Beyond the “identity”‐paradigm: Conflict resolution and the dynamics of self‐understanding

Abstract

guest editorIn this introduction, Guest Editor Johanna Seibt examines the importance of identity for the process of conflict transformation, while giving an overview of key concepts and the pieces that make up this special colloquy edition of Conflict Resolution Quarterly.M any recent large-scale conflicts have been triggered by clashes of social or collective "identities," especially by differences in so-called ethnic, cultural, and religious identities. "Identity-based" conflicts contrast to some extent with interest-based conflicts. Identity-based conflicts are not always directly connected to issues of the distribution of wealth and power. Rather, their defining trait is that they depend in all their phases, from onset to escalation to dispersion or resolution, on the dynamics of the identities of the parties involved. Similarly, while interest-based conflicts can be resolved in the proper sense of the term by means of negotiations of access and distribution, identity-based conflicts typically are mitigated or dispersed rather than resolved and require different means of deescalation beyond negotiations of access and distribution, namely, in-depth and longterm interactions of the conflicting groups that include identity-transforming practices of counseling, reconciliation, and trust-building.Given that conflict research, since its inception in the cold war era, had mainly worked out theories and resolution models for interest-based conflicts at different levels of complexity, the surge of identity-based conflicts from the early 1990s onward required new theoretical tools. Strangely, however, the development of concepts and models suitable for the analysis and management of identity-based conflicts displays a striking temporal lag. As late as in the early years of this century, a number of authors observed that

Reflective practice and mediator learning: A current review

“…On the other hand, mediators who purposely and systematically reflect on practice could use other terms for what they do, such as reflection, self‐reflection, self‐assessment, self‐understanding, or consciousness (Bronson, ; Friedman, ; McGuigan & Popp, , ; McGuire & Inlow, ; Seibt, ). Picard and Melchin () developed the “Insight” mediation model, which can arguably be described as a reflective practice model of mediation in which mediators encourage both themselves and parties to verify what they are observing and how they are interpreting it through a series of testing questions.…”

Student Contests on Negotiation and Mediation: A Tool to Foster Specialists\' Social and Professional Interaction Skills

“…Researchers also point out the efficiency of narrative discourse in mediation, the above approach aims to lead the Parties to common grounds through their storytelling activities (Winslade and Monk, 2000) and "resist the internalization of negative cultural messages" (Semmler and Williams, 2000). The respective process can contribute to blurring inequalities that parties might feel, on the one hand (Wing, 2009) and helps the participants to mediation process enhance their own selfunderstanding, on the other (Seibt, 2011). Moreover, there might be unexpected benefits of the process under study as the participants might gain a new vision of the overall settings they discuss (Raines, 2018), and discover their inner abilities and perceptions (McGuigan and Popp, 2007).…”

Does conflict mediation research keep track with cultural theory?

“…1 It also includes all articles from the two colloquy issues of CRQ on the topic edited by Seibt (2011) andRaines (2013). Additionally, to cover approaches to conflict from the side of intercultural research, contributions to a special issue from the International Journal of Intercultural Relations (IJIR) (Cushner 2005) have been considered.…”