Suchergebnisse

"The Role of Analogies in Crisis Decision Making" published on by Oxford University Press.

"Third-party intervention in situations of human conflict has a long history and a wide variety of forms and functions. Disputants in most, if not all, societies and at all levels of social interaction have had access to external actors to whom they can turn when they find they are unable to manage their differences by themselves. A common response to perceived incompatibilities in goals, methods or values between contesting parties is to enter into negotiation in order to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. Negotiation appears to be a universal, human phenomenon, although it is of course expressed in variations that are appropriate to each cultural context. Mediation, which is intended to facilitate the negotiation process, also needs to be practised within the norms and assumptions of any given cultural or subcultural milieu. At the same time, Western theorists of negotiation and mediation have attempted to spell out generic models, which they hope will serve to capture many of the essential elements. Much further crosscultural research will be necessary to tell us if this is indeed the case. Theorists have also identified additional forms of third-party intervention designed to complement negotiation that are distinguished primarily by the degree of power that the intervener exercises over the process and outcome of the conflict. This continuum of power is characterized not only by a varying capacity to influence, but also by a noteworthy shift in the type of power exercised. Thus, more traditional, coercive methods such as arbitration engage influence and control as 'power over', while more recent innovative methods such as problemsolving workshops (PSWs) seek to engage and induce 'power with', to draw on a useful distinction identified by Mary Parker Follett (1924 / 1942) and evident in feminist literature (Taylor / Miller 1994). A contemporary notion in the third-party literature is the idea that not all conflicts at all points in time will be amenable to a single and unified method of intervention. The defining characteristics of the conflict, particularly the stage of escalation, need to be considered in the light of the question as to which type of third party might intervene in the conflict most effectively and in which manner. Likewise, the interplay between different forms of third-party intervention and conflict transformation must be considered carefully, particularly because the various forms will typically play different roles in the overall process. Conflict transformation further requires that the antagonists agree upon and create the political, economic and social structures that will engender positive peace with social justice over the longer term. It is clear that these kinds of outcomes require more complex and coordinated third-party activities than the field of conflict resolution has been able to develop and implement so far, along with, of course, local empowerment and engagement. This chapter will focus first on the method of mediation, acknowledging its role as one of the most commonly applied and studied forms of intervention in conflicts. This will set the larger stage for a consideration of the various forms and functions of third-party intervention, some of which draw their appeal from their supplementary nature to mediation and negotiation. A rudimentary model for matching types of interventions to the stage of conflict escalation will be presented as an initial heuristic for realizing the potential complementarity of different forms of intervention. Finally, a number of issues will be identified that can affect the overall current and future usefulness of third-party intervention in addressing the multitude of destructive conflicts that regularly beset humankind." (excerpt)