Assignment 3 pdf
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Capella University *
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3700
Subject
Communications
Date
Feb 20, 2024
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Pages
6
Uploaded by DoctorRaccoon4002
Conflict and Power
Sabrina Petrichevich
COM 3700
Capella University
January 2024
Introduction
A key factor to why conflicts occur is power. It may be due to clashing views with a person of power, a power-struggle, or a lack of respect for figures of authority. A common source of conflict that we all are familiar with is seen between law enforcement and individuals in the community they serve. There are so many different situations that could result in a conflict with law enforcement. It is important to understand the conditions that may instigate a conflict in order to try to prevent them or know how to resolve them. Factors or Conditions that Contribute to Conflict between Law Enforcement and the Community
There is a multitude of factors that could contribute to conflicts between individuals in the community and law enforcement officers. Conflicts with law enforcement could be as minor as a traffic violation, or as life threatening as using excessive force in a situation that does not require it. In recent years, there has been a large mistrust in law enforcement by the communities they serve due to an increase in the use of excessive force in situations where it was not warranted or may have not been the safest option. This is in part the law enforcements officers' fault, and in part the media's fault for portraying situations in a different light than they might have happened in. Nonetheless, communities across the country have a certain level of distrust and distain for law enforcement. Mistrust and personal biases are a few factors that contribute to conflict between law enforcement. When a community does not trust law enforcement, it is easier for conflicts to arise. Individuals may go into a simple traffic stop with the mindset that all police officers are corrupt and want to inconvenience citizens. Going into a situation with that personal bias or mindset makes it much easier for tensions to rise and conflict to occur. It is a tricky situation to navigate because there are times where law enforcement has shown the
community that they are not to be trusted. What the community does not get is both sides to all these stories we read about and listen to in the news. Unfortunately, law enforcement has still not won over the trust of the communities they serve, and until they do, these conflicts will continue to happen and likely be broadcasted for all of us to witness. The Perceptions of power and their Contribution to Conflict Perception of power differs from individual to individual. Some people have a high level of respect for law enforcement and other figures of authority. Other people do not. These people have a large mistrust for law enforcement. These citizens often gather together to protest police brutality, and voice their opinions anywhere they can be heard. These differences lead to conflict between law enforcement and citizens, and even between citizens who have different perceptions themselves. These conflicts only further divide us as a community. Relational Theory of Power
The Relational Theory of Power is used to describe power and status within relationships. This theory further talks about how power is something that develops throughout a relationship; the trust between two individuals must grow over time and with experience (Maralcavner, 2015). In other words, trust must be built between individuals in order for individuals in positions of power to be able to have a positive impact on their communities. This theory can be seen between law enforcement and citizens. Citizens that have a negative experience with law enforcement or have heard news stories about situations that led to mistrust in law enforcement, may not be as cooperative with law enforcement. This can lead to an increase in conflict between law enforcement and their communities.
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Conflict Resolution Strategies Communities across America already have a large mistrust of law enforcement, and this is leading to an increase in conflicts with them. There are many different ways to resolve conflicts with law enforcement in the moment of the conflict. Some strategies could be to actively listen to individuals, accept responsibility if mistakes were made on behalf of law enforcement, speak to individuals with respect and try to understand where their fears and biases are coming from. What is more difficult to resolve is the overall mistrust that citizens have with law enforcement. Once a trust is broken, it is very difficult to gain it back. One way that law enforcement could attempt to do so is to engage with their communities in a positive manner. This can be anywhere from volunteering at local shelters and nonprofits to simply speaking with citizens in a positive way when seen in public. This could begin to mend the broken relationship. Another strategy is to hold meetings where law enforcement officials and citizens can openly discuss their concerns in a respectful and beneficial manner. For example, my community holds an event called “Coffee with Cops”, where law enforcement and citizens gather together at a local coffee shop and talk. I believe a more informal meeting place encourages both law enforcement and individuals to be more open and honest in their conversations. Mending the relationship between law enforcement and their communities is a task that will involve multiple different strategies and time. This isn’t a relationship that can be fixed overnight, but it is a necessary relationship to mend. One more strategy that can be used to mend the relationship is for law enforcement to show the community that they are taking additional steps to fix the errors within their organization. One way to do this is to participate in additional trainings that teach officers how to reduce the use of excessive force. When a community sees an organization take
responsibility for their short comings and attempt to better themselves, they have a larger amount of respect and may begin to trust them again. Conclusion Over the past few years, a large divide has been placed between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Citizens have a mistrust of police officers, which leads to an increase in conflict between the two. While there have been many situations where police have shown their communities that they may not be trustworthy, that does not apply to every single police officer. There are many strategies that can be used to attempt to mend this relationship.
References Corpuz, J. C. G. (2021). “Pandemic within a pandemic”: a call to end police brutality.
Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdab250 maralcavner, A. (2015, March 7). Relational Theories of Power by Maral Cavner. Maral Cavner’s Blog. https://maralcavner.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/relational-theories-of-power-by-maral-cavner/ Peeples, L. (2021). What the data say about police brutality and racial bias —
and which reforms might work. Nature, 583(1476-4687). https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-01846-z
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