Conflict Theory Explained for Dissertation Research: Key Concepts, Major Thinkers, Practical Applications, and Topic Ideas

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What is conflict theory?

  • Conflict theory is a way of explaining society by focusing on power, inequality, and competition.
  • It argues that many social “rules” (laws, policies, institutional procedures, cultural norms) often reflect the interests of groups that already hold more power.
  • Instead of assuming society is mainly held together by shared values and cooperation, conflict theory emphasizes that society is frequently shaped by:
    • Unequal access to resources
    • Struggles over influence
    • Control of decision-making
    • Conflict between groups with different interests

The core assumptions of conflict theory

  • Power is unevenly distributed
    • Some groups can make rules, enforce them, and define what counts as “fair,” “normal,” or “legal.”
  • Resources are scarce
    • People and groups compete over valued resources such as:
      • Money, jobs, land, contracts
      • Education opportunities (admissions, scholarships, placements)
      • Healthcare access (appointments, specialist referrals, insurance coverage)
      • Social status (prestige, recognition, credibility)
  • Inequality is structural
    • Conflict theory typically treats inequality as produced by institutions (not only personal choices).
  • Social change often comes from tension
    • Conflict, resistance, protest, unionization, reform movements, and policy struggles are viewed as common drivers of change.

Where conflict theory came from (the intellectual roots)

  • Karl Marx is a foundational influence
    • He explained modern societies through conflict between:
      • Those who control productive resources (ownership and capital)
      • Those who sell labor to survive (workers)
    • In this view, exploitation is not “a few bad employers,” but a system-level outcome of how capitalism operates.
  • Later scholars expanded Conflict theory beyond economics
    • They emphasized how authority, bureaucracy, and professional hierarchy can also produce conflict and inequality.
    • This matters for dissertations because many modern conflicts are “institutional” (policy, regulation, credentialism, governance), not only workplace wages.
Conflict Theory Social inequality and power dynamics in society Dominant Group Controls resources, wealth, and institutional power Bourgeoisie · Elite · Ruling Class Conflict Zone Competition for resources Subordinate Group Limited access to resources and opportunities Proletariat · Working Class · Marginalized Communities Core Principles Social Inequality Unequal distribution of power and resources Power Dynamics Ongoing struggle drives societal transformation Class Awareness Recognition of shared interests and position Social Change Conflict as catalyst for progress Ideology Systems that maintain existing structures Revolution Transformative social and economic shifts

Key concepts (what markers expect you to define clearly)

Power (the most important concept)

  • In Conflict theory, power is not only “wealth.”
  • Power also includes the ability to:
    • Control decisions (who approves, blocks, or delays action)
    • Set agendas (what topics get discussed or ignored)
    • Control information (data, reporting, performance indicators)
    • Enforce rules (sanctions, discipline, gatekeeping)
    • Shape narratives (public image, legitimacy, “what counts as truth”)

Dissertation tip from Best Dissertation Writers:

  • Avoid vague phrasing like “the powerful.”
  • Name who holds power in your setting (for example, ministry officials, senior administrators, landlords, regulators, boards, insurers, employers, police command structures).

Social stratification (layered inequality)

  • Conflict theory explains inequality as layered:
    • Economic stratification (income, wealth, ownership)
    • Political stratification (representation, voice, policy influence)
    • Social stratification (networks, connections, gatekeepers)
    • Cultural stratification (whose identity, language, or values are treated as legitimate)

Scarcity and competition (what groups fight over)

  • Conflict theory becomes strongest when you identify the contested resource, such as:
    • Scholarships or admissions slots
    • Affordable housing units
    • Government tenders or contracts
    • Access to justice (legal representation, fair hearings)
    • Hospital beds, staffing, or clinic appointments

Institutions as “arenas of conflict”

  • Institutions are not neutral in Conflict theory.
  • They often:
    • Allocate resources through rules
    • Apply sanctions unevenly
    • Reward some behaviors/identities more than others
    • Make inequality appear legitimate through “objective” criteria (credentials, standardized assessments, eligibility rules)

Conflict as functional (conflict can “do things”)

  • Conflict theory (especially in later versions) also argues conflict can:
    • Clarify group identity and boundaries
    • Push institutions to reform
    • Expose hidden inequalities
    • Create new alliances among disadvantaged groups

Major variants of Conflict theory (choose what matches your topic)

Marxist conflict approaches (class, labor, capitalism)

  • Best for dissertation topics on:
    • Labor conditions, wages, precarious employment
    • Privatization, austerity, corporate influence
    • Poverty, wealth inequality, market power
  • Typical focus:
    • How economic systems produce advantage for owners and disadvantage for workers

Weberian conflict approaches (authority, bureaucracy, status)

  • Best for topics where power operates through:
    • Organizational hierarchy
    • Regulation and bureaucracy
    • Credentialism and professional gatekeeping
    • Status groups (prestige, social closure)
  • Helps explain inequality even when “class” is not the main language used in the setting.

