Gesellschaftliche Konflikte: Urban Communities and Social Conflicts

Im Seminar werden kleine Gruppen gebildet, die jeweils einen spezifischen Konfliktfall bearbeiten. Beispielhafte Konfliktfälle, die im Modul behandelt werden können, stammen aus urbanen Räumen und beleuchten Themen wie:

• Wirtschaftliche Ungleichheit, etwa durch Gentrifizierung,
• Wohnungsknappheit und Obdachlosigkeit,
• Umweltprobleme wie fehlende Grünflächen oder Verschmutzung,
• Nutzung öffentlicher Räume,
• Kulturelle Unterschiede oder Spannungen,
• Rassismus und Diskriminierung
• Migration und Fachkräftemangel.

Nach einer kurzen Einführung und einer inhaltlichen Orientierung arbeiten die Gruppen an ihren Fällen und entwickeln Ergebnisse, die sie in Form einer Präsentation und eines Handouts vorstellen. Die Prüfungsleistung besteht darin, ein Poster oder eine PowerPoint-Präsentation zu erstellen, diese vorzustellen und ein Handout vorzubereiten und abzugeben.

Die Lehrsprache des Moduls ist Deutsch – auf Nachfrage wird die Lehrveranstaltung bilingual durchgeführt (Deutsch/Englisch).

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A social conflict is a confrontation between groups within a society that represent different interests, values, opinions, or needs. Such conflicts can affect various aspects of social life. Social conflicts are complex and deeply rooted in the structures of a society. Understanding them and developing effective strategies to address them is crucial for social peace and justice. Recognizing and constructively utilizing diversity is especially important to promote an inclusive and harmonious society.

Social conflicts manifest in various forms and affect different areas of social life: Political conflicts are confrontations over power, governance, and political decision-making processes. These conflicts often arise when groups have different ideas about political order and governance. Economic conflicts concern the distribution of resources, working conditions, and economic opportunities. Such conflicts can be triggered by unequal income distribution or access to economic opportunities, for example. Social conflicts often stem from social differences and injustices, such as class conflicts, which arise from different social strata and their access to social and economic resources. Cultural conflicts result from differences in cultural practices, beliefs, and identities. These conflicts can occur when different cultural groups feel their traditions and values are threatened by others. Religious conflicts arise from tensions and violence due to religious differences and intolerance. These conflicts can affect deeply rooted beliefs and practices. Diversity conflicts emerge from the variety and differing identities within society. Such conflicts can manifest as tensions between different ethnic, religious, or social groups, especially when diversity is seen not as a positive enrichment but as a threat.

Social conflicts have both negative and positive impacts on society: These conflicts can divide society into rival groups, thus weakening the social fabric. Prolonged conflicts can also cause economic instability and poverty, affecting the entire society. On the other hand, social conflicts can also have positive effects. They can act as catalysts for social change and reforms by raising awareness of social injustices and mobilizing movements pushing for change. The necessity to resolve conflicts can also foster innovative approaches and solutions, contributing to a more just and stable society in the long term.

The module will consist of groups of students (max four) selecting one specific case to work on throughout the seminar.

Students will then be requested to research the following aspects related to the conflict:

• 1. Legal/Rights based issues
• 2. Economic issues
• 3. Conflict management strategies (positive and negative)
• 4. Consider the ways (positive and negative) of dealing with the conflict and proposing possible ways/solutions to resolve these conflicts

Examples of conflict cases chosen (exemplary):

• Social conflicts in urban communities arise from a variety of issues, often interconnected and complex. Cases will consider the following kinds of issue and resulting conflicts:
• Economic Inequality: Disparities in wealth and income lead to tension between different socioeconomic groups; i.e. gentrification.
• Housing and Homelessness: Inadequate affordable housing and rising homelessness can create visible and significant tensions within urban areas.
• Environmental Concerns: Urban areas often face pollution, lack of green spaces, and other environmental issues that can lead to conflicts.
• Public Space: Limited resources and public spaces in urban areas can lead to conflicts over their allocation and use.
• Cultural Differences: Different cultural practices and values can sometimes clash, leading to misunderstandings and tensions within diverse urban populations.
• Racial and Ethnic Tensions: Diverse urban populations can experience conflict due to historical and systemic racism, discrimination, and cultural misunderstandings.
• Migration and Skilled Labor Shortage: Urban areas may attract skilled migrants to fill labor gaps. Influxes of new residents can lead to cultural clashes and competition for resources.

• ​​​​​​Prof. Dr. Dilek Bülbül (Fb 3)
• Prof. Dr. Chaitali Das (Fb 4)
• Prof. Dr. Timo Tohidipur (Fb 4)

Project work with presentation

The students' assessment includes creating a poster or power point, presenting it, and preparing and submitting a handout.

Upon successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

• Think interdisciplinarily, identify different aspects of a cross-cutting theme, weigh them against each other, and reflect holistically.
• Understand and clearly present the connections within their future professional field in the context of various disciplines and societal interests, while representing and defending these connections competently.
• Reflect on the effects and consequences of their professional and societal activities, drawing conclusions for their own actions.
• Develop an understanding of foreign ways of thinking through concrete interdisciplinary tasks and work cooperatively with different cultures and value systems.
• Analyze social conflicts and their causes within societal structures based on specific interdisciplinary tasks, and develop strategies for their constructive resolution.
• Recognize the importance of diversity and consider different interests, values, and needs in inclusive solution approaches.
• Understand and explore the fundamentals of conflict management.

• Eckardt, F (2012): Handbuch Stadtsoziologie, VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2012
• Häußermann, H. und Siebel, W. (2004): Stadtsoziologie: eine Einführung, Campus Verlag, 2024
• Stefan Hradil, S. (2005): Soziale Ungleichheit in Deutschland, VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2005
• Aladin El-Mafaalani (2020) DAS INTEGRATIONSPARADOX: Warum gelungene Integration zu mehr Konflikten führt, Kiepenheuer und Witsch: Köln
• Parrott, Lester (2009) Constructive Marginality: Conflicts and Dilemmas in Cultural Competence and Anti-Oppressive Practice, Social Work Education, 28:6, 617- 630, DOI: 10.1080/02615470903027322
• Glasl, F. (1997) Konfliktmanagement: Ein Handbuch für Führungskräfte, Beraterinnen und Berater, Stuttgart: Bern
• Statistisches Bundesamt: Einkommen, Konsum und Lebensbedingungen; Einkommen und Lebensbedingungen, Armutsgefährdung - Statistisches Bundesamt
• Kilmann R.H. & Thomas K.W. (1975) Interpersonal conflict handling behavior as reflections of Jungian personality dimensions. Psychological Reports 37, 971–980
• Meyer, Erin (2016): The culture map: Decoding how people think, lead, and get things done across cultures. PublicAffairs.
• Grünberger/Mangold/Markard/Payandeh/Towfigh (2021), Diversität in Rechtswissenschaft und Rechtspraxis, NOMOS Verlag (open access)