to review. You will have 15 minutes in your small groups to read the case study and answer the following questions:
   1. What is a major crisis for this family according to conflict theory? What terms/concepts from the theory can you use to describe the crisis?
   2. What are the benefits and weaknesses of using conflict theory to analyze this family?
   3. Provide examples from your case study of at least two of the assumptions of conflict theory.
2. Have one person from one group read the case study that was used for their group. Then have those that read the same case study talk about their answers for each question. Repeat.
3. Discuss issues that families in poverty have in common according to conflict theory

Handout 7.2

Sample Case Study

My name is Joanne and here I am, 25 years old, inches from living on the street. I’ve got diabetes and heart complications so bad I can’t work and am on disability assistance. I need some kinda treatment but can’t until I get a medical card or money. Doc M’s been telling me I might not have long to live and now he tells me I’m bipolar like my mother and my eldest son. I’ve got three other children; one in diapers. You know, I might die before they are grown. It breaks my heart. Who will take care of them and Jeff when I’m gone? Mentally my mom could, but not physically after that bad car accident. And I don’t have nothing to leave them. I’d like to leave a home to the kids. My life wish is for them to grow up happy and better off than me and Jeff. But if I die, will they remember me? I don’t even have a picture of myself.

My husband is the best. He don’t beat me or nothing like my first husband. I hadda get divorced. We’ve sure been through tough times- but we’re still together. This past year Jeff was in jail for drivin’ under the influence too many times. He lost his license. I don’t drive. Was hard getting round. But he’s back, got sober and is stayin’ sober and I’m not drinkin’ neither. While he was gone, I didn’t know if I could hold this family together… or if he’s done home to us… but we’re closer together than ever.

He’s a good mechanic. Folks like him and his work. His boss is good and let him have his job back after he got out. But he only works 3 days a week. That’s all the work Mac’s got for him. Around here, jobs are scarce. The council keeps talkin’ jobs. We’d like to see them!

Jeff makes a hundred and forty-two a week. We got food stamps. But we gotta pay the rent and I’m still buyin’ diapers and payin’ my child support to my mom for my oldest. It’s not easy but I’m not complainin’. I live with it.

We gotta get a better place to live. I barely hung on to our second place while Jeff was in jail. Our first home burned cause of faulty wiring. This one is so bad I got my children tested for lead poisoning and sure enough, there’s a problem. We’re tryin’ to find something else. I went to get energy assistance to help pay for my air conditioning bill. The lady there said I should just not use the AC but the doctor said it would help my son’s asthma. So whatch gonna do when you live in a tuna can in the middle of the field? Well, I just pray… I’m praying He’ll help us find another place of our own.

With school starting, I’ll need school supplies. Why, when we were in school our follks didn’t hafta provide nothing. If I could, I’m run for the school board and change things. I already went to the PTA and had my say, but nothing happens. I like volunteering at Head Start. I’m on their board. They make me feel like I got something to give even if I didn’t graduate high school. They listen to me and that makes me feel good. Sometimes it’s hard to find something to make you feel good…