Role of Identity in Conflicts

¶ … human condition is the inevitability of conflict. In fact, in virtually any organizational setting, conflicts will take place on a regular basis as part of normal operations. To determine how to respond to conflict in constructive ways, this paper provides a review of and reaction to two chapters from Jones and Brinkerts' text, Conflict Coaching to determine how Narrative Theory gives insight into resolving conflict and how the identity perspective is helpful in understanding the nature of most conflict situations.

An example from the author's personal life related to the role that identity (the issue of face) plays in creating and resolving conflict is followed by a list of identity or 'face' triggers? Finally, a summary of the research is provided in the conclusion. Review and Discussion a. How Narrative Theory gives insight into resolving conflict? Narrative Theory holds that the fundamental issues involved in a conflict can be discerned from the stories told by the stakeholders that are involved.

For instance, according to Jones and Brinkert (2008), "Every conflict is a story waiting to be told. In the story and in the telling, there is a wealth of information abut the conflict experience, the conflict context, and the conflict management potential" (p. 47). Besides the cognitive effect that narratives can produce, they can also be highly persuasive. Indeed, Jones and Brinkert emphasize that narratives are even more influential than hard statistics and facts in creating concurrence with others concerning the nature of a conflict.

In this regard, Jones and Brinkert report that, "The narrative form contributes further to a narrative's credibility by imposing a sense of coherence on the disparate elements the narrative contains" (2008, p. 48). The tenets of Narrative Theory also hold that people need some help in formulating and articulating sound stories that accurately communicate what they mean to say following four basic principles as follows: 1. Principle No. 1: Never treat the narrative as factual; help the client see the narrative as a construction of reality. 2. Principle No.

2: Appreciate the most clients will be strongly attached to their stories and that change of the story may be met with resistance until they see that the change serves them. 3. Principle No. 3: Assume that most clients will not have a completely coherent narrative or be ready to tell you a narrative that is complete or coherent. 4. Principle No. 4: Emphasize that there are always alternative stories that could be told (Jones & Brinkert, 2008, p. 60).

There are five basic approaches that contain elements of active listening and paraphrasing that can help discover the story as follows: 1. Approach No. 1: Script the story. 2. Approach No. 2: Retell the story: 3. Approach No. 3: Re-pace the story. 4. Approach No. 4: Tell the next chapter. 5. Approach No. 5: Tell the story from another's point-of-view (Jones & Brinkert, 2008, pp. 61-62). b.

How the identity perspective is helpful in understanding the nature of most conflict situations? (especially pages 65-69 and 76-90) The journalistic axiom that several questions need to be answered in covering a story includes most especially the "who" that was involved. In this regard, the identity perspective helps to identify the "who" that is involved in a conflict scenario. According to Jones and Brinkert (2008), though, people tend to wear a number of different hats in their day-to-day lives that makes pinning down specific identity difficult.

For instance, Jones and Brinkert advise that, "A given individual usually has a number of identities even within a single situation" (2008, p. 67). Consequently, it is important to determine the specific identity or identities that are in play in order to determine how best to proceed. As Jones and Brinkert point out, "Identities are important for orienting to the environment, including makes sense of information, knowing how to act, and knowing how to relate to others" (2008, p. 67).

In other words, it is important to determine which identity is salient in a conflict situation in order to know how to respond most effectively and how to treat the individuals that are involved. In this regard, Jones and Brinkert (2008) note that, "Essentially, people tend to experience no remarkable feelings if treated in the identity-related manner to which they are long accustomed" (p. 68). c. An example from your life related to the role that identity (the issue of face) plays in creating and resolving conflict.

As the assigned group leader for a class project concerning the life of Henry David Thoreau, specific assignments were given to each of five other group members who were tasked with completing their portion of the assignment by a date certain. The project was important to me (and them) because it represented 50% of the grade for this class and I was personally responsible for its timeliness and quality.

I ensured that all of my required tasks were completed well in advance of the targeted completion date, including filmed narratives of what other students thought about Thoreau and his life. As the due date loomed closer, all group members were queried concerning their progress in completing their assigned tasks and all assured me that they were on top of the project and would have their segments completed in a timely fashion.

The day before the project was due, all group members were requested for their respective segments but they all told me that they had not finished them and likely would not have them finished in time for the classroom presentation. Rather than getting angry at my fellow group members, I explained to them the importance of.