pplication: Mediation
As noted in your text, research shows that mediation is a useful and important approach to conflict resolution. It is used at all levels of conflict, from interpersonal to international. It is used informally and formally, and in situations with greater and lesser complexity in terms of the issues at the center of the conflict, the number of parties in the conflict, the history that underlies the conflict, and a myriad of other features. Because mediation is so widely applicable, it is the subject of this Application Assignment.
To prepare for this assignment:
- Review Chapter 34, “The Mediation of Conflict,” on pages 817-836 & 843 -844 and the Conclusion of the course text, The Handbook of Conflict Resolution. Pay particular attention to the conditions for effective mediation and factors that indicate situations in which mediation might be helpful.
- Select a conflict that interests you which, according to the factors and conditions articulated in the text, might benefit from mediation. It may be the conflict for your Final Project, one in your personal or professional life, or one in the world that interests you.
The assignment: (2-3 pages)
- Describe the situation that you selected as a candidate for mediation. Include basic information about the conflict itself, the parties involved, issues related to the conflict, and any other information that helps to represent the conflict.
- Apply the six conditions associated with decreased mediation success to the conflict that you chose. Using these as a gauge, describe why your conflict would be a good candidate for mediation by explaining how it fits into the spectrum of each condition.
- Apply the factors that suggest the use of mediation, again by explaining how your conflict meets these “requirements.”