Why are there not More Conflicts in World Society? Conflict as Communication and its Invisibilization
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Systems theory highlights that every communication can possibly reject another communication and hence become a conflict. It provides indicators for a high likelihood of conflicts in modern world society. Ironically, it offers a sociological instrument to follow up a claim stated by Ralf Dahrendorf, demanding research on the absence of conflict. After a short introduction this contribution refers programmatically to the here applied systems theory concept of communication and conflict. It emphasizes the high probability of conflict in modern society and scrutinizes a difference between likelihood conflicts and realization of conflict systems. That only a few conflicts become continuous conflict system is explained by a form of conflict avoidance suggested by Rudolf Stichweh: The invisibilization of no. The final section provides two examples: The restrictive procedure in court interactions and the use of irony, as well as the invisible status of rejected friendships within Facebook. The first helps to maintain diversity, the second to operate a social network. It is suggested that the here applied systems theory allows a complex investigation starting by the absence of conflict systems even though rejections are likely and common in everyday life.