Izabela Walczak

University of Humanities and Economics in Lodz https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7357-963X

e-mail: iwalczak@ahe.lodz.pl

KULTURA I WYCHOWANIE NR 2(28)/2025

ISSN 2544-9427 eISSN 2083-2923

Around conflict – image, language and metaphors

https://doi.org/10.25312/kiw.28_iwal

Introduction

The subject of this analysis is a sample of 15 collages created by 3 groups of students of Graphics and Journalism faculties during in-class activity in Constructive Conflict

Resolution workshops. The objective of the task was to integrate diverse perspec-tives and to encourage exploration, so that learners acquire in-depth understanding of the topic and become empowered to navigate conflicts with confidence and insight.

The students’ works were analysed through the following lenses:

1. Image.

2. Language.

3. Metaphor.

The task and students’ output analysed in this paper were designed on the basis on Christopher Moore’s circle of conflict, a theoretical framework designed to identi-fy the causes of conflict, which are categorized under five primary sources: relation-ship, data, interest, value, and structure.

Conflict resolution frameworks propose models to analyse the multifaceted na-ture of disputes. Christopher Moore’s Circle of Conflict may serve, among others, as a diagnostic tool, categorizing conflicts according to their possible sources. Moore’s model indicates that conflicts arise from distinct, often overlapping sources, each re-quiring tailored resolution strategies.1

Tab. 1. Circle of conflict summary

Source: own elaboration on the basis of listed literature.

Relationship conflicts arise from interpersonal issues such as miscommunication, mistrust, emotional tensions, or negative past history. Quite unsurprisingly, this inter-

1 Ch. Moore, The Mediation Process practical strategies for resolving conflict, Jossey-Bass Pu-blishers, San Francisco 1996.

personal dynamic is also reflected in organizational conflicts.2 Data conflicts on oc-cur due to misinformation, lack of data, or differing interpretations of numbers or messages, confirmed by studies emphasizing the importance of accurate data in re-solving disputes.3 Data conflicts are also related to the use and understanding of lin-guistic subtleties.

Classic and common conflicts of interest stem from competing needs or goals such as resource allocation. Importantly, resources may also be immaterial. These types of conflicts are typically possible to solve through negotiation. Value conflicts, on the other hand, are deeply rooted in differing beliefs, ethics, or cultural norms held by individuals or groups. These conflicts tend to be difficult to handle, unless differ-ences are acknowledged without judgment, there are shared values possible to define, or solutions that honour all perspectives can be drafted.

Structural conflicts are caused by systemic setups such as imbalanced power distribution, inequitable resource allocation, or structures that by definition disad-vantage certain groups. Depending on the context, this category of conflicts may be solved through policy or organizational changes ensuring fairness and equity.

Moore’s circle of conflict helps mediators to diagnose disputes by identifying their root causes, which enables interventions tailored to the specific type of conflict. It complements frameworks like Bernard Mayer’s Wheel of Conflict, which incorpo-rates human needs such as identity and security into conflict analysis.4 Together, these models provide a holistic understanding of complex disputes.

Studies have demonstrated the utility of Moore’s framework in various contexts,

e.g. workplace disputes involving leadership changes often combine structural and relationship conflicts,5 however empirical studies validating its predictive accuracy are limited as it is primarily a conceptual framework.

More recent adaptations have expanded the model to include language barriers and adaptive challenges within value conflicts, reflecting evolving understandings of cultural and communicative complexities.

Conflict collage activity

As Moore’s model provides a clear categorization of conflict causes and is applicable in interpersonal, organizational, and historical contexts, the Constructive conflict res-olution cross-curricular course in-class task is designed with it as a basis. The course

2 C. De Dreu, L.R. Weingart, Task versus Relationship Conflict: A Meta-Analysis, “Journal of Applied Psychology” 2003, vol. 88, no. 4, pp. 741–749.

3 M. Bazerman, D.A. Moore, Judgment in Managerial Decision Making, John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey 2012.

4 B.S. Mayer, The Dynamics of Conflict Resolution, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco 2000.

5 K. Jehn, E.A. Mannix, The dynamic nature of conflict: A longitudinal study intragroup conflict and group performance, “Academy of Management Journal” 2001, vol. 44(2), pp. 238–251.

is a two-day workshop class. The theoretical model of the circle of conflict is intro-duced on the first day, through elicitation and discussion, after a warm-up exercise. Afterwards, students are divided into groups and asked to reproduce the format of the ‘empty’ circle of conflict and fill in the respective areas with magazine and newspaper clips: pictures, photographs, key words, phrases and/or headlines. Hard copies of magazines and newspapers are a mix of everyday, lifestyle, political (repre-senting right and left-wing of the political scene), gutter press and advertising leaflets, offer a variety of source material, both visual and linguistic. It is also possible for stu-dents to use internet news portals in search for applicable headlines and copy them on the collage in writing, as well as to add their own drawings.

