Second, the conflict helped to strengthen the African American community. The movement brought African Americans together from all walks of life to fight for a common cause. This helped to build solidarity and community among African Americans.
Third, the conflict helped to lead to positive social change. The movement resulted in the passage of laws that prohibited racial segregation and discrimination in public places and employment. This helped to improve the lives of African Americans and to create a more just and equitable society.
How social conflict might be understood using symbolic interactionism:
Symbolic interactionism is a theoretical framework that examines how people create and interpret meaning through social interaction. Symbolic interactionists argue that social conflict can be understood as a process of negotiation and bargaining.
For example, in the American Civil Rights Movement, African Americans and white Americans had different interpretations of the meaning of race and racism. African Americans argued that race is a social construct and that racism is unjust and harmful. White Americans, on the other hand, often viewed race as a biological reality and racism as a necessary evil.
The Civil Rights Movement can be seen as a process of negotiation between these two competing interpretations of race and racism. African Americans used a variety of tactics to challenge the dominant white interpretation of race and racism. They engaged in protests, sit-ins, and boycotts. They also formed organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to advocate for their rights.
Over time, the Civil Rights Movement helped to change the way that many Americans viewed race and racism. This led to positive social change, such as the passage of laws that prohibited racial segregation and discrimination.
Application of symbolic interactionism to the question of conflict:
One way to apply symbolic interactionism to the question of conflict is to examine the role of language in conflict. Symbolic interactionists argue that language is used to create and maintain social reality.
For example, in the American Civil Rights Movement, white Americans often used language to dehumanize and denigrate African Americans. They used terms such as “negro” and “colored” to refer to African Americans, and they portrayed African Americans as being less intelligent and civilized than whites.
This language helped to justify the mistreatment of African Americans. It also made it difficult for white Americans to see African Americans as equals.
The Civil Rights Movement helped to change the way that Americans talked about race. African Americans and their allies challenged the use of racist language. They argued that this language was harmful and that it contributed to discrimination.
Over time, the Civil Rights Movement helped to create a new social reality in which African Americans were seen and treated as equals.
Symbolic interactionism can be used to examine the role of language and other symbols in conflict in a variety of contexts. For example, it can be used to examine how language is used to justify war, to promote violence against marginalized groups, and to perpetuate social inequality.
