Theories on Conflict

Theories on Conflict Introduction Conflicts today abound which demand explanation. Understanding the roots of conflict is especially true now given the rise of populism which catapulted controversial leaders like President Donald Trump of the United States and President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, each of their own right riding onto the wave of either anti-immigration or anti-crime sentiment. Trump has sparked numerous protests due to his contentious Muslim travel ban (Thrush, 2017) while Duterte has earned international condemnation for the spate of extrajudicial killings arising from his all-out war on drugs and criminality (Al Jazeera, 2017). Each of these leaders claim to be resolving root causes of conflict in their respective countries Trump, restricting immigration in order to address the imminent security threat that the liberal immigration policies of erstwhile US administrations have posed, while Duterte, clamping down on the drug trade which he considers to be a top cause of underdevelopment and n ational degeneration. The theories on conflict discussed and learned over the course of three weeks helped me frame a deeper understanding as to why both Trump and Dutertes analysis may be critically attacked and in what instances, they are either correct or fall short. A school of theories under the systems theory consider how the roots of violence are all interconnected and are products of social, political and economic interactions. New emerging theories such as the human needs theory consider the deprivation of basic human needs to be a direct cause of conflict and suggest that addressing the same would eradicate conflict. Lastly, various social theories from Karl Marx to Franz Fanon provide me with lenses to be used in studying social disruption for these theories really enunciate what causes societal fractures and what can be done about it. This paper is a critical reflection of the following body of conflicts theories. Discussion of Conflict and Social Theories Systems Theory Simply stated, the systems theory considers conflict to be the whole of many problematic parts of society which are inextricably linked. Conflict therefore arises not due to individual or micro-level differences and contradictions but of a general system. Systems theories seek to understand conflict by looking at how several elements located in a social system interact with one another. Violence, according to systems theorists, should be viewed from the level of (1) individuals (2) dyads; (3) subsystems (family, community, religious groups and general society). Subsystems are organized in a manner which could either encourage or deter or regulate violence. Direct efforts at changing elements of the system will not prosper since the system will immediately provide a replacement for the missing element. Hence, ending violence, which is a systematic problem requires a coordinated and comprehensive approach. The general systems theory is useful in uncovering relationships and interaction s which contribute to violence from different levels. However, its weakness lies in the fact that it is a value-free theory which requires theoretical directions. Structural violence Structural violence, according to John Galtung, pertains to a form of violence arising from a social structure or institution which harms people by deliberately depriving them of capacity to satisfy their immediate human needs. This kind of violence does not take a physical form or image but consists of avoidable impairment of fundamental human needs (Galtung,ÂÂ   1969, p. 32). The notion of structural violence impels one to look for inequalities within social structures may it be inequalities in wealth, power, privilege, access and opportunity which breed injustice. In the same light, structural violence also compels one to look at the connections between what might be falsely considered as mutually exclusive worlds. In essence, the theory of structural violence as a way of addressing conflict encourages people to proceed with moral outrage and critical participation where previously our reflexive response would be passive acceptance of these inequalities. Institutionalized ra cism, classism and sexism are forms of structural violence which are usually considered as inherent characteristics of society. Galtung however encourages to look beyond these inequalities and to find connections in order to dismantle structures which permit these injustices. In my view, structural violence is a timely method of deconstructing conflict in todays world. For instance, the notion of viewing refugees as a potential source of conflict is a worldview tacitly accepted in global policy. Acceptance of refugees is viewed to potentially open the floodgates for terrorism, crime, and other degenerate activities that threaten national security. However, when viewed from perspective of structural violence, we can proceed to view the refugee crisis more critically and conclude that instead of treating refugees as potential threats, they should instead be viewed as people who deserve to be treated with dignity. Relative Deprivation Theory This theory assumes that social conflict arises due to peoples perceptions of inequality. When people perceive that there exists a disparity from what they deserve to enjoy from what they currently enjoy, they became discontented with their situation (Walker Pettigrew, 1984). The relative deprivation theory hypothesizes that conflict arises when the gap between two groups within a particular population is too wide, the possibility of rebellion becomes more likely. The assumption is that people are bound to perceive that they enjoy certain entitlements from society and when they are deprived of this while a number of other people belonging to the same population enjoy the same, dissent comes into being. Relative deprivation theory focuses on value expectations which need to be met within a certain society. Thus, when a society has a relatively high rate of economic inequality, the more likely it is that people will rebel. While the origin of the deprivation is economic, a state of po verty does not necessarily translate to violence. However, when individual expectations of poor people