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Story As A Means To Distributed Cognition In Dispute Mediation, Mary Lindsay Edd

Dissertations

In spite of a long history and wide-spread usage, dispute mediation has developed largely in the absence of theories to corroborate its practices. Mediators are taught techniques during their training to help disputants communicate; however, the kinds, patterns and evocation of disputant discourse that may further advance the mediation process have received little attention. In particular, stories may have been overlooked as a means in the creation of mutual understanding and in the promotion of relationship. At the same time, some mediators disavow storytelling as an acceptable type of discourse as they believe that the focus of the activity is …