Themes in the Mediation of Social Conflict

Abstract

During the last several years there has been an upsurge in interest in the mediation of social conflict. Innovations in mediating disputes at all levels of society have also given rise to research aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of mediation and a better understanding of the nature of the mediation process. We critically examine the burgeoning empirical literature, with particular reference to the research reported in this volume. Four major issues are examined: (1) Evidence about the general effectiveness of mediation, especially in comparison to adjudication; (2) findings regarding the types of disputes and disputing parties for which mediation appears most useful; (3) classification of mediator tactics and evidence regarding the effectiveness of these tactics; and (4) methodological and conceptual problems confronting the student of mediation.