become transformed as a group identity, they become a political force that will not hesitate to use violence in order to combat their perceived discrimination. In other words, relative deprivation theory considers that violence stems from a persons judgment of his or her economic circumstances in the community. To a certain extent, an individuals subjective evaluation of his or her community status is essential to their conduct. Theory of cooperation The theory of cooperation proceeds from the notion that conflicts are generally characterized by cooperation and cooperation as twin motives. Deutsch (1949, 1985) formulated this theory in order to comprehend the conflict process better and how to come up with more effective conflict resolution methods. Deutschs primary thesis is that in order to resolve conflict, it is a key step to understand the nature of interdependence of both parties in conflict. Interdependence could be negative or positive. When the goals of both parties are negatively interdependent, a partys success automatically means the others failure. Upon the other hand, when the goals of both parties are positively interdependent, one partys success is correlated with the other partys success while one partys failure is also correlated with the other party failure. In the latter form of interdependence, cooperative relationships can be had in order to secure a win-win outcome for both parties to a conflict. Cooperative relationships are considered to demonstrate several positive features such as effective communication, openness, a friendly atmosphere and commitment to mutuality. In contrast, competitive relationships bring about the opposite results such as closed communication, lack of coordinated activities, an atmosphere of suspicion and a sense of domination. Based on Deutschs research, constructive conflict resolution is more linked to cooperative processes rather than competitive processes which he considered destructive. In order to foster cooperative relationships towards constructive conflict resolution, Deutsch likened it to friendly social relations. This is marked by empowering gestures and a reframing of attitudes. Thus, he recommends that both parties agree to commit to adherence to norms in the conduct of talks and negotiations. Among these norms include respect, honesty, responsiveness, forgiveness, and acknowledgment of responsibility. These values, due to their universal value and acceptance, can pose as common grounds for both parties to stand on. Emerging Conflict Theories: Human Needs Theory An emerging trend in conflict theory shifts the focus from the political economy to basic human needs. This perspective is anchored on the fact that human beings need to acquire essentials in order to live with dignity. Human needs theorists place the cause of conflict to unmet human needs. In this light, they argue that violence happens when certain groups or individuals are deprived of basic human needs (Burton, 1979). Theorists however have disagreed on what human needs means. In Burtons (1979) view, human needs that need to be addressed in the context of conflict go beyond the basic biological or subsistence needs. Instead, unmet needs related to social conflict include identifiy, recognition, security and development. As Burtons human needs theory progressed, he highlighted how existing state systems have miserably failed to provide a sense of identity thereby fueling ethno-linguistic separatist movements. If certain ethnic groups are deprived of their freedom to express their own national identities within the status quo, they will tend to establish parallel revolutionary systems in order to achieve the same. Burton provides as concrete examples the ethnic nationalist struggle in Kosovo in 1989 as well as various gang subcultures. Burton opined that human need theory can help explain conflict and pave the way for better conflict resolution because Rubenstein (2010) considers the human needs theory as providing a better explanation to social conflict compared to theories which focus only on the errors of a few manipulative leaders or institutions, as embodied in Samuel Huntingtons clash of civilizations theory. Echoing Burtons view, Rubenstein views the human needs theory to provide the study of conflict with a more objective basis which goes beyond local or cultural differences. The needs-based approach to understanding social conflict defies traditional notions of conflict and instead uses unsatisfied human needs as the independent variable to explain why elite dominance or cultural differences lead to conflict. However, Park (2010) critiqued Burtons positivist framework of needs theory and encouraged a more critical definition of needs to mean that there are needs that do not directly bear upon material sustenance like recognition and freedom from coercion that must also not be obstructed lest there be undesirable consequences (p. 1). Park took issue with Burtons reliance on the biological explanation for Needs Theory to support protection of rights and universal freedoms. Instead, she advocates for a psychoanalytic view to suggest that not needs are not universal. According to her, needs are essentially socially constructed. The needs which people pursue are socially engineered and they may even pursue false pleasures. In sum, Park considers with caution the use of the black box that is human needs. The definition of human needs is not simple but very complex and difficult to understand. Conflict from the Lens of Social Theory Equally relevant to the study of conflict is the development of social theory arising from social disruption. In Charles Lemerts (2016) book, multiple social theorists and their viewpoints on conflict are critically discussed. From the classical Great White Men theories arose alternative views on social relationships and social conflict which can be applied to the contemporary context. Among the most notable of these social theorists include of course, Karl Marx, publicly voted as the worlds greatest philosopher (BBC News, 2015). Marx wrote Das Kapital as well as the Manifesto together with Friedrich Engels at a time of extreme economic discontent. Marx focused on his critique of political economy which obscures the internal