An integrated theoretical framework to explain interpersonal moralistic conflict

Abstract

This paper offers an integrated theoretical framework to explain interpersonal, moralistic conflict that combines the logic of the “pure sociology” approach with a social psychological framework that highlights the importance of the human capacity for language, evaluation, and justification. While violations of normative expectations are the root causes of moralistic conflict, the paper argues that one can only determine the emergence of such conflict by assessing the nature of the behavior in question in relation to the social locations of the participants in combination with the justifications invoked. The central question that the theory addresses can be distilled as follows: What explains the emergence of interpersonal, moralistic conflict? The paper specifies three core assumptions, followed by a delineation of a series of propositions designed to explicate the conditions under which moralistic conflicts emerge. The theory identifies the combination of the social geometry of interpersonal encounters along with the mechanisms that typically are used to justify the grievances that individuals express toward one another.

Transnational Multilingual Families in China: Multilingualism as Commodity, Conflict, and In-Betweenness

“…Lastly, the interplay between multilingualism and language planning can lead to instances of conflict, especially in TMFs, due to the presence of multiple languages and, therefore, perspectives, discourses, and behavior. As Michalski (2021, p. 3) notes, “the capacity for syntactical language assumes a key role regarding conflict. .…”