Romantic Family and Workplace Conflicts
Conflicts are the misunderstandings that occur in our daily and are almost impossible to avoid them. The scope of this paper is to identify the various types of romantic, family, and workplace conflicts and the roles of emotion and how one can deal with the negative emotions while resolving conflicts amicably.
According to Catalina Toma (2017), conflicts in romance or relationships are unavoidable. Despite romantic partners sharing some values and beliefs with physical attractiveness, they are still different individuals with different strengths and weaknesses. One partner may like partying during the weekends while the other one does not. Romantic conflicts include hurtful words, aggressiveness, an explosion of anger, and eventually fights.
On the other hand, family conflicts span to a broader range of misunderstandings we experience in the settings of modern life. Unemployment and lack of finances play significant roles when it comes to family conflicts. Another cause of family conflicts is the siblings’ rivalry. This when children start developing a sense of insecurity among themselves hence the need for more attention. Divorced parents also cause family conflicts, especially when it comes to discipline and their children’s care. Lastly, family business, if not managed well, can lead to conflicts with families. Misunderstandings and lack of trust can easily cause conflicts within the family business, creating animosity among family members (Pollack, 2020).
At workplaces, conflicts are inevitable. Conflicts can occur between the co-workers, subordinate staff, and even the supervisors. The first cause of conflicts in the workplace is discrimination. Discriminatory conflicts are caused by personal prejudice, mainly on the employees’ part and the mistreated workers’ perception. A performance review can also cause conflicts at the workplace where employees are rated basing on their work output. Some employees may be frustrated when they receive negative performance reviews (Ingram, 2019). Lastly, conflicts can occur between managers and subordinates. Workers may feel being pushed by authoritarian managers hence causing conflicts.
Emotions play an essential part in conflict management in relationships, family, and even the workplace. According to Roger Fischer and William Ury (1983), the initial step in solving conflicts s do deal with the strong emotions among the disagreeing parties (Maisie 2005). We first need to acknowledge the emotions and understand their source. Dealing with strong emotions involves various methods that positively impact conflicts rather than the harmful and destructive effects. These approaches include relaxation, communication, listening techniques, and cognitive restructuring exercises (Maisie, 2005). Just as Halperin and Schwartz (2010) would quote in their article;
That emotions themselves are not the guns that fire or bombs that explode in war should not distract our attention from exploring with vigor the pluripotential they may possess as either trigger for destruction or catalysts for peace. Perhaps, by understanding their function, we will find ourselves better positioned to help once vengeful adversaries transition toward the common goal of establishing a solid foundation on which to build.
Emotions, when handled well, can help in solving conflicts.
References
Catalina Toma (2017). Romantic Conflict, Part 1. Healthy and unhealthy beliefs about the conflict in romantic relationships. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/virtual-you/201709/romantic-conflict-part-1
Halperin Eran & Drew Schwartz (2010). Emotions in conflict resolution and post-conflict reconciliation. Retrieved from https://www.cairn.info/revue-les-cahiers-internationaux-de-psychologie-sociale-2010-3-page-423.htm#pa1
Maisie, Michelle (2005). Emotions. More from Beyond Intractability. Retrieved from https://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/emotion
Pollack Peacebuilding Systems (2020). Why Do Families Fight? 7 Common Types of Family Conflicts. Retrieved from https://pollackpeacebuilding.com/blog/common-types-family-conflicts/