Conflict Theory

Conflict theory is a major sociological perspective that views society as an arena of competition and struggle between groups with unequal power, wealth, and status, and that explains social order, institutions, and change in terms of domination and resistance rather than consensus. Its foundation lies in the work of Karl Marx, who argued that capitalist society is divided between the bourgeoisie, who own the means of production, and the proletariat, who sell their labor, and that this antagonism drives historical change. Max Weber broadened the analysis by adding status and party as independent sources of power, while Georg Simmel and Lewis Coser examined the social functions of conflict. Ralf Dahrendorf argued that conflict arises from unequal authority in organizations, and C. Wright Mills analyzed the power elite in American society. Randall Collins developed a comprehensive conflict approach centered on resources and interaction rituals, and Pierre Bourdieu showed how cultural capital reproduces inequality. Feminist, critical race, and postcolonial theories extend conflict analysis to gender, race, and empire. Critics argue that the perspective underplays cooperation, shared values, and stability. Conflict theory remains central to research on inequality, class, politics, education, crime, and social change.