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Interpersonal Conflict

Institution

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Interpersonal Conflict

There must be at least two people involved in the conflict for it to be considered a

conflict, according to Bevan (2020). Those involved in the dispute believe that their objectives

are irreconcilable, that resources are scarce, and that others are interfering with their efforts to

attain them. During a conflict, the interdependent parties see each other as a hindrance to

attaining their objectives. Consequently, the build-up of pressure leads to a dispute in which each

party finds it difficult to wish away the other (Bevan, 2020). Because one party may believe that

they are giving it all but getting little in return, disputes arise in the workplace.

Elsa and Anna's relationship is one example of an interpersonal conflict in the film

"Frozen" that was not handled well. Elsa and Anna are captured and sent to a troll colony after

Elsa accidentally hurts Anna (The Movie "Frozen"). Anna is cured, but her memory has been

tampered with in order to prevent her from remembering her sister's magic. Elsa, on the other

hand, is cautioned about the dangers of her abilities. In an effort to shield her sister from Anna's

magic and strength, Elsa begins to shun her, resulting in a rift between the two of them.

The situation between Anna and Elsa, as depicted in the movie, satisfies Bevan's criterion

for interpersonal conflict. For example, Anna and Elsa have an open struggle to talk about their

rift verbally. Furthermore, at least two interdependent parties are involved in the schism. Elsa

and Anna, the two main characters, are intertwined in some way, and their decisions have an

impact on each other. For example, Anna is affected by Elsa's decision to distance herself from

her sister because she could not marry without her sister's approval. Furthermore, these parties

believed that they were working toward irreconcilable aims and that they were being hampered

by others. Interference from Duke, Grand Pabbie, and Hans, for example, is seen as impeding

their purpose of assisting one another.

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The conflict between Elsa and Anna was not handled effectively. This is because the

situation was only managed instead of being resolved. As such, it means that there is a

possibility of the rift re-emerging later hence prolonging the conflict between the two parties.

Also, the parties did not decide to end the conflict by themselves. Instead, the management of the

situation seems to be fueled by the interests of greed and fake love from Hans. As a result, the

two conflicting characters are not satisfied with the outcome. Therefore, the conflict was not

handled well. Sole (2011) argues that resolving the conflict would have been the most effective

way of handling this situation. As a result, the parties involved would merge the rifts between

them.

Avoidance is one of the tactics employed by the characters in order to deal with the

conflict in the film. Elsa was demonstrating a lack of concern for herself and her sister by

refusing to interact with her. Elsa was employing the avoidance approach in order to avoid the

conflict with Anna by ignoring her. Optimism serves as the second tactic employed by the

protagonists in resolving their conflict. Anna was attempting to repair the divide between her and

her sister by expressing affection and admiration for her sister. According to the movie, she is

hopeful about her chances of finding her sister, which exemplifies the strategy based on

optimism.

Elsa and Anna should have used transparency to help them overcome their disagreement

more effectively. The fact that Anna was upfront about her intentions would have assisted Elsa in

stopping her runaway behavior. Elsa, on the other hand, could have alleviated the situation if she

had communicated freely with her sister about her powers and the cause for her estrangement. A

compromise would have been the second method they would have used to end the conflict
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successfully. According to Bevan, a compromise requires both parties to express modest

concerns with the goal of reaching a formal agreement on the best course of action.
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References

Bevan, J. L. (2020). Making connections: Understanding interpersonal communication (3rd ed.).

Sole, K. (2011). Making Connections: Understanding Interpersonal Communications. San Diego.

The Movie "Frozen" from https://frozen.disney.com/