Causes of Conflict in Society

The causes of conflict in societyThe term society is derived from the Latin word 'socius' meaning friendship or companionship. Society is a community, nation or group of people who share the same traditions, institutions, rules and... More are numerous and they include Intolerance, Injustice, Territorial Conflicts, Unequal Distribution of Resources, Rigidity of the law, Bad Leadership or Government, and Communication Gap.

Intolerance:

Lack of tolerance amongst people is when people refuse to overlook the bad behaviours and characters of others, and also refuse to accept the views or ideas of others. In this situation there is a high probability that conflict may occur.

Injustice:

When justice is delayed or injustice is meted on people in the society it will likely bring about conflict especially from people that are denied justice.

Territorial/Border Conflict:

Conflict can arise from land not being well-demarcated or when people intrude on the land of others. Such events can result in conflict between groups of people until boundaries are well defined. e.g. Junkun/Tiv clash.

Unequal Distribution of Resources:

This is a situation where resources found in a community are not equally distributed, which leads to some people feeling cheated or left out. When these people try to claim their rights, it may lead to violence or other harmful reactions e.g Niger Delta Militant Group.

The Rigidity of Law:

When the law of the society is too hard and rigid, there is a tendency for people to react, thereby causing conflict in society. When firm decisions taken by the government are too difficult for people to adhere to, it may lead to conflict, especially if the government is not ready to back down.

The #EndSARS movement is an example of this type of conflict, where the youth felt the treatment they received from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was too harsh. This led to conflict that ended violently.

Self Determination:

If people are being oppressed, they will agitate for self-determination in order to free themselves.

Bad Leadership/Government:

When a particular group of leaders are not doing well, when their policies are not good, or when they refuse to put in place all their promises they gave during election, then the people might react or resort to conflict.

Communication Gap:

This is a situation where there is poor communication between the ruled and rulers or between two or more people. This act can bring conflict among such people.