relationships of labor and capital and discussed a pivotal feature which is the workers alienation and estrangement. What is the most striking and palpable among these types of alienation is what fuels labor unrest: that of labor commodification and the reduction of the worker to a mere object. Simply stated, the more a worker produces out of his labour power, the cheaper he or she becomes as a commodity. Because the worker is paid at a fixed rate, more and more profit is being gained by the capitalist due to his work but unfortunately the worker does not earn additional wages for it. Marxist thought has gained traction especially with the cris is of global capitalism, environmental destruction, and global poverty. Until, his theory of class as the root cause of contradiction in society remains very relevant. However, many theorists developed a more expansive construction of his view on social classes. Max Weber, another classical theorist, came up with an alternative approach to the study of classes. For Marx, ones class is defined and determined by ones ownership of the means of production. Thus, Marx considered historical class antagonisms and identified these two groups in contemporary capitalist society as the proletariat and bourgeoisie. The contradictory relationship that the classes have pushes social development forward. Weber considers social groups and classes as determined through the distribution of power. Social stratification then, occurs through overlapping means and not only through economic differentiation. Other social theorists also focus on micro-level analysis to understand conflict. Sigmund Freud uses psychoanalytic theory to understand inner conflict among human beings. Freuds treatise laid down the anatomy of the self as made up of the interaction between three components dynamically interacting: the id, ego, and superego. All of these components of the self develop with socialization hence constructing the social self. Biology interacting with socialization shapes a human beings personality. When one of the three elements is allowed to dominate the other two, social problems may arise. Also developing Marxs theory of alienation, Horkheimer and Adorno criticized the use of cultural goods in order to project false consciousness. Cultural goods are appropriated into transforming humans as passive and docile objects of a system which was actually oppressing them. Aside from creating a false consciousness, they also suggested that popular culture is geared at creating false needs in order to engineer human beings into consuming in a massive scale. This cultural appropriation in turn heightens humans alienation and creates possible sources of conflict. The readings also tell us that social theories do not stay static. Even among key capitalist thinkers, there have been different approaches to address economic problems. For instance, John Maynard Keynes challenged the neoclassical economic paradigm advanced by Adam Smith and disciples which advocated for minimal to no government interference in favor of full-out control of the invisible hand of the market to attain equilibrium.ÂÂ   Instead, Keynes suggested implementing government regulation and intervention in order to arrest the economic recession. Social theories also help us understand racial conflict. Martin Luther King, Jr. called for an end to racial discrimination which he considered a ghastly reality America must face as a nation. In describing the horrendous social conditions which African Americans and other colored peoples are subjected to, King claimed that America had manacles of segregation and chains of discrimination which breed chronic poverty and injustice for certain segments of the population. Franz Fanon provides a stirring account of decolonization as a form of liberation. His work remains relevant especially in light of the fact that many of todays underdeveloped countries are former colonies of imperialist nations which have not completely been unshackled from their former masters economically, politically and culturally. It is only through liberation, which is necessarily violent that the colonized thing becomes fully a man. C. Wright Mills teaches the student to develop the sociological imagination which is a way of looking at themselves as the result of both biology and history and in always looking at the world through fresh eyes. One is challenged to go beyond looking at ones self as well and instead consider ones development as product of several processes occurring within a system. Conclusion Given the reality of global conflict today, conflict theories and social theories enable one to look at the phenomenon with renewed understanding and critical outlook. There are classical and alternative approaches of looking at conflict and conflict resolution processes. There are also classical and alternative ways of interpreting social conflict throughout history. Having a steady grasp of these theories assist the student thoroughly by providing him with several lenses to look at the problem and identify solutions. References Al Jazeera (2017). Thousands march against Dutertes war on drugs. Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/02/thousands-march-duterte-war-drugs-170218034827033.html Deutsch, M. (1985). Distributive justice: A social psychological perspective. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Galtung, J. (1969). Violence, Peace, and Peace Research. Journal of Peace Research, 6 (3), 167-191. Lemert, C. (2016). Social Theory: The Multicultural, Global and Classic Readings (6th ed.) Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Park, L. (2010). Opening the black box: reconsidering needs theory through psychoanalysis and critical theory. International Journal of Peace Studies. Retrieved from https://www.gmu.edu/programs/icar/ijps/vol15_1/PARK15n1-IJPS.pdf Rubenstein, R. E. (2010). Basic Human Needs: The Next Steps in Theory Development. The International Journal of Peace Studies, 6 (1), 51-58. Thrush, G. (2017). Trumps travel ban blocks migrant from six nations, sparing Iraq. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/us/politics/travel-ban-muslim-trump.html?_r=0Deutsch, M. (1949). A theory of cooperation and competition. Human Relations, 2, 129-151.

