Conflict Management in Cinderella

In the Disney classic Cinderella, there are many instances where the sources of conflict and conflict management styles can be observed and analyzed. Cinderella is the story of a young girl who is forced to live with her stepmother and her two daughters. Instead of making her a part of the family, they treat her as a servant. In the following paragraph we will explore the sources of conflict, which style she chose to use in her situation and why.

If we analyze Cinderella's situation, we can understand the conflict management style she chooses when dealing with her very hostile family members. "Conflict can come from a variety of sources: Goals, Personality Conflicts, Scarce Resources, Styles, and Value" (sourcesofinsigt.com). In Cinderella's case, her conflict stems mainly from the goals, personality conflicts, and values categories. Her family is concerned with status, finding rich suitors, and maintaining their status in society, while cinderella values love, harmony, and kindness. She has an impossible time trying to relate to her family and this on top of their downright evilness and what causes Cinderella's predicament. Since she feels there is no way to reason with her family, Cinderella elects to use the accommodating conflict management style. In this situation, she took the "I loose, you win" approach. It's "Fundamental premise is to working toward a common purpose is more important then any of the peripheral concerns; the trauma of confronting differences may damage fragile relationships" (Culbertson). For Cinderella, confronting her stepmother and refusing to perform her duties would cause her to be kicked out on the street with nowhere to go. It is not in her best interest to escalate the situation. Raj Soin of Wright State University, states that "There are a few key variables that define conflict management situations and determine which conflict management strategies are likely to be effective." These being issue importance, relationship importance, and relative power. If we look at Cinderella's though process, it is easy to understand her choice of accomodation. She knows she doesn't hold the power, she must maintain the relationship for her own livelihood, and the issue of her doing manual labor is far less concerning than having nowhere to live.

While avoidance is not a great strategy to choose, it is sometimes a necessary evil. As we saw in Cinderella's case, sometimes the situation and individuals being dealt with require others to accommodate the needs of others until a better opportunity presents itself.

Works Cited:

 JD. "5 Conflict Management Styles at a Glance." 5 Conflict Management Styles at a Glance. Sources of Insight. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

Soin, Raj. "Conflict Management: Style and Strategy." Conflict Management: Style and Strategy. Wright University. Web. 07 Mar. 2016. 

Culbertson, Howard. "Conflict Management Strategies and Styles." Conflict Management Strategies. 21 Jan. 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.