The work involves searching for and selecting appropriate materials, planning it visually and presenting to other groups, which requires discussion, collaboration and assigning roles in teams. It is a structured open-ended task, with a theoretical model as a point of reference no ‘correct’ or best solutions. There is an infinite num-ber of solutions and possible output ideas. The activity is followed by presentations of posters and the discussion encouraging students to reflect on their work and the ideas of other groups. The lecturer may use several questions to facilitate the dis-cussion, the examples of which are listed below:

Tab. 2. Discussion questions

Source: own elaboration.

Images and language

In the analysed sample, students use a variety of clippings, including photographs, graphics short articles or their pieces, headlines, phrases or key words as well as their own inputs, both verbal and visual, the examples of which are listed in the table below.

Tab. 3. Examples of images and language in conflict categories

Source: own elaboration on the basis of source material.

It was noted that students, apart from neutral or formal register, used the lan-guage relevant for their age group (22–24 years of age), using informal expressions such as cutie, sham or you came in hot. Similarly, the pictures showing historical fig-ures or article clippings with serious content such as armed conflicts, political or so-cial issues, were accompanied by pictures reflecting their interests such as e.g. sports, cars or music.

In several cases images were combined with verbal elements, offering illustrative insights, for example:

• A couple discussing a choice of wine with a headline ‘What do you think dar-ling?’ illustrating relationship conflicts.

• A picture of a younger and older woman put together to illustrate conflicts be-tween generations.

• Headline Part-time fathers – new urban trend combined with a picture of a mother and a child sitting on one end of the couch and the father working on his laptop on the other

• Cartoon clipping showing a university graduate with a diploma complaining about the offered salary, illustrating structural conflicts.

Metaphors

In both group work and the discussion, students are encouraged to think not only di-rectly about examples relevant for each category of conflict but also reflect on the phe-nomenon in a broader context and search for loose associations and its metaphorical illustrations induced by both visual and verbal cues. The result might be the meta-phors generated in the in-class discussion:

• A conflict is like a toilet paper if it starts rolling, it seems to never end.

• Some conflicts are like a global warming, at first one may not notice that some-thing is going terribly wrong.

• If you think the best solution in a fight is to use force, you might be surprised.

• In a conflict of interests, some people’s needs may be like a bottomless well, in which case it will be hard to meet half way in a negotiation.

• In an argument, you might have no idea what the other side is thinking or what their values are, it is better than to ask, rather than assume things.

  Thinking metaphorically encourages learners to generate different perspectives and search for otherwise opaque aspects of phenomena, which increases the educa-tional value of the activity:

  [it] is essential to cognition, shapes the way we perceive our environment and our interactions, builds bridges to community, and ultimately shapes culture. Thus, understanding metaphor in as much depth as it affords and then utiliz-ing it as a pedagogical tool becomes an invaluable resource for instructors. […] A new frame means a new perception. Metaphors can have that kind of power in helping students to see the world in ways they never have before.6

  Metaphors and visual representations of concepts serve as catalytic tools for trans-lating abstract notions such as conflict sources into tangible learning experiences, enabling learners to map familiar schemas onto complex conflict dynamic.7 For ex-ample:

• Structural conflicts might be visualized as ‘architectural flaws’ in a building, necessitating systemic redesign.

• Value conflicts could be framed as ‘tectonic plates’ grinding against deeply held beliefs.

• Such metaphors activate neural pathways associated with creative problem-

  -solving, enhancing retention and critical analysis.8

  
  

  6 S. Anika, The Pedagogical Power of Metaphor, “Locutorium” 2020, vol. 15, https://locutorium. byu.edu/issues/volume-15-2020/the-pedagogical-power-of-metaphor/ [accessed: 1.08.2025].

  7 G. Lakoff, M. Johnson., Metaphors we live by, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1980.

  8 E. Botha, Why Metaphor Matters in Education, “South African Journal of Education” 2009, vol. 29(4), pp. 431–444; J. Littlemore, Functions of Metaphor in Educational Contexts, University of Birmingham, Birmingham 2020.

  The task of creating outputs combining visual and linguistic elements exemplifies the visual-linguistic synergy of educational activity design.

  As a potential development workshop participants might be requested e.g.

  • to diagram conflict sources as interconnected nodes, using colour coding to denote their intensity and gravity.

  • to think of narrative metaphors (e.g., ‘negotiation as a dance’) to articulate conflict solution strategies.

This approach aligns with embodied cognition theory, which posits that mul-tisensory engagement deepens conceptual thinking. By juxtaposing Moore’s mod-el with learner-generated metaphors, educators can help students challenge static frameworks; for instance, a metaphor of ‘conflict as a rhizome’ critiques the linearity of Moore’s categories, emphasizing interconnectedness.

Educational value

The exercise Conflict collage, by application of image, language and metaphors as tools supporting discoveries, collaboration, creative and critical thinking and discus-sion, offers a number of educational benefits.

First of all, it supports learners’ autonomy as students through reconfiguring the Circle of Conflict into personalized models were able to select the examples that they found personally meaningful and relevant to their experience. This kind of approach triggers engagement by allowing students to filter out irrelevant content. At the same, it has to be noted that the selectivity may become a limitation when teaching specific content, excluding essential but less directly relatable concepts. For example, while learners might focus on interpersonal conflicts that resonate with their age group or social context, they may overlook other social or organizational issues.