Performance management or performance evaluation Essay

The basic aim of performance management is to create an environment for the employees where they can work at their best. It begins when a particular job is defined whereas it ends when the employee quits from the organization and performance management basically serves as a replacement of the traditional appraisal system. There are certain advantages of performance management and the most important one is the goal of developing clear job descriptions for the employees that can be easily comprehended by them. The second advantage is that it helps the employer to hire the best candidates for the job that suits them and at the same time, performance management helps them to negotiate with the employees on various issues. When the employee is finally hired, he can be provided with necessary training followed by the feedback of the coach that enable organization to develop sessions in which issues regarding performance development can be discussed and according to the results of the performance of the employees, the remuneration package can be designed. Moreover, performance management also provides various career opportunities for the employees and can also provide assistance when conducting exit interviews to know why the employees choose to leave the organization. The concept of annual performance is a bit different from that of performance management. When managing other people, the manager has to conduct performance appraisals in order to know how the employees are performing and this can help motivate the employees to work well in future. Annual performance is basically done to evaluate the performance of the employee and to know how well they have worked throughout the year and the contributions that they have made for the progress of the organization. It not only helps in the development of the staff but it also improves the communication between the staff and the managers, however annual performance has some disadvantages as well. When conducting performance appraisals, employees might ask for feedbacks from their friends in the organization who are more likely to give positive feedbacks and may avoid any negative comments of the employee. Moreover, when conducting appraisals the companies often send evaluations to the raters without telling them how to accurately do the appraisal and without advance notice. (Leat, 2001). Reference Leat,M. (2001). Exploring Employee Relations. Butterworth-Heinemann.

Enron Case - 1075 Words

MINI CASE: THE FILURE OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AT ENRON 1.Which parts of the corporate governance system, internal and external, do you believe failed Enron the most? In the evaluation of the Enron’s case; by trying to see the very big picture, it is not only about that the internal part of the corporate governance system was failed or but also the external part of the corporate governance system was also failed. As noted on the last paragraph of the mini case, many people from different positions and different companies didn’t act responsibly and according to the generally accepted corporate governance rules. Internally; because of the head executives used the companies resources and the power that their positions provides them for their†¦show more content†¦As it is known, Corporate Governance is the system used to direct and control a corporation. And it defines the rights and responsibilities of key corporate participants such as shareholders, the board of d irectors, officers and managers, and other stakeholders. The Enron Case is a breakdown of corporate governance in the most baroque of recent scandals where there were not only conflicts with standards for good corporate governance but also unusually extensive use of sophisticated techniques and transactions to manipulate the firm’s financial reports. During the same year’s with Enron Case, Parmalot and Worldcom cases also occurred, mainly because of the same reasons, and resulted in a same way. Therefore wrong combinations for the corporative governance may result in a same way. Corporative Governance has been argued too much after the Enron Case. However some people believe that Enron was an isolated incident and not an example of many failures to come according to above writings. 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12 Angry Men Conflicts Essay - 628 Words

