Ovrutskiy A.V. Provocative conflict as a public communications technology

Abstract: This article analyzes the technology of public communications practice known as provocative conflict. Provocative conflict is defined as media-based (media-presented) conflict that aims to provoke the opposing faction into actions that are against its best interests. The author condenses the specific targets of the conflict - radical change of recieved social norms, or the formation of new social practices, reputation harm to the opponent to win an advantageous position, and the formation of a publicity capital. Characteristics of this technology include media focus and provocative nature of the conflict. It is shown that media orientation of this conflict may considerably transform its flow, the mechanisms of its functioning and the outcomes of conflict interaction. The author studied and analyzed the three cases of provocative conflicts in the USA and Russia. The first conflict ("The Torch of Freedom") may be classified as commercial PR, the second one ("Punk prayer" by Pussy Riot) represents a case of political PR, while the third one ("Plagiarism conflict") maybe classified as show business PR (personal PR). The methodology of the study includes: -the activity approach which views PR as professional practices, aimed at establishing interaction between social subjects, as well as a method for controlling them. -the communicative approach which defines the mechanism of public communication practice functioning, subservient to the mechanism of mass media functioning and permitting to view this sort of conflict as a mass communication phenomenon. -a positive approach to conflict, which views conflict interaction not only as acceptable from the PR practices point of view, but also as one of an integral professional technology. The author reaches the conclusions that provocative conflict as a part of PR practice represents a neutral social communication technology. Conditions for its development and media integration are also outlined. In order to understand the mechanisms of provocative conflict development the author examines the model of contrast-assimilation illusion of perception, which explains the polarized opinions and the escalation of conflict. The author shows that, within the provocative conflict, mass-media starts to play the role of the third side of the conflict, its interests not always aligning with the conflicting parties.    

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