The Promise of Mediation: Responding to Conflict Through Empowerment and Recognition (Jossey-Bass Conflict Resolution) [Hardcover]

Robert A. Baruch Bush (Author), Joseph P. Folger (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0787900273 | ISBN-13: 978-0787900274 | Publication Date: November 9, 1994 | Edition: 1st

Bring a fresh approach to the bargaining table

Tap the transformative potential of mediation and discover the full promise of the mediation process. In this insightful work, the authors present an alternative theoretical framework that affords a deeper understanding of conflict and mediation -- one based on respect for personal strength and compassion for others. Drawing on their own experience and a wide body of research, they offer mediation practitioners, administrators, policy makers, and researchers a new and useful perspective on how mediation is currently practiced, how it could be structured to accomplish more, and how to refine the process for future application.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A revolutionary book!" (B. Stephen Toben, program officer, The Hewlett Foundation)

"No practicing mediator, policy maker, court administrator or ADR program director can continue to perform his or her work without a careful reading of this remarkable book." (Joseph B. Stulberg, professor, Wayne State University, and past vice president, SPIDR)

"Simply excellent, and very much needed! There are virtually no theoretical or philosophical treatments of mediation in the field at this time that are so clearly articulated." (Margaret S. Herrman, professor, University of Georgia, and founder, National Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution)

"This will be a provocative book within the mediation community and is sure to stimulate considerable debate and discussion. I learned a great deal from it and I now think differently about mediation and about how to describe it to others." (Craig A. McEwen, professor, Bowdoin College, and coauthor, Mediation: Law, Policy, Practice.)

From the Inside Flap

Explores the transformative potential of mediation, showing what that potential is, why it is important, and how it can be realized in practice. Presents an alternative theoretical framework for understanding conflict and mediation, based on valuing both personal strength and compassion for others. Offers a highly concrete, case-illustrated introduction to the actual practice of transformative mediation, using a range of examples and two detailed case studies. Drawing on their own experience and on a wide body of research, the authors offer those at all levels in the mediation field—practitioners, administrators, policy makers, and researchers—a new and useful perspective to help take stock of how mediation is currently practiced, assess what it can accomplish, and make choices about how to develop the process in the future. They present a powerful case that realizing the full promise of mediation means giving the transformative approach to mediation a central place in theory, policy, and practice.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1st edition (November 9, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787900273
• ISBN-13: 978-0787900274
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #778,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Promise of Mediation: Responding to Conflict Through Emp, January 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Promise of Mediation: Responding to Conflict Through Empowerment and Recognition (Jossey-Bass Conflict Resolution) (Hardcover)

An important addition to the mediation field. It raises fundamental questions about the assumptions on which many mediators operate and the impact of those assumptions on parties in conflict. The book argues for a different framework for approaching the practice of mediation, which should provoke almost every mediator to think more deeply about their practice. A MUST READ.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth your time, December 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Promise of Mediation: Responding to Conflict Through Empowerment and Recognition (Jossey-Bass Conflict Resolution) (Hardcover)

A well reasoned look at mediation with a very different goal from most guides to mediation. If you know nothing about mediation you will learn a great deal, though all from one perspective, and if you are well versed in mediation skills you will have your conceptions challenged. In the end it doesn't matter if you agree with the authors, it is worth the time to be exposed to their ideas.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What are you doing??????????????, September 22, 2001

By 

Daniel Simon "mediatordan" (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Promise of Mediation: Responding to Conflict Through Empowerment and Recognition (Jossey-Bass Conflict Resolution) (Hardcover)

This book helped me clarify just what I'm doing as a mediator. The authors show that one's worldview necessarily affects how one mediates. Unawareness of one's assumptions creates the potential to do great harm as a mediator. Our assumption that it's our job to make a settlement happen requires us to behave in a way that is neither neutral nor helpful to the parties. It's too easy to use our litigation tools (such as evaluation, analysis, and persuasion) against both parties in order to further our own agendas. By gaining clarity about what our agenda is, and about what's beyond our jurisdiction, we reduce the harm we do to the parties; and we create more opportunity for the parties to take greater responsibility. The approach described in this book supports parties as they tend to grow from weakness to strength and from selfishness to compassion. I'm grateful to the authors.