Twelve Angry Men (1957) showed several example of conflicts within the film. I will examine how each conflict was managed, which conflicts were resolved and how, along with the kinds of effects each of these conflicts caused in the film. 3 Types of Conflict There are three types of conflict are shown within the film Twelve Angry Men. Pseudo, simple, and ego are the three types of interpersonal conflict displayed by the twelve jurors. In the small group of twelve jurors, each member of the jury is involved in at least one of the three types of conflict. Beginning with juror number eight, the first man to vote not guilty in the case, he was the first to start a conflict. Davis, as he was identified at the end of the film, was the†¦show more content†¦Juror one, the foreman helped to keep the group orderly and the arguments from escalating further. The tenth juror was an obnoxious man with and prejudice towards people from the slums. His prejudice caused conflict with all of the other jury members and after some time he too changed his vote to not guilty. The stock broker with the glasses was the eleventh juror to vote not guilty. He was the fourth juror and self assured that his decision was correct and that the defendant had murdered his father. He was involved in simple conflict with the rest of the jurors. Juror 3 Juror three, labeled as the sadist, was the last man to vote not guilty and held on to his guilty decision because of his ego. Juror three was involved in ego conflict with most of the other men. However, juror three was especially excitable and in defense of his ego against juror eight. It was not until the end of the film that juror three finally realized that his ego was the only reason why he was voting not guilty. His troubled past with his own son was the cause of his disdain towards the young man on trial in the murder of his father. 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Feminist Movement Margaret Atwood And Germaine Greer Essay

Today when one thinks of feminism many sneer and roll their eyes in displeasure, perhaps remembering the bra-burning, empowered and angry feminists of the mainly 1970’s feminist movement featuring Margaret Atwood and Germaine Greer. It is easy, apparently, to forget that while things are still far from perfect for women there was a time in fact not very long ago when women were denied the most basic human rights. It comes as no surprise that women took to alternative ways of vocalising what everyone desperately tried to quash. Literature and art became vessels for the struggles and opinions of those that society tried so incredibly hard to push back into the kitchen. One of the best ways for women to express their dissatisfaction with the deeply patriarchal and oppressive society that they had been raised within was through art, which severely lacked female historical representation until this point. The USA was a centre-place for this movement but there is no denying the huge feminist presence that emanated from New Zealand. Documented as one of the first female artists in New Zealand to paint from a female perspective, Jacqueline Fahey paints narrative insights into her life, echoing that of many women at the time. She utilized her paintings to not only narrate her daily life but to make radical insights and critiques about the lives of many women, suburban or fellow artists, of the time. Art has evolved in the past few centuries. What was once about exclusive religiousShow MoreRelatedWomens Rights - A Chronicle of Reform1701 Words   |  7 PagesWomen’s Rights- A Chronicle of Reform 1) Books to Read on the Women’s Movement: The Feminist Mystique (Betty Friedan, 1963) In The Feminist Mystique, Betty Friedan combats the notion that women could only find fulfillment and be successful by having children and taking care of the home. This book sparked a re-emergence in the feminist movement and is widely attributed for converting more supporters for the cause. Her book describes the unhappy status of women in the ‘50s and 60’s and found

Philosophy Paper on Gods Existence Free Essays

Tiera Suggs R. McCashland Philosophy 101 Final Paper Final Philosophy Paper I will oppose Bertrand Russell’s view that believing in God is trivial and that of humans poor imagination. I will use Tim Holt’s â€Å"Philosophy of Religion† to show how believing in God is more logical than not. We will write a custom essay sample on Philosophy Paper on Gods Existence or any similar topic only for you Order Now Russell uses a few arguments to try an disprove the existence of God in â€Å"Why I am not a Christian. † I will address the â€Å"First Cause Argument,† the â€Å"Design Theory Argument,† and the â€Å"Morality Argument. † I will touch briefly on what Russell believes and then use common and widely accepted theories to refute Russell. Russell uses many reasons to support his disbelief of God and refutes many known theories explaining God but I will focus on his main points. First of which being, â€Å"The First-Cause Argument,† which basically means everything we know has a cause and no matter how far back existence is traced, there is chain events of causes leading back to one cause. Russell rebuked this argument by quoting an autobiography by John Stuart Mills,†My father taught me that the question ‘Who made me? ‘ cannot be answered, since it immediately suggests the further question `Who made god? That sentence for Russell