Notes on Lewis Coser

Sociological Theory
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
UMD

LEWIS COSER

BORN 1913 IN BERLIN GERMANY
Ph.D. COLOMBIA UNIVERSITY 1954

Obit by his grandson in Footnotes

THE FUNCTIONS OF SOCIAL CONFLICT

TWO TYPES OF CHANGE
1. CHANGE OF A SYSTEM
2. CHANGE WITHIN A SYSTEM
CHANGE WITHIN IS THE SLOW MARGINAL, ADJUSTMENT TYPE OF CHANGE
CHANGE OF A SYSTEM IS THE MORE RADICAL CHANGE;

NEW INSTITUTIONS, POLITICAL SYSTEM ETC.
CONFLICT SERVES IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS
EG. PRODUCES GROUP COHESIVENESS, BRINGS CHANGES IN NORMS AND VALUES, PREVENTS STAGNATION, INFORMS SYSTEM LEADERS OF PROBLEMS
THE MAJOR SOCIAL STRUCTURAL VARIABLE THAT DETERMINES THE TYPE OF CHANGE THAT IS LIKELY TO OCCUR IS THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE CONTROL MECHANISMS
THE MORE RIGID THE MORE LIKELY CHANGE OF
THE LESS RIGID THE MORE LIKELY CHANGE WITHIN
CONFLICT MAY SERVE IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS FOR SOCIETY
CONFLICT WITHIN A GROUP MAY ESTABLISH OR REESTABLISH UNITY
THIS DEPENDS ON THE TYPES OF ISSUES AND/ OR THE TYPE OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE WITHIN WHICH THE CONFLICT IS FOUGHT
IF GOALS, VALUES OR INTERESTS DO NOT CONTRADICT BASIC ASSUMPTIONS CONFLICT MAY BE FUNCTIONAL
IF GROUPS DON'T SHARE BASIC VALUES THEN INTERNAL CONFLICTS THREATEN TO DISRUPT
SCARCE RESOURCES PRODUCE CONFLICT IN ALL SOCIAL STRUCTURES
SOME STRUCTURES ALLOW CONFLICTS TO BE EXPRESSED DIFFERENTLY
TIGHTLY KNIT GROUPS (STRONG COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE) LIMITS OR SUPPRESSES CONFLICT
BUT WHEN SOMETHING FINALLY BREAKS OUT IT MAY BE PARTICULARLY ANTAGONISTIC
1. LOTS OF BAGGAGE FROM PREVIOUS UNATTENDED HOSTILITY
2. TOTAL COMMITMENT OF PERSONALITY
THIS INTENSE CONFLICT IS LIKELY TO DESTROY THE RELATIONSHIP
THE MORE SEGMENTED THE GROUP (HIGHER DIVISION OF LABOR AND GREATER DISTANCE BETWEEN MEMBERS) THE MORE CONFLICTS
HOWEVER THE CONFLICTS ARE LIMITED TO SPECIFIC ISSUES
THE MORE CONFLICTS THE LESS INTENSE (INVERSE RELATIONSHIP)
EXTERNAL CONFLICT LEADS TO SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT RESULTS
ON GOING THREAT NECESSITATES TIGHTLY KNIT GROUP; LITTLE TOLERANCE FOR INTERNAL CONFLICT; MUST BE LOYAL BEYOND ALL ELSE (1984)
IF OUTSIDE THREAT IS NOT CONTINUOUS, THE GROUP CAN ALLOW MORE VARIATION WITHIN GROUP
MULTIPLE GROUP MEMBERSHIP PREVENTS THE CREATION OF ONE MAJOR DESTRUCTIVE CONFLICT OR CONTINUOUS TOTAL PERSONALITY INVOLVED CONFLICT
FUNCTIONS SERVED:
1. TRYING TO RESOLVE CONFLICT WILL PRODUCE INTEGRATION
2. ALLOWS GROUP TO READJUST STRUCTURE
3. REVITALIZE EXISTING NORMS OR INTRODUCE NEW ONES
4. WAY OF ASSESSING RELATIVE STRENGTH OF EXISTING GROUPS; THEREFORE REINFORCING OR SHIFTING BALANCE OF POWER
5. HELPS TO PRODUCE COALITIONS BETWEEN GROUPS, DRAW IN MEMBERS
6. HELPS TO MAINTAIN GROUP BOUNDARIES
7. CREATION OF SAFETY-VALVE INSTITUTIONS

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Copyright: © 2001, John Hamlin
Last Modified: Tuesday, 25-Apr-2006 06:30:35 CDT
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