Discussing posters created by students clearly helped disclose apparent reasons why conflicts occur, as well as unearthing root causes and authentic rationale or emo-tions of conflicting parties. Conflicts often seem to arise from surface-level issues that appear to be the immediate cause but are, in reality, manifestations of deeper under-lying factors. The distinction between them is critical for effective conflict resolu-tion. Reasons, such as miscommunication or personality clashes, often mask more profound triggers such as ineffective structures or differences in values and beliefs. For instance, communication issues may seem to be the primary issue in workplace disputes, but closer analysis often reveals unclear job descriptions or responsibilities for assigned tasks. The activity helped students understand similar examples and the underlying principles.

The exercise offers an element of surprise and inspiration as browsing through magazines or news portals helps students think about the known in a new way and

think creatively about old elements to produce the new, exposing learners to new perspectives and associations. By juxtaposing seemingly unrelated elements, stu-dents engage in combinatory creativity, which can lead to novel insights about con-flict dynamics.9 For example, browsing through media reports on political disputes alongside interpersonal conflicts can help learners identify parallels between power struggles at different scales. Although the task has as its objective the understanding of the main causes of conflict, in the collages there were indications of what helps prevent and solve them as well. This not only enhanced understanding but also en-couraged innovative thinking about potential solutions, the topic covered in detail in latter parts of the course.

Finally, the activity develops critical thinking skills as, while working on their posters, students were bound to discover and discuss weaknesses of the model, e.g. an overlap between categories; as conflicts often involve multiple drivers (e.g., struc-tural inequities exacerbating relational tensions).

Conclusions

Moore’s framework remains a cornerstone in conflict resolution literature, offering a systematic lens to categorize causes of disputes and allows for in-depth understand-ing of the nature of conflict. It was found to be a malleable material for an activity involving discovery of a theoretical framework, development of deep understand-ing of its meaning and opening the door for new interpretations as well as creative and critical thinking. By empowering learners to critique and reimagine the model, it is possible to cultivate the agility needed to navigate today’s polycentric disputes. The analysis of workshop outputs demonstrated how such creativity bridges theory and practice, advancing conflict resolution beyond mechanistic frameworks.

Deep understanding offered by this type of activity becomes the trigger for au-thentic learning that happens in class rather than relying on memorizing a ‘list’ of conflict categories. Self-reflection questions help to increase self-awareness of stu-dents offering personal development space transcending the syllabus contents.

It must also be noted that education is a two-way street or rather a round-about, as numerous new insights about the conflict were also discovered by the au-thor of the article during the class and the analysis of the source material. As one of the conclusions the analysis offers promising material for future design of in-class activities that combine multiple elements for effective learning in various domains, such as 3D sculptures or interactive digital maps.

9 J.M.V. Sikubwabo, The perceptions and challenges of a holistic aspect of mediation for effecti-ve conflict resolution, World Meditation, 13.03.2024, https://worldmediation.org/the-perception-s-and-challenges-of-a-holistic-aspect-of-mediation-for-effective-conflict-resolution/ [accessed: 1.08.2025].

References

Anika S., The Pedagogical Power of Metaphor, “Locutorium” 2020, vol. 15, https:// locutorium.byu.edu/issues/volume-15-2020/the-pedagogical-power-of-met-aphor/ [accessed: 1.08.2025].

Bazerman M., Moore D.A., Judgment in Managerial Decision Making, John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey 2012.

Botha E., Why Metaphor Matters in Education, “South African Journal of Education” 2009, vol. 29(4), pp. 431–444.

De Dreu C., Weingart L.R., Task versus Relationship Conflict: A Meta-Analysis, “Jour-nal of Applied Psychology” 2003, vol. 88, no. 4, pp. 741–749.

Dow D., Tool – Circle of Conflict, 3.10.2019, https://synergycommons.net/resources/ tool-circle-of-conflict/ [accessed: 1.08.2025].

Fisher R., Ury W., Patton B., Getting to Yes: Negotiating an agreement without giving in, Century Business, Sydney 1991.

Furlong G., The Conflict Resolution Toolbox, Wiley and Sons, Ontario 2005.

Jehn K., Mannix E.A., The dynamic nature of conflict: A longitudinal study intragroup conflict and group performance, “Academy of Management Journal” 2001, vol. 44(2), pp. 238–251.

Lakoff G., Johnson M., Metaphors we live by, The University of Chicago Press, Chi-cago 1980.

Littlemore J., Functions of Metaphor in Educational Contexts, University of Birming-ham, Birmingham 2020.

Mayer B.S., The Dynamics of Conflict Resolution, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francis-co 2000.

Moore Ch., The Mediation Process practical strategies for resolving conflict, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco 1996.

Sikubwabo J.M.V., The perceptions and challenges of a holistic aspect of mediation for effective conflict resolution, World Meditation, 13.03.2024, https://world-mediation.org/the-perceptions-and-challenges-of-a-holistic-aspect-of-me-diation-for-effective-conflict-resolution/[accessed: 1.08.2025].