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Three models�the pathology, structural-functional, and emergent�have been used to address the issue of stability in black families. It is presently argued that the lack of consensus in their conclusions is due to the impact of differing, underlying, and only implicitly stated, assumptions and values held by the researchers. In support of this thesis, a brief discussion of the role of values and assumptions in social scientific research is followed by a review and evaluation of research reported by advocates of each model. This examination suggested that the primary dimensions on which value differences exist are : (a) the extent to which black families should be assessed by standards developed in mainstream culture; (b) the relative importance of assessing stability in terms of socioeconomic status as opposed to socioemotional constructs; and (c) the role of African heritage in the lives of modern black American families. It is suggested that future researchers explicitly acknowledge their assumptions and values on these dimensions, use an ethnographic/parti- cipant observation methodology, and adopt a developmental perspective. Finally, the social policy implications for black families of this debate among social scientists are discussed.

The Franklin County, Ohio, domestic court instituted a mediation program in 1989. An analysis was completed on data provided by a brief postmediation survey evaluating participants' mediation experiences. The data indicated that 63.3% of participants felt satisfied or very satisfied with the relationship they had with their mediators, and 51.6% of the participants thought they made progress in their mediation sessions. Multiple regression analyses were used to identify several factors associated with the parties' level of satisfaction with their mediator relationships and their assessment of progress in mediation. These analyses go beyond a descriptive reporting of the data and toward an exploration of the important antecedents of satisfaction and progress in divorce mediation. It is of interest to note that participants' gender and the cost of mediation were not related to the parties' assessments of progress and satisfaction.

AbstractThe authors identify four different models into which divorce mediation approaches and case studies fit: legal, labor management, therapeutic, and communication and information. Each model holds a unique central assumption regarding what will bring about change in parties' positions during divorce mediation. This assumption plays an important role in shaping mediators' intervention strategies and the interactions that develop during sessions. Given the differences in the models, the potential of divorce mediation may not be fully realized until practitioners and researchers, at some future point, develop ways to match parties with the approach that best suits their needs.