Theories of Social Conflict

Prof. Dr. Ansgar Thiel is Professor of Sports and Health Sociology and Rector of the German Sport University Cologne, Germany.Dr. Dr. Olaf Kühne is Professor of Urban and Regional Development at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen, Germany.

• 1. Preliminary Discussion.- 2. Introduction.- 3. Basic Theoretical Positions.- 4. Efficacious Theories of Social Conflict.- 5. Special Questions—and Answers that Expand the Luhmann and Dahrendorf Perspectives.- 6. The ‘Abatement’ of Conflicts—Between Settlement (Dahrendorf) and Disintegration (Luhmann).- 7. The Costs and Benefits of Conflicts.- 8. Case Study: Conflicts Surrounding the Energy Transition. Interpretations from Different Conflict Theory Perspectives.- 9. Conclusion and Outlook.