confirms that God mustn’t exist, he also says our poor imagination created the idea of God (Russell Why I am not a Christian). Russell fails to logically disprove Gods existence because he did not adequately cast doubt upon the many other arguments that have a clearer, more philosophical standpoint. The Cosmological Argument simply states: (1) Everything that e xists has a cause of its existence.? (2) The universe exists.? Therefore:? (3) The universe has a cause of its existence.? (4) If the universe has a cause of its existence, then that cause is God.? Therefore:? (5) God exists. It does not seem logical or ideal to use an authors autobiography to try and disprove a widely accepted theory. Any person can take a set of ideas and say, â€Å"this is wrong because†¦ † but one must justify ones point. Russell’s argument carries no weight because it is not adequately philosophical. Even if you try and refute the Cosmological Argument on the grounds of saying, if everything has a cause then shouldn’t God? The Kalam Cosmological Argument takes it a step further by saying there is a difference between God and the universe, the universe has a beginning in time subjecting it to be caused/created. Since God has no beginning in time, then he is not subject to be caused/created (Holt Philosophy of Religion). The Cosmological Argument used along with the Kalam Cosmological Argument make Russell’s standpoint weaken and seem arbitrary. The next point Russell attacks in â€Å"Why I am not a Christian† is the Design Theory, which states: â€Å"Everything in the world is made just so that we can manage to live in the world, and if the world was ever so little different, we could not manage to live in it. † Russell denies that belief by saying, â€Å"†¦ ince the time of Darwin we understand much better why living creatures are adapted to their environment. It is not that their environment was made to be suitable to them but that they grew to be suitable to it, and that is the basis of adaptation. There is no evidence of design about it. † What makes his standpoint questionable is the fact that he is trying to simplify the complexity of the nature of hum ans and leaves it to coincidence.. Yes we adapt to our surroundings but how? By chance? That is too unbelievable, organs as complicated as the heart or lungs function sequentially because of chance? That notion is not logical. In â€Å"Philosophy of Religion†, The Teleological Argument however is, stating that the world was created and exists with a purpose in mind. The universe is a ordered system and nothing is left to chance. The Teleological Argument is more believable than Russell’s ‘just because’ so called reasonings. Russell’s next argument is that of morality. He believes God is not the reason for right and wrong, because if you believe in God, you believe he is all good. So how can something all good create wrong? But one can refute Russell’s statement by simply saying, morality is a set of commands so there ust be a commander (Holt Philosophy of religion). The Formal Moral Argument states: (1) Morality consists of a set of commands.? (2) For every command there is a commander.? Therefore:? (3) There is a commander that commanded morality.? (4) Commands only carry as much authority as does their commander.? (5) Morality carries u ltimate authority.? Therefore:? (6) The commander that commanded morality carries ultimate authority.? (7) Only God carries ultimate authority.? Therefore:? (8) The commander that commanded morality is God.? Therefore:? (9) God exists. The Formal Moral Argument seems more plausible than Russell’s theory. It follows a clear system and answers questions of morality, while Russell just bears the conclusion of God is good so there cannot be bad. Again, Russell’s theories are illogical and incomplete compared to ones he is trying to disprove. Russell fails to clarify his statement, his argument is not convincing and is a premature conclusion about God that he cannot even validate. Russell obviously holds some strong convictions against Christianity and God in general. But his reasoning and conclusions are not philosophical, therefore rendering them illogical and mundane. Russell’s argument is not as valid as he thinks. One needs reasons in proving or disproving something, not just banters and foolish inquires. Russell is foolish in saying God was created by humans with a poor overactive imagination, he is filled with more imagination to believe the universe and everything in it was just a random coincidence. Russell’s attempts are weak and vague, not enough to disprove complete logical statements. Works Cited Holt, Tim. â€Å"Philosophy of Religion. † 2008. 23, Nov. 2009. . Russell, Bertrand. â€Å"Why I am not a Christian. † edited by John R. Lenz for the Bertrand Russell Society. 1996. 23, Nov. 2009. How to cite Philosophy Paper on Gods Existence, Papers

history of modern psychoanalytic thought.

