Difference Between Conflict & Dispute

While it may be difficult to immediately recognize the difference between conflicts and disputes, many scholars and experts make a point to differentiate between the two. While there is no common consensus, there are several interesting approaches to consider the differences.

TIme Frame

The scholar John Burton makes a distinction between the two by suggesting that disputes are a short-term phenomena, while conflicts are long-term problems.

Negotiation

Further, Burton suggests that a critical distinction between the two is that conflicts, unlike disputes, manifest themselves in issues that are seemingly non-negotiable.

Connectivity

A useful way to consider the two are as a larger umbrella of conflict, under which smaller, and more short-term disputes occur.

Needs

Disputes are usually centered on the fact that the needs of one or two parties are not being met. The resolution of this problem can usually resolve the specific dispute at hand.

Values

Conflicts are often centered around more difficult topics. A conflict often hinges on high-stakes moral values that aren’t easily negotiable.

References

• Beyond Intractability: Conflicts and Disputes