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reflectrelate5e_lectureppt_ch10.pptxChapter 10
Managing Conflict and Power
1
Conflict and Interpersonal Communication
Most conflicts occur between people who know each other.
Thus, they occur during interpersonal communication.
What Is Conflict? (1 of 2)
Conflict occurs when people perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, or interference in achieving their objectives.
What Is Conflict? (2 of 2)
Conflict
Begins with perception
Involves clashes in goals or behaviors
Is a process
Is dynamic
Kitchen-sinking: Participant in the conflict shifts the topic and hurls unrelated accusations, insults
Conflict in Relationships
Conflicts typically arise from:
Irritating partner behaviors
Disagreements regarding relationship rules
Personality clashes
Power and Conflict
Power: The ability to influence or control people and events
Power’s Defining Characteristics (1 of 2)
Power is always present.
Symmetrical relationships
Complementary relationships
Dyadic Power Theory: People with moderate power most likely to use controlling communication
Power’s Defining Characteristics (2 of 2)
Power can be used ethically or unethically.
Power is granted.
Power influences conflicts.
Power Currencies
Power currency: A resource others value
Types of power currency
Resource currency
Expertise currency
Social network currency
Personal currency
Intimacy currency
Power and Gender
Power and gender intertwine.
In most nations, women still dramatically lack both economic and political power compared with men.
Power and Culture
People are granted power according to:
Which power currencies they possess
How much those power currencies are valued in their culture
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Handling Conflict
How you approach conflict affects the outcomes.
Approaches to Handling Conflict (1 of 3)
Avoidance: Ignoring a conflict, pretending it isn’t happening, or communicating indirectly
Can take the form of skirting or sniping
Can lead to cumulative annoyance
Can lead to pseudo-conflicts
Approaches to Handling Conflict (2 of 3)
Accommodation: Abandoning one’s goals and acquiescing to another person’s desires
Competition: Pursuit of one’s own goals without regard for others’ goals
Can trigger defensive communication
Can lead to escalation
Approaches to Handling Conflict (3 of 3)
Reactivity: Communicating in an emotionally explosive and negative fashion
Collaboration: Treating conflict as a mutual problem-solving challenge
• Often results in compromise
• Usually the best way of handling conflict
Gender and Handling Conflict
When managing conflicts with women, encourage the open expression of goals.
When managing conflicts with men, stress collaboration.
Culture and Handling Conflict
Individualistic and collectivistic cultures view conflict differently.
Be aware of these differences when managing conflicts across cultures.
Technology and Handling Conflict
Five suggestions
Wait and reread.
Assume the best and watch out for the worst.
Seek outside counsel.
Weigh your options carefully.
Communicate competently.
18
Conflict Endings
Many conflicts conclude more gradually than many people would like.
Short-Term Conflict Resolutions
Short-term solutions
Separation
Domination
Compromise
Integrative agreements
Structural improvements
Long-Term Conflict Outcomes
Long-term conflict resolutions are best achieved through collaborative approaches to conflict.
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Challenges to Handling Conflict
Conflicts can spark destructive communication.
Self-Enhancing Thoughts
Mental checklist
Is my partner really uncooperative?
Is my partner really solely to blame?
Is the conflict really due to ongoing differences or actually due to temporary factors?
Destructive Messages
Sudden-death statements: Declare sudden end of a relationship
Dirty secrets: Honest information that is meant to hurt the recipient
Serial Arguments (1 of 2)
Serial arguments: Series of unresolved disputes, all having to do with the same issue
Demand-withdraw patterns: One partner makes demands and the other withdraws from the encounter
Serial Arguments (2 of 2)
Serial argument process model: Course that serial arguments take is determined by:
Goals individuals possess
Approaches they adopt for dealing with the conflict
Consequent perception of whether or not the conflict is resolvable
Physical Violence
Most destructive conflict challenge: physical violence
Chilling effect occurs when individuals stop discussing relationship issues out of fear of their partners’ negative reactions.
Unsolvable Disputes
Part of effectively managing conflict is accepting that some conflicts are impossible to resolve.
