Chapter 12 deals with the two theories of misplaced conflict and displaced conflict. Our textbook treats them as being two distinct and separate theories, but I see them as often being intertwined, sometimes even synonymous with each other. Misplaced conflict are defined as being conflicts, “Which occur when people argue about issues other than the ones at the heart of the conflict.” Displacement occurs, “When people take out their frustrations on those perceived as less dangerous to them.”
Take, for instance, a situation at the workplace when your called into your bosses office for failing to correctly label a repot. Say your boss has had a rough week at home, he’s stressed and ready to snap. If your boss decides to flip-out on you over this minor infraction, it’s a perfect example of both a misplaced and displaced conflict. Misplaced because the real source of his frustration is his personal life, and displaced because he is taking his anger out on a subordinate (rather than confronting the true person causing his angst).
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