Theories are an attempt to explain how things work. They apply in some situations, but often are limited to certain situations or have other limitations. In this module you learned about Deutsch’s theory of cooperation and competition.
Deutsch, M. Cooperation, competition and conflict. In Peter T. Coleman, Morton Deutsch and Eric C. Marcus (Eds.) The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass p. 3-28 (Attached0
Follett, M. P. (1925). Constructive conflict. In E. M. Fox & L. Urwick (Eds.), Dynamic administration: The collected papers of Mary Parker Follett (pp. 1-20). London: Pitman, 1973. (Attached)
Johnson, D. & Johnson, R. (2012). Intellectual Legacy: Cooperation and Competition. In Coleman, P. T. (Ed., 2012). Conflict, Justice, and Interdependence: The Legacy of Morton Deutsch. Springer Books. (Attached)
Requirements: 400 words
Answer preview
In conclusion, theories explain facts and also enable various parties such as health professionals, scientists, and researchers, among others, to make predictions based on the phenomena in observation. With Deutsch’s theory of cooperation and competition, an individual has to recognize that goal interdependence, whether positive or negative, can lead to cooperative or competitive relationships, respectively. Generally, cooperative or competitive can create conflict; hence, the application of Deutsch’s theory is primarily applicable in addressing conflict issues in social environments.
