Gender, social class, education, racial and ethnic inequalities are frequently the focus of conflict theories. A conflict theory perspective on the history of the United States would look at the many conflicts that have occurred in the past and present between the white ruling class and racial and ethnic minorities. Particular conflicts have occurred when the dominant group felt threatened by people of color. Draconian Jim Crow laws that severely restricted Black political and social power were enacted in the late nineteenth century as a result of the rising power of Black Americans following the Civil War. The disparities that exist across all societies worldwide are referred to in the Conflict perspective. Conflict theory is particularly interested in the various aspects of master status in social position, which is the primary defining characteristic of an individual in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, ability or disability, and socioeconomic standing. Every society is plagued by inequality due to social differences between the dominant group and all other groups, according to the Conflict paradigm. From this point of view, we need to look at the structures of wealth, power, and status, as well as the ways in which those structures keep one group's social, economic, political, and coercive power at the expense of others.

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2.The functional and conflict perspectives approach the factors likely to contribute to intergroup conflict in markedly different ways. The functional perspective argues that intergroup conflict is a result of group members attempting to pursue their own interests and seeking to maximize their rewards. This perspective suggests that competition and conflict among groups arise out out of the attempt to gain scarce resources. On the other hand, the conflict perspective contends that conflicts result from an unequal distribution of power and resources, as well as from cultural differences between groups. It is argued that conflict is created and maintained by those who have the power and resources to do so, and that this conflict serves to perpetuate their power and control. Therefore, according to the conflict perspective, intergroup conflicts are a result of unequal power relations and of different groups attempting to gain a greater share of resources.One of the most prominent reasons for intergroup conflict is simply the nature of the group. Other reasons may be work interdependence, goal variances, differences in perceptions, and the increased demand for specialists. Also, individual members of a group often play a role in the initiation of group conflict.

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