Conflict theory emphasizes the role of coercion and power in society and the ability of some to influence and control others. Functionalism emphasizes cohesion within society. Conflict theory emphasizes strife and friction.
Conflict theory pictures society as comprised of groups that compete for social and economic resources. Social order is maintained not by consensus but by domination, with power in the hands of those with the greatest political, economic, and social resources. When consensus exists, according to conflict theorists, it is attributable to people being united around common interests, often in opposition to other groups (Dahrendorf 1959; Mills 1956).
According to conflict theory, inequality exists because those in control of a disproportionate share of society’s resources actively defend their advantages. The masses are not bound to society by their shared values but by coercion at the hands of the powerful.
In conflict theory, the emphasis is on social control, not on consensus and conformity. Those with the most resources exercise power over others; inequality and power struggles are the result.
Conflict theory gives great attention to class, race, gender, and sexuality in society because these are seen as the grounds of the most pertinent and enduring struggles in society.
Conflict theorists see inequality as inherently unfair, persisting only because groups who are economically advantaged use their social position to their own betterment. Their dominance even extends to the point of shaping the beliefs of other members of the society by controlling public information and holding power in institutions such as education and religion that shape what people think and know.
From the conflict perspective, power struggles between conflicting groups are the source of social change. Those with the greatest power are typically able to maintain their advantage at the expense of other groups.
Conflict theory has been criticized for neglecting the importance of shared values and public consensus in society while overemphasizing inequality. Like functionalist theory, conflict theory finds the origins of social lbehavior in the structure of society, but it differs from functionalism in emphasizing the importance of power.
