Escalation - what is it? The word is quite often used in scientific and journalistic literature, but few people know its meaning. The escalation of the conflict is usually called the period in which the contention passes the main stages of its development and approaches its end. The term comes from the Latin language and in translation means "ladder". Escalation shows a conflict that progresses over time, characterized by a gradual aggravation of the confrontation between the conflicting parties, when each subsequent attack, each subsequent attack or pressure on the opponent becomes more intense than the previous one. The escalation of the dispute is the path from the incident to the weakening of the struggle and confrontation.
Signs and types of conflict escalation
Various identification marks help highlight such a significant part of the conflict as escalation. What it is, without special signs, is really difficult to understand. When characterizing the current incident, you need to refer to the list of those properties that relate specifically to the escalation period, and not to another.
Cognitive Sphere
Narrows in behavioral and activity reactions,there comes a moment of transition to less complex forms of displaying reality.
Image of the enemy
It is he who blocks and weakens adequate perception. Being a holistically formed analogue of the opponent, it combines fictional, fictitious properties, as it begins to form during the latent stage of the conflict. The image of the enemy is a kind of outcome of empirical perception, predetermined by negative characteristics and assessments. As long as there is no confrontation and neither side poses a threat to the other, the image of the opponent is neutral: it is stable, quite objective and mediated. At its core, it resembles poorly developed photographs, the image on which is pale, fuzzy, blurry. But under the influence of escalation, illusory moments appear more and more, the emergence of which is provoked by a negative emotional and personal assessment of each other by opponents. In these cases, there are some "symptomatic" features that are inherent in very many conflicting people. In their enemy, they see a person who should not be trusted. The blame is shifted on her, only wrong decisions and actions are expected from her - a harmful personality, which at the same time is the result of antagonistic deindividualization, when the enemy ceases to be an individual, but becomes a generalized-collective, so to speak, allegorical image, which has absorbed a huge amount of evil, negativity, cruelty, vulgarity and other vices.
Emotional tension
It grows with a terrifyingintensity, the opposite side loses control, the subjects of the conflict temporarily lose the opportunity to realize their interests or satisfy their needs.
Human interests
Relationships are always built in a certain hierarchy, even if they are polar and contradictory, so the intensity of actions leads to a more serious impact on the interests of the opposing side. Here it is appropriate to define that this is an escalation of the conflict, that is, a kind of environment in which contradictions deepen. In the escalation process, the interests of the opposing sides become "opposite". In the situation before the confrontation, their coexistence was possible, and now their reconciliation is impossible without harming one of the disputants.
Violence
Serves as an excellent tool in the course of the escalation of the conflict, being its identifying sign. The desire for compensation and compensation by the opposing side for the harm caused provokes the individual to aggression, cruelty, intolerance. An escalation of violence, that is, an increase in ruthless, militant actions, often accompanies the course of this or that misunderstanding.
Original Dispute
Fade into the background, no longer plays a special role, the main attention is not focused on it, the conflict can be characterized as independent of reasons and causes, its further course and development are possible even after the loss of the primary subject of disagreement. Conflict situation in its escalationbecomes generalized, but at the same time deeper. There are additional points of contact between the parties, and the confrontation is already unfolding over a larger area. Conflictologists at this stage fix the expansion of spatial and temporal frameworks. This indicates that we are facing a progressive, serious escalation. What it is, and how it will affect the subjects participating in the conflict or observing it, can only be known after the end of the confrontation and its careful analysis.
Growth in the number of subjects
With the growth of confrontation, the "multiplication" of the participants also occurs. An inexplicable and uncontrolled influx of new subjects of the conflict begins, which takes on a global scale, developing into a group, international, etc. The internal structure of groups, their composition, and their characteristics are changing. The set of tools is becoming wider, and the showdown may take a completely different vector.
At this stage, we can turn to the information that psychiatrists present to us. They concluded that in the course of any conflict, the conscious sphere regresses significantly. Moreover, this does not happen at all out of a chaotic delusion, but gradually, with the preservation of specific patterns.
Incremental escalation
It is necessary to understand what are the mechanisms of conflict escalation. The first two stages can be combined under one general name - the pre-conflict situation and its development. They are accompanied by an increase in the importanceown interests and ideas about the world, the fear of the impossibility of getting out of the situation exclusively by peaceful means, through mutual assistance and concessions. Mental tension increases many times over.
At the third stage, escalation begins directly, most of the discussions are curtailed, the parties to the conflict move on to decisive actions, in which there is some paradox. With harshness, rudeness and violence, the opposing sides try to influence each other, forcing the opponent to change his position. Nobody is going to give up on this. Wisdom and rationality disappear as if by magic, and the image of the enemy becomes the main object of attention.
An amazing fact, but at the fourth stage of confrontation, the human psyche regresses to such an extent that it becomes comparable to the reflexes and behavioral properties of a six-year-old child. The individual refuses to perceive someone else's position, listen to it, and is guided in his actions only by "EGO". The world becomes divided into "black" and "white", into good and evil, no deviations or complications are allowed. The essence of the conflict is unambiguous and primitive.
