冲突理论
维基百科，自由的百科全书
在社會學和生物學中的衝突理論是指：在社會或組織的正常運轉過程中，每一個個體參加者和他所在的團體總是努力實現自己利益的最大化，其結果不可避免帶來社會變遷，如革命、政治的變遷。衝突理論多用于解釋各社會階層在意識形態方面的衝突，如社會主義與資本主義。衝突理論的產生在於反駁功能理論。功能理論將個體與團體視作讓社會或組織內的一種「元件」，元件如果合作無間則社會與組織便能正常的運作。但功能理論對元件之間競爭的論述較為薄弱，衝突理論便由此加以論證。
在瞭解的衝突理論上, 「競爭」扮演關鍵的角色。
下列是現代衝突理論的三主要做法:
第一，競爭。競爭是發生在社會關係中，資源較為缺乏的類型(金錢, 休閒, 性夥伴, 等等) 。所以，競爭是一種典型人之間的關係，而不是泛群體性的公眾輿論。
第二，社會結構的不平等。不平等產生在社會結構內，當權利和利益回饋的制度被建立時。可能來自於於任何一個建立其結構或取得利益的特殊個體或團體(例如政黨，基金會等等)。
第三，革命。社會結構的變動發生於競爭的衝突之間而不是經由適應來完成。它常是突然且意外的，伴隨大幅的變革創新而不是緩慢演變。
In sociology and biology, conflict theory states that the society or organization functions so that each individual participant and its groups struggle to maximize their benefits, which inevitably contributes to social changes such as revolutions and changes in politics. The theory is mostly applied to explain conflict between social classes in ideologies such as socialism and communism. The theory refutes functionalism, which considers that societies and organization function so that each individual and group plays a specific role, like organs in the body.
In understanding conflict theory, competition plays a key part.
The following are three primary assumptions of modern conflict theory:
Competition. Competition over scarce resources (money, leisure, sexual partners, and so on) is at the heart of all social relationships. Competition rather than consensus is characteristic of human relationships. Structural inequality. Inequalities in power and reward are built into all social structures. Individuals and groups that benefit from any particular structure strive to see it maintained. Revolution. Change occurs as a result of conflict between competing interests rather than through adaptation. It is often abrupt and revolutionary rather than evolutionary.