Question: Discuss about the history of modern psychoanalytic thought. Answer: The paper critically evaluates the characters of the movie Three men and a baby, where the central character is the baby and the importance is given to the men-baby relationship nexus. Therefore, an attempt is made to examine the nature of their relationship with the infant by using the relevant theories from the field of psychology, such as John Bowlbys attachment theory, Erk Eriksons trust vs mistrust theory, Harry Harlows theory and Sigmund Freuds theory of child and adolescent development. At the same time, the paper explores the integration of the psychological theories and cinematic situations. To start with, the paper uses the psychological theories and weaves them into the writing. It makes an attempt to relate the theories with the particular situations from the popular cinema, Three men and a baby. As it is known, the movie revolves around three doting and charming fathers, who worked strenuously to parent a few months old infant. In this piece, it is not indispensable to summarize the plot of the movie Three men and a baby. Without delving into the plot, the paper conceptualizes some significant theories and analyzes the central character (infant) by extrapolating the theories to the situations. Erik Erikson adumbrated a theory of cognitive development that emphasizes the development of children in a predetermined fashion. Erikson's theory of psychological development has eight varied stages. The first stage of development is regarded as trust vs mistrust' (Erikson, 2014). The first stage is indispensable, as it witnesses the gradual evolution of an infant from a new-born to a fledgling child. This is the nascent stage of child's development, as during this time the trusting capacity of a child starts to develop. The child begins to develop faith in the service of the caretaker (parenting members), as he knows that his hunger for food will be satiated. At the same time, then the trust factor is depended on the quality and stable performance of the parenting members. As the child develops the trust factor, he feels more safe and comfortable, providing that he gets his food on time. The successful depiction of the stage (trust vs mistrust) is apparent in the movie, Three men a nd a baby. In the movie, the three men started to take an excellent care of the baby (like a mother substitute) and the baby began to grow faith in them. Consequently, the baby learned to trust them in the meantime. Using the attachment theory, developed by the renowned psychologists John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, the paper dissects the parenting role of the three men and assesses its impact on the development of the child (Three men and a baby). The attachment theory unravels that the term attachment' is defined as an incessant psychological association with the most favorite person, who acts as an affectionate figure to the person. Likewise, an infant considers mother' the most doting and compassionate figure, as she nurtures the baby and gives him proper affection. Hence, the baby is inextricably linked with his mother through emotion. In the film, Three men and a baby the role of three men is instrumental in nourishing the infant and keeping the infant girl in a comfortable fold. Subsequently, the baby girl developed a clinging factor and was greatly attached to the men. In the movie, the three men assumed the role of the mother substitute and gave proper affection to the growing baby girl. Therefore, Bowlbys maternal attachment theory gets a new shape, as it supports father affection over his counterpart (Goldberg et al., 2013). By deploying Harry Harlow's theory', the paper analyses three men and baby bonding in a detailed manner. The psychologist, Harry F. Harlow deliberated on the experiment with monkeys. They were isolated from their real mothers and were raised by the surrogate mothers. In the experiment, both wire mother and cloth mother were used. Even if the wire mother was the source of nourishment, the monkey developed a level of proximity with the cloth monkey. These infant monkeys were reared by the surrogate mothers until the time of adulthood. Using the Harlow's theory of maternal separation, the paper assesses the role of the three men in nurturing the baby girl. In the movie, the baby girl was isolated from her mother in the first lap. In the second segment of the film, she was fondly raised by three men or (surrogate mother) and played the crucial role in the baby's life. The baby started to develop a feeling of closeness for three men. A sense of attachment and bonding is encapsulated in th e narrative. In the movie, three men worked tirelessly to win over the infant girl and replaced the place of real mother' with ease. Therefore, the theory of Harry Harlow can easily be related to the cinematic situation of the above-mentioned film, Three men and a baby. The next theory, Sigmund Freuds theory of childhood development plays a significant role in addressing the research issues. Freuds theory of childhood development comprises five stages i.e. oral stage, anal stage, phallus stage, latency stage and the stage