Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Original Title Page -- Original Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- 1 The Context of Communication in Divorce Mediation -- 2 Communicating in Divorce Mediation -- 3 Mediator-Interaction Management Model -- 4 Background Features of the Transcripts -- 5 Disputant Communication Patterns -- 6 Mediator-Intervention Strategies -- 7 Lessons from the Data -- 8 The Mediation of Ted and Betty Johnson -- Appendix A: Coding Procedures for Chapter 5 Analyses -- Appendix B: Coding Procedures for Chapter 6 Analyses -- References -- Author Index -- Subject Index.
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"Twilight of Liberty is a sequel to Donohue's highly regarded The Politics of the American Civil Liberties Union, but with a marked change in emphasis. Instead of challenging the ACLU's nonpartisan reputation, as he did in the earlier volume, Donohue now seeks to demonstrate why and how recent ACLU policy undermines the process of liberty. He argues that the ACLU, by relentlessly warring with mediating institutions, and by pushing a radical individualism in its policies, is not making us more, but less free.Two conceptions of liberty are discussed. The first considers the social context in which the struggle for freedom takes place. It maintains that freedom is best achieved through a delicate balancing of individual rights with the legitimate needs of the social order. The other conception of liberty is atomistic, exclusively concerned with the rights of the individual. According to Donohue, such a definition assures the triumph of the state over the mediating institutions of society, thus reducing prospects for freedom.This is the first book to critically analyze contemporary ACLU policy and to challenge its reputation as the preeminent voice of freedom in the United States. It aims to move beyond the idea that freedom is best served by pushing individual rights to extremes. Twilight of Liberty will appeal to scholars in the fields of law, social policy, and culture. Students in civil liberties courses will also find this book a valuable resource."--Provided by publisher.
"This is a critical analysis of the history of the American Civil Liberties Union and at the same time the history of American liberalism in the twentieth century. It represents the first published account of the ACLU's record. Other works on the organization either dealt only with specific issues or have been simply journalistic accounts. Donohue provides the first systematic analysis by a social scientist.This book is directed at those interested in the history of American liberalism and, no less, the history of American conservatism, for ideological struggle within the United States touches directly on civil libertarian concerns. The work is especially significant for American constitutional lawyers, political scientists, and for those concerned with serious ideas in American life. Supporters as well as critics of the ACLU will be attracted to this work for different reasons. It is unquestionably the most serious work now available and is likely to remain the touchstone for any such work for many years to come."--Provided by publisher.
I recently agreed to participate in a study in which the researcher was interested in learning how academic scholars make the personal choice to pursue their specific field of inquiry. She wanted me to explain my personal fascination with conflict, and to begin by reflecting on my adolescence as a formative driver for my interests. I remarked that the significant developmental markers in my life centered on major conflict episodes that, in many ways, also have served to define a generation. My junior high school years were defined by the JFK assignation, while my high school years witnessed the MLK and RFK assignations and the attending civil unrest in Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago. In college, I remember May 4, 1970 as if it were yesterday because I attended Bowling Green State University, a sister school of Kent State, and activists staged a very intense demonstration on campus just hours after the Kent State events. Finally, graduate school was marked by the Yom Kippur War and the fall of Saigon.
Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the relative impact of positive and negative face threats in conflict scenarios on the relational quality between disputants. This study also sought to determine whether the contextual variables of relational distance and power differential mediated this relationship as predicted by politeness theory.
Design/methodology/approach To test the hypotheses, a 2 × 2 × 2 design was implemented manipulating the variables face (positive and negative), relational distance (business and personal) and power differential (high and low power differential). Participants read one of the eight scenarios, then responded to the dependent variables which focused on the impact of the face threats on relational quality between the participants. Subjects were recruited using the M-Turk, Amazon platform. Manipulation checks were carefully constructed to ensure subjects understood them.
Findings The results of this study indicated that positive face threats have significantly more impact on relational quality between disputants than negative face threats. Moreover, context did not mediate these results. Neither relational distance nor power differential impacted the extent to which positive face threats compromised the relationship between the disputants.
Research limitations/implications This is the first study to explore the impact of face threats on relational outcomes in conflict. Prior studies focused only on the extent to which contextual variables would impact the choice of face threats that disputants might make in response to power and relational distance differences. This result suggests that face threats play a significant role in determining relational outcomes in conflict settings.
Practical implications This study suggests that practitioners, such as mediators or group facilitators, should take steps to limit the kinds of positive face threats that disputants exchange during conflict. If positive face threats are allowed to escalate, then they can severely compromise the willingness of disputants to trust and continue to work toward an integrative solution.
Social implications Political divisions often appear to widen in the context of positive face threats as individuals seek to belittle the identities of their opponents. As these face threats escalate, they can result in polarizing language that disempowers these individuals from wanting to work together in a trusting relationship to accomplish important social goals.
Originality/value This is the first study to explore the relative impact of positive and negative face threats on the relational quality of disputants in conflict. It is also the first to explore the extent to which context mediates the impact of face threats.
In this article, we discuss the historical development of various methodological approaches used by social scientists. The well-known divide between the positivist and constructivist traditions is alive and well in the variety of recent methodologies including those discussed in these issues. More recent developments include nonlinear approaches intended to deal with the complexity of the world as it presents itself. The advent of new technologies has expanded the reach of quantitative methods while also increasing the efficiency of data collections and analyses performed by qualitative researchers. Another trend is toward making research findings more relevant to the communities being researched. Innovation is the key theme of each article that is summarized in this essay. The developments captured by the authors presage a brave new world of continuing innovation in social science methodologies.
