Mediation as Framing and Framing within Mediation

Source: (2006) In, Harrman, Margaret S., editor, Handbook of Mediation: Bridging Theory, Research, and Practice. Blackwell Publishing pp. 193-213

In this chapter I explore two important ways in which framing and mediation are linked. First, mediators use framing as an essential tool to perform theirs tasks as a third party – an activity that occurs during the Tm phase of the comprehensive model of mediation. My thesis is that framing as a mediation technique is essentially a social accounting process designed to establish interactional fairness and to increase chances for resolution among the parties. I argue that different frames offer different social accounts of a conflict. The mediator’s role is to help frame the conflict and its potential resolution in a way that all parties perceive to be fair. (excerpt)