Abstract
Conflict in its many forms is an omnipresent fact of human existence. Since it often includes dysfunctional and destructive components, men have explored numerous methods for its management, including techniques of avoidance, regulation, and resolution. A number of these methods involve the intervention of an outside third party as in mediation, arbitration, and conciliation
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Notes
- 1.
This article is based on a lengthier paper prepared while the author was a graduate student at the University of Michigan and was on leave from the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. For continuing stimulation and guidance in this project, the author is greatly indebted to Daniel Katz. For helpful suggestions and comments regarding earlier drafts, the author wishes to thank Raphael S. Ezekiel, J. David Singer, Dorwin Cartwright, Eugene Burnstein, Clinton F. Fink, and Daniel S. Sydiaha.
- 2.
This text was first published as: Ronald J. Fisher (1972). Third party consultation: A method for the study and resolution of conflict, Journal of Conflict Resolution, 16, 67–94. As author of this article, the editor exercises his right to republish the text with the permission of Sage Publications.
- 3.
It is hoped that empirical assessments of actual applications will accumulatively indicate whether the social-psychological emphasis on attitudes in conflict is realistic and also whether the concept of attitude can be stretched to include all of the aspects enumerated here. In addition the rigorous operationalization of some of these ideas in the form of well-specified dimensions would help indicate what changes may actually occur as a result of consultation. These considerations are important since the attitudinal approach involves some rather arrogant and derogatory implications on the part of social scientists with regard to the antagonists in a conflict.
- 4.
The author has had recent experience in this regard through attempting to arrange a program of consultation with nationals, mainly graduate students, from the countries of India and Pakistan. As the conflict became more intense during the autumn of 1971, there were increasing reservations regarding joint discussions, and when full-scale hostilities began, the project became inappropriate.
- 5.
Some similar points with regard to an earlier period in the history of psychology have been made by Koch (1959).
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Fisher, R.J. (2016). Third Party Consultation: A Method for the Study and Resolution of Conflict. In: Ronald J. Fisher: A North American Pioneer in Interactive Conflict Resolution. Pioneers in Arts, Humanities, Science, Engineering, Practice, vol 14. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39038-3_3
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