An individual’s personal history and family of origin teaches one either to jump into a conflict and blow it up or to stay away from it, thus avoiding it. Individuals can have 3 types of family of origin. They can either be from an avoidant family, where everybody believes in avoiding their conflicts, collaborative family, where people live in collaboration or an aggressive family where people yell at each other all the time and are thus, aggressive towards each other. Our interactions with different people from our childhood are also included in our personal history. Alongside, “Culture plays an important role in gender development.” (Hocker, 2007, p. 54). Thus, those with difficult upbringing react a little more defensively than others. Like Frank’s personal history and family origin taught him “that given enough time, these kinds of problems will work themselves out” (Case Study, 2008, p. 3), but Reno’s taught him that “that we should deal with our problems mano-a-mano”. (Case Study, 2008, p. 3) So while Frank believed that he should avoid a conflict, Reno believed that he should confront the cause of the conflict. But Linda believed that they should both resolve their problems and thus, work in a collaborative manner.
Ones cultural diversity also plays an important role in determining ones perception of conflict. Cultural natures are of two types – collectivistic and individualistic. Every culture has its own perception on conflict and depending on their cultures, individuals are taught to handle issues of conflicts right from their childhood. For example, people in the West, like in USA, believe in self-expression and personal independence relatively more than other cultures since they are more individualistic in nature (Bandura, 2005). They believe that harmony can be achieved through expression of ones emotion and conflicts are resolved through competition or collaboration. Based on this we can assume that both Reno and Linda belong to some Western country since Reno believes in dealing with his problems out front and Linda believes that Reno and Frank should work by collaboration with one another and talk with each other face to face since, she says “Have you tried to talk with him, one-on-one, about how you’re feeling?” (Case Study, 2008, p.1). But other cultures believe that avoidance is a prized possession. Like with Frank who does not want to resolve his issues with Reno and believes in avoiding conflicts.
Similarly, gender also affects one’s perception of conflict. Men have been found to frequently display a competitive and dominating behavior like Frank does when he repeats several times “I’m the office manager” (Case Study, 2008, p.1) and demands that Reno should listen to him. But since women have a compromising nature and are normally found to be in listening instead of in lecturing roles, we find Linda listening coolly to frank and telling him to try and talk directly with Reno about their problems. Also, women try to avoid conflicts more than men do, like here Linda tries to settle the differences between Frank and Reno and asks them to talk it out rather then continue fighting. Further it has also been found that since culture affects gender development, it also affects ones perception of conflict. In the Western nations, women believe in making connections with others in order to preserve relationships (Bandura, 2005). Like Linda here wants Reno and Frank to dissolve their conflicts and co-exist. But men value their independence and liberty more then women and thus, we see Reno complaining that he does not like Frank interfering with everything he does.
References
- Bandura, A. (2005). Social-economic Learning Theory of Conflict. Englewood Ciffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall Inc.
- Case Study. (2008). Half Empty…Half Full…. In CM310-Unit 2, Perspectives on Conflict (pp. 1-3). Westport, CT: Greenwood.
- Hocker, W. (2007). Perspectives on Conflict. In W. Hocker (Ed.), Interpersonal Conflict (pp. 29-61). New York: The McGraw−Hill Companies.