Feminist conflict approaches (gendered power and social order)

  • Best for topics on:
    • Unpaid care work and invisible labor
    • Workplace discrimination and glass ceilings
    • Gendered expectations in institutions (schools, health systems, families)
  • Emphasizes how power is reproduced through “normal routines,” not only explicit policy.

Postcolonial and racialized conflict approaches (history, identity, and institutions)

  • Best for topics on:
    • Colonial legacies and development inequality
    • Racialized policing and unequal protection
    • Cultural domination, exclusion, identity-based hierarchies
  • Highlights how institutions may look neutral while distributing harm and benefit unevenly.

Conflict theory compared with other theories (useful for literature reviews)

  • Structural functionalism
    • Focuses on stability, integration, social order
    • Conflict theory responds: stability may reflect control, not fairness
  • Symbolic interactionism
    • Focuses on meaning-making in everyday life
    • Conflict theory adds: meanings are shaped by structures and power
  • Rational choice perspectives
    • Focus on individual incentives and decisions
    • Conflict theory adds: “choices” occur in unequal conditions (unequal starting points)

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How to apply Conflict theory in a dissertation (a practical structure)

Step 1: Identify the groups in conflict (be specific)

  • Examples:
    • Landlords vs tenants
    • Management vs frontline staff
    • Policymakers vs community organizations
    • Private providers vs public services
    • Majority vs minority communities in access to services

Step 2: Name the contested resource (one clear phrase)

  • Examples:
    • “Access to affordable housing”
    • “Allocation of clinical time and appointments”
    • “Distribution of scholarships and placement opportunities”
    • “Control of contracts and procurement decisions”

Step 3: Operationalize power (make it measurable or observable)

  • Strong indicators include:
    • Who controls budgets
    • Who writes policy and who must comply
    • Who has authority to approve, deny, or sanction
    • Who controls data and performance reporting
    • Who is represented in decision forums vs excluded

Step 4: Link mechanisms to outcomes (show the pathway)

  • A strong Conflict theory argument shows:
    • Rules/practices → unequal access → unequal outcomes
  • Examples of outcomes you can measure:
    • Service access rates, waiting times, approval/denial patterns
    • Graduation or promotion rates
    • Disciplinary actions or enforcement frequency
    • Health outcomes or legal outcomes across groups

Step 5: Choose methods that reveal conflict mechanisms

  • Conflict theory fits well with:
    • Interviews and focus groups (experiences of gatekeeping, exclusion)
    • Document analysis (policy, budgets, internal memos)
    • Case studies (mechanisms of power and resistance)
    • Quantitative inequality analysis (distribution patterns across groups)
application of conflict theory application of conflict theory Applying Conflict Theory in Dissertation Research A practical five-step framework for methodology design 1 Identify the Conflicting Groups Define who holds power and who experiences constraints Consider these dynamics: • Property owners versus renters in housing markets • Administrative leadership versus frontline workers • Government agencies versus grassroots advocacy groups • Dominant cultural groups versus marginalized populations 2 Define the Contested Resource Specify what is being competed for in concrete terms Resource examples: • Equitable access to quality housing opportunities • Fair access to appointments and specialist referrals • Education funding and competitive program placements • Control of contracting processes and vendor selection 3 Operationalize Power Structures Make authority visible through tangible indicators Observable power indicators: • Financial authority: who controls budgets and spending • Rule-making: who designs rules versus who must follow • Decision authority: who approves, restricts, or delays • Information control: who owns data and reporting standards • Representation: who participates in governance versus excluded 4 Trace Mechanisms to Outcomes Demonstrate how structural processes produce disparities Show the causal pathway: Institutional rules → Differential access → Unequal outcomes Measurable outcome patterns: • Differences in utilization, wait times, or approval rates • Differences in advancement rates or credential attainment • Differences in enforcement actions or penalty applications 5 Select Appropriate Methods Choose approaches that illuminate power dynamics Effective methodological approaches: • Qualitative interviews on barriers, gatekeeping, and exclusion • Document analysis of policies, budgets, and internal communications • Case studies showing how power operates in specific contexts • Statistical analysis of unequal access and outcome disparities • Mixed methods combining narratives with inequality measures • Participatory methods engaging affected communities Research Framework Summary Strong Conflict theory research identifies power asymmetries, traces how institutional mechanisms create unequal access, and demonstrates measurable disparities in outcomes across competing groups. Theoretical Foundation and Application Guidelines Core Assumptions: Society consists of groups with competing interests over limited resources; power imbalances shape access and reproduce inequality. Social change often emerges from tension rather than consensus; dominant groups maintain advantages through institutional control. Research Design Considerations: • Frame questions around inequality, access barriers, or resource distribution • Examine formal policies and informal practices that maintain disparities • Consider resistance strategies and how subordinate groups navigate constraints • Connect micro-level experiences to macro-level institutional structures Adaptable across sociology, education, healthcare, urban studies, and organizational research

