conflict theory: I WANT POWER!!

In our society, the conflict theory is ever present, as humans are naturally selfish creatures. All around us we see struggle for power, whether it be in obvious things such as politics, or smaller things like in a high school, in the home, or on a team. There are all kinds of resources that can be and are scarce which causes these conflicts. For example, right now in Egypt there is a huge power struggle between the Egyptian people and their government and their current leader. There is a conflict about what kind of government Egypt should have. The society in Egypt is going to undergo huge social changes if the government changes. There would be a new sense of support for the government by the people and possibly a sense of unity which could affect their moods, their economy, etc. There is a scarcity of authority in Egypt and the people are fighting for it.

High school is a place full of conflict. Some kids are being bullied and taunted by others, because the bullies think they have authority over the kids they torture. The athletes and/or jocks are at the top of the food chain, getting the respect of most of their peers because they are good at what they do. Although it is not entirely true and usually exaggerated on TV, the social structure of high is somewhat of a reflection of the social structure of the world outside the walls of high school.  In high school, popularity is the scarce resource that students are constantly fighting for more of, and in the real world, money is the scarce resource. More money=more power=more respect from others. This power struggle can differ from society to society, but overall materialism is very prominent in today’s society and people can become obsessed with the notion of having more money/power, just as high school students can become obsessed with the thought of becoming more popular.