Bedürfnisorientierungen und soziale Konflikte / Need-Orientations and Social Conflict

Abstract

Abstract The terms of „need“ and „interest“ occupy a prominent place in contemporary social criticism and planning. As representatives of „person“ against „society“ their position is problematic since they are chronically influenced by changing social systems. Empirical research concerning the dynamics of differentiating need-orientations ought to go on within a theoretical concept of the relationship between personal needs and social structures. Structural functionalism, historical materialism, socialization theory, behavioral sociology, relative deprivation and symbolic interactionism are examined in this respect: A paradigm of systems analysis is proposed which interpretes exchange between material, social and personal systems by the medium of need-orientations. Need-orientations are seen as conflicts. Consequently, evolution of material and social systems is going on within personal systems by means of intrapersonal and social strategies of conflict resolution. Diagrams of the research project are intended to show how conflicts (need-orientations) and conflict solving strategies may be located empirically as differentiated variables and how those variables may be interconnected to form a body of hypotheses.

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