of puberty. The final stage leads to the smooth transition to the stage of adulthood. By using the base of the Freuds theory, the paper examines the central character and its association with the peripheral characters of the movie, Three men and a baby. Freuds theory of childs development puts an emphasis on particular demand and requirements. The psychologist, Sigmund Freud reflects light on the psychosocial behavioral trend of human beings. He elucidates that at specific stages the individuals have specific needs that need to be accomplished. At any stage, the discontent of the child would lead to the onset of the mental disorder (Freud et al., 2015). In the movie, Three men and a baby, the baby girl started to whine, if she was abandoned by the parenting members. Therefore, the needs of the child should be satisfied, by giving her food. Otherwise, it might distort her development at any stage (Vaughan Rodriguez, 2013). The peripheral characters (three men) worked strenuously to satisfy the needs of the baby, knowing the fact that they were the misfit in the role. In the recent time, the film historians and essayists reflect on the psychological perspective of child-centric or women-centric films. The film, Three men and a Baby bears a psychological plot. The film revolves around a few months old baby, who is reared by three young bachelor men, living together in the United States of America. The film juxtaposes theories and practice. In the process, the filmmaker, Leonard Nimoy, scrupulously used and implemented the psychological theories (Erik Eriksons theory, John Bowlbys and Mary Ainsworth theory, Harry Harlows theory and Sigmund Freuds theory of childhood development). By interpolating these fundamental psychological theories, the director of the film Three men and a baby made it a sensational one (Vaughan Rodriguez, 2013). However, the most important psycho-social theory that was interestingly weaved into the film, Erik Eriks theory trust vs mistrust. In many films, babies play significant plot devices, inasmuch they can spawn enough excitement and mirth. If Erik Erikson's theory of trust vs mistrust' holds to be true, then the baby should not be left to the party-goers and rampant three bachelor men, as shown in the film Three men and a baby. However, the film takes an enthralling turn when the full-grown three adult men began to take a very good care of the baby. Sometimes, they even played more handsomely than the usual mother figure' (Mitchell Black, 2016). These three men of the above-mentioned film nursed the baby extremely well, even better than her mother. Consequently, three men easily gained the confidence of the baby and she started to trust them. The baby became convinced of the fact that she would not remain hungry, as they would definitely feed her on time (Mitchell Black, 2016).Therefo re, the Erik Erikson's theory of trust vs mistrust' is beautifully delineated in the film Three men and a baby. At the same time, John Bowlby's theory of attachment plays a crucial role in molding the central character (infant) in the film Three men and a baby. In the course of the film, the baby developed a strong sense of attachment for three men, who nursed her gently and gave her utmost affection. Subsequently, the baby developed a liaison with three men and responded to their affection with ease (Bowlby Ainsworth, 2013). Based on Harry Harlow's theory of maternal separation, the director of the film brought in an interesting angle in it. The baby was separated from her mother in the first segment. Subsequently, she was reared by three men, who played the role of surrogate mother' (Versaci, 2016). At the same time, Sigmund Freuds theory of childhood development was apparent in the film. The first stage or the oral stage was depicted, where the baby was seen suckling all possible soft items at the house (Otto Keller, 2014).Bereft of the joy of the maternal satisfaction, the baby was left with three men. However, three men play a cardinal role in rearing the baby. Speaking briefly, the film bears a path-breaking plot, bolstered by psychological theories. References Bowlby, J., Ainsworth, M. (2013). The origins of attachment theory.Attachment Theory: Social, Developmental, and Clinical Perspectives,45. Erikson, E. H. (2014). Eriksons major works.Encyclopedia of Theory Practice in Psychotherapy Counseling, 166. Freud, S., Marullo, R., Einstein, A. (2015). RE-THINKING PSYCHOTHERAPY.Thinking about Thinking: Cognition, Science, and Psychotherapy, 221. Goldberg, S., Muir, R., Kerr, J. (2013).Attachment theory: Social, developmental, and clinical perspectives. Routledge. Mitchell, S. A., Black, M. (2016).Freud and beyond: A history of modern psychoanalytic thought. Basic Books. Otto, H., Keller, H. (Eds.). (2014).Different faces of attachment: Cultural variations on a universal human need. Cambridge University Press. Vaughan, M. D., Rodriguez, E. M. (2013). The Influence of Erik Erikson on Positive Psychology Theory and Research. InPositive Psychology(pp. 231-245). Springer New York. Versaci, R. (2016). Attachment performs: Framing attachment theory within the dramatic worldview.Drama Therapy Review,2(2), 223-237.