"Twelve Angry Men" and Communication Conflict

Paper Summary:

The writer explains that the film "Twelve Angry Men" concerns a jury of twelve men and their deliberation over a case. Initially, all but one of the men finds the defendant guilty. One jury member, Mr. Davis, refuses to agree to this verdict. Instead, he argues that they should at least consider that the defendant may not be guilty. The writer discusses that this results in an ongoing conflict situation where the jury members debate the issue. The writer shows that throughout this process, Mr. Davis emerges as the leader of the jury. Through his effective conflict management skills, he is able to influence every member of the jury and they finally agree on a not guilty verdict. Through the situation presented in the film, an insight into effective conflict management techniques is gained. This is considered further in the paper by describing several key insights gained from the way that the jury members interact and especially the way that Mr. Davis manages the conflict.

From the Paper:

"Jameson gives one example of opposing needs by referring to the need to create both stability and change. That is, members involved in the conflict want to create and maintain stability. However, they also want to move forward which requires change. Conflict then exists as the individuals struggle between creating both at the same time. This struggle is seen in the film as the jury members struggle between their desire for stability and their desire for change. Initially, it is seen that all the jury members except one have a guilty verdict. The fact that one member, Mr. Davis, has a not guilty verdict is an initial source of conflict. For the remaining jury members, their focus is not on understanding why Mr. Davis is saying not guilty. Instead, they want him to agree with them and choose a guilty verdict. In doing so, they are trying to achieve stability, since if Mr. Davis says not guilty, there will be no conflict."

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