konfliktas

Konfliktas is the Lithuanian noun for conflict. It refers to a situation where two or more parties have incompatible goals, interests, or values, or perceive such incompatibility, resulting in opposition or clash.

Origin and usage: The term is a loanword from German Konflikt, widely used in European languages, and is common in modern Lithuanian. It is used in formal and informal discourse to describe disagreements, tensions, or confrontations, with varying intensities from mild disagreement to armed conflict.

Contexts and types: In political science and international relations, konfliktas denotes disputes between states, groups, or organizations. In sociology and psychology, it describes interpersonal or group-level disagreements. Common categories include interpersonal, intragroup, intergroup, organizational, and international conflicts.

Causes and dynamics: Conflicts arise from competing interests, value differences, power imbalances, competition over resources, and miscommunication. They may escalate from disagreement to hostility and, if unresolved, to stalemate or violence. Resolution typically involves negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and, in some cases, third-party peacekeeping or organizational reforms.

Resolution and outcomes: Effective conflict management aims for agreed settlements, transformed relationships, or sustainable changes in institutions or norms. Cultural, legal, and institutional frameworks shape how conflicts are understood and managed.