At the fifth stage, moral beliefs and most important values break down. All sides and individual elements that characterize the opponent are assembled into a single image of the enemy, devoid of human features. Within the group, these people can continue to communicate and interact, so an outside observer is unlikely to be able to influenceon the outcome of the conflict at this stage.
In the conditions of social interaction, the psyche of many people is subjected to pressure, regression occurs. In many ways, the psychological stability of a person depends on his upbringing, on the type of moral norms that he has learned, on personal social experience.
Symmetric Schismogenesis, or Scientific Escalation
The theory developed by the scientist G. Bateson, which is called the theory of symmetrical schismogenesis, will help to describe the escalation of the conflict from the outside. The term "schismogenesis" denotes changes in the behavior of an individual as a result of his socialization and gaining new experience at the level of interpersonal and intrapersonal clashes. For schismogenesis, there are two options for external manifestation:
- The first is a change in behavior in which certain types of actions of individuals entering into contact complement each other. Let's say, when one of the opponents is persistent, and the second one is conformable and compliant. That is, a kind of unique mosaic is formed from the behavioral options of different subjects of the conflict.
- The second option exists only if there are identical behavioral patterns, say, both attack, but with different degrees of intensity.
Obviously, the escalation of the conflict refers specifically to the second variation of schismogenesis. But also various forms of escalations can be classified. For example, it may not be interrupted and be marked by increasing tension, or it may become undulating when sharp corners and mutual pressure of opponents on each othermove either in ascending or descending trajectory.
The term "escalation" is used in various fields, not only in psychology and sociology. For example, there is tariff escalation - the meaning of this term can be read in any economic encyclopedia. It can be steep, when the movement from calmness to hostility is incredibly fast and non-stop, and it can be sluggish, slowly flowing, or even maintaining the same level for a long time. The latter characteristic is most often associated with a protracted or, as they say, chronic conflict.
Models of conflict escalation. Positive outcome
The positive escalation of the conflict is the possibility of its elimination when there is a common desire for a peaceful settlement. In this case, both parties must analyze and choose those rules of conduct that do not violate the principles and beliefs of either of the opponents. In addition, it is necessary to choose the most preferable from the whole range of alternative solutions and outcomes, and they should be developed for several possible outcomes of the situation at once. Among other things, the disputants need to clearly identify and specify their desires and interests, explain them to the opposite side, which should also be subsequently heard. From the entire list of requirements, select those that meet the principles of legality and justice, and then start trying to implement them using means and methods that must also be accepted and approved by all opponents.
Ignore the conflict, of course, by no means. It looks like negligence when people leave a switched on iron or a burning match in the apartment - there is a threat of fire. The analogy between a fire and a conflict is not accidental: both are much easier to prevent than to extinguish once ignited. The time component is of great importance, because both a fire and a quarrel are terrible in their spread with greater force. In these signs, the basic principle of escalation is similar to a disease or an epidemic.
The escalation of the conflict is often confused, because the contradiction is replenished with new details, features, intrigues. Emotions rush with increasing speed and overwhelm all participants in the confrontation.
All this leads us to the conclusion that an experienced leader of any group, having learned that serious or insignificant dissonance flares up or is already in full force between its members, will immediately take measures to eliminate it. Inaction and indifference in this situation will most likely be condemned by the team, will be taken as meanness, cowardice, cowardice.
Models of conflict escalation. Dead center
It should be noted that sometimes escalation slows down or stops altogether. This phenomenon also has predetermining reasons:
- One opposing side is ready for a voluntary concession due to the fact that the conflict for some reason becomes unacceptable for it.
- One of the opponents persistently tries to avoid the conflict, "fall out" of it, as the conflict situation becomes uncomfortable ormalicious.
- The conflict is approaching deadlock, the escalation of violence is becoming fruitless and unprofitable.
Dead center is a state of affairs when confrontation comes to a standstill, stops after one or more unsuccessful clashes. The change in the pace of the escalation or its completion is due to certain factors.
Dead center factors
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escalation value The tactics of confrontation proved to be untenable or ineffective under the given conditions.
- The resources needed to continue putting pressure on the opponent have been used up and exhausted. They are usually money, energy costs and time.
- Liquidation of support from society, lack of authority among the conflicting parties in front of those who speak in their defense.
- Costs that exceed acceptable or anticipated levels.
Objectively speaking, this stage is not characterized by profound changes, but one of the parties begins to have a completely different attitude to the conflict and how to resolve it. When both sides agree that the predominance of one of them is impossible, they will have to give in, give up victory or agree. But the essence of this stage is the realization that the enemy is not just an enemy, personifying all the vices and sorrows of the world. This is an independent and worthy opponent, with its own shortcomings and advantages, with which it is possible and necessary to find common interests, points of contact. This understanding becomesthe initial step towards conflict resolution.
Conclusions
Thus, when figuring out what escalation means in social, cultural and economic terms, you need to understand that it develops according to different schemes and models, and its outcome can be chosen by the participants in the conflict, because it depends on them how much competently they will be able to overcome the contradictions that have arisen, and how sad the consequences will be.
