2 Mediation, conflict resolution and language study

Because of the important role of talk in mediation as a ‘process of engagement’, the language used by mediators themselves, and by their clients in mediation interactions, has been a subject of interest to some linguistic researchers. For example, Greatbatch and Dingwall (1999) use Conversation Analysis (CA) – which you have read about in previous weeks – to examine the way in which mediators are able to maintain a ‘neutralistic’ stance in mediations, with the cooperation of the disputing parties – even where they may be seeking to shape the outcome, for example to protect the interests of children in cases of separation and divorce. The insights derived from research have then sometimes been used to develop training for professional mediators and others involved in conflict resolution. For example, linguist Liz Stokoe has also used CA to explore interactions in neighbourhood disputes and in police interviews; her analysis has been used as the basis for a form of communication training that has been widely adopted by mediators (Stokoe, 2014). Some work has also been done using SFL to understand the language of mediation in restorative justice (Martin et al., 2013).