Dissertation topic examples where conflict theory fits strongly

  • Education
    • Unequal school funding and outcomes
    • Discipline policies and exclusion patterns
    • Standardized testing as gatekeeping
  • Healthcare
    • Unequal access to care, referrals, insurance coverage
    • Administrator vs clinician priorities
    • Reforms that shift burden onto patients or frontline staff
  • Criminology and justice
    • Unequal policing intensity and legal outcomes
    • Surveillance and social control patterns
  • Work and organizations
    • Pay inequality, precarious employment, union suppression
    • Promotion barriers and credential gatekeeping

Strengths of conflict theory (why examiners like it)

  • Strong at explaining:
    • Persistent inequality over time
    • Who benefits from policy design
    • Why reforms face resistance
    • How institutions reproduce advantage through “neutral” rules
  • Helps produce a sharper dissertation by forcing you to define:
    • Actors, resources, mechanisms, and outcomes

Limitations (and how to write them well)

  • Risk of overemphasis on conflict
    • Not all social life is domination; cooperation exists.
    • Fix: acknowledge cooperative elements where evidence supports them.
  • Risk of determinism
    • People still have agency, and institutions are not perfectly controlled.
    • Fix: show variation, negotiation, and unintended consequences.
  • Risk of one-factor explanations
    • Power can operate through economics, culture, law, and identity at once.
    • Fix: specify scope and mechanisms, and avoid claiming Conflict theory explains everything.

Explore More Sociological Theories (Related Reads)

Compare perspectives fast—open any theory below to deepen your analysis and research framing.

Structural Functionalism →

How institutions maintain stability, order, and shared norms.

Conflict Theory →

Power, inequality, and competition shaping social life.

Marxist Theory →

Class, labor, capitalism, and structural change.

Weberian Social Theory →

Bureaucracy, authority, and rationalization in modern society.

Modernization Theory →

Development, industrialization, and institutional transformation.

World-Systems Theory →

Global power, trade, and unequal economic relationships.

Social Stratification Theory →

How class, status, and power shape life chances.

Social Reproduction Theory →

How inequality persists across generations through institutions.

Social Construction of Reality →

How meaning, norms, and “reality” are built socially.

Collective Action Theory →

How groups mobilize—and why people sometimes do not participate.

Types of Macro Sociological Theories →

A single hub to compare the main macro perspectives.

Dissertation Support (Helpful Next Steps)

Explore Other Types of Theories →

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References

  • Collins, R. (1975). Conflict sociology: Toward an explanatory science. Academic Press. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781315635484/conflict-sociology-randall-collins-stephen-sanderson (Accessed January 9, 2026)
  • Coser, L. A. (1956). The functions of social conflict. Free Press. https://books.google.com/books/about/Functions_of_Social_Conflict.html?id=8roSUUrL_-8C (Accessed January 9, 2026)
  • Dahrendorf, R. (1959). Class and class conflict in industrial society. Stanford University Press. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003260257/class-conflict-industrial-society-ralf-dahrendorf (Accessed January 9, 2026)
  • Fanon, F. (1963). The wretched of the earth. Grove Press. https://groveatlantic.com/book/the-wretched-of-the-earth/ (Accessed January 9, 2026)
  • hooks, b. (2000). Feminist theory: From margin to center (2nd ed.). Pluto Press. https://www.plutobooks.com/product/feminist-theory/ (Accessed January 9, 2026)
  • Marx, K. (1990). Capital: A critique of political economy (Vol. 1). Penguin Classics. (Original work published 1867) https://books.google.com/books/about/Capital.html?id=KoPyzwEACAAJ (Accessed January 9, 2026)
  • Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1978). The Marx-Engels reader (R. C. Tucker, Ed.). W. W. Norton. https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393090406 (Accessed January 9, 2026)
  • Weber, M. (1978). Economy and society: An outline of interpretive sociology (G. Roth & C. Wittich, Eds.). University of California Press. https://www.ucpress.edu/books/economy-and-society-2/paper (Accessed January 9, 2026)

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