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Conflict, Power, and Influence in Interpersonal Communication

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Conflict, Power, and Influence in Interpersonal Communication
Conflict management deals with many levels of communications. Power and influence play a key role in how conflict is resolved in situations involving conflict. The film Lean On Me was first and foremost about transformation on several different levels. At first glance the tactics of “Crazy Joe” Clark seem harsh and arbitrary. It helps to understand that Joe Clark in real life was a sergeant in the Army reserves. (Gallene 1989) Much of the tactics displayed in the movie would be familiar to anyone who had ever been to boot camp. It is a tenant of modern police training that under stress people will revert to their latest or strongest training. For many years as a principal of a tough elementary school before arriving at Eastside High, Joe Clark used neither a bull horn nor baseball bat. In being faced with a situation beyond his control, and under tremendous pressure, his default training kicked in. The military values two traits above all, self-discipline and responsible leadership. Joe Clark set out to instill both of these in the students and staff of Eastside High. In doing so, he came into conflict with the dominant collective paradigm of modern education. In this portion of the paper the writer will be contrasting the rules to avoid interpersonal conflict such as those that would be taught in the elementary school Joe Clark ran before the movie, and the actions of Joe Clark at Eastside High as shown in the movie. “Treat each other with respect” might well be a poster on any wall, in any school in America. Firmly in crisis mode, Joe Clark did not have time to treat others with respect at first. His first priority was to gain control of the school as shown in the film. The real Joe Clark once said that “Discipline is the ultimate tenet of education. “Discipline establishes the format, the environment for academic achievement to occur” (Frederich & Bowen 1988). While he did not expel 300 students on his first day as principal as in the film, he did expel


References: Communication and Conflict, http://www.communicationandconflict.com/interpersonal-communication.html Conflict Management and Resolution. (2008). In Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace and Conflict. Retrieved from http://140.234.17.9:8080/EPSessionID=7c15bb2a35e79259d5c251b7c2d3ba31/EPHost=credoreference.com/EPPath/entry.do?id=8445623#s000257a Conflict Management Strategies and Styles, http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/conflict.htm Ezine Articles, http://ezinearticles.com/?Conflict-Management-Strategy-Revealed&id=237719 Free Management Library, http://managementhelp.org/guiding/influenc/influenc.htm Frederich, O., & Bowen (1988 February 1) Getting tough; New Jersey Principal Joe Clark kicks up a storm about discipline in schools. Time Gallene (1989, March 3). “Lean on me: a modern myth? Taking artistic liberty with the real Joe Clark. Los Angeles Times. McGuire, J. (1984). STRATEGIES OF SCHOOL DISTRICT CONFLICT. Sociology of Education, 57(1), 31. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database. http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=7&hid=3&sid=c3a8c596-4b92-404d-88ab-7a719f44c6b9%40sessionmgr13 Michael Schiffer (2010). Lean on Me, Wikipedia. Retrieved on July 21, 2010 at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean_on_Me_%28film%29
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