Robert A. Baruch Bush & Joseph P. Folger 
The Promise of Mediation 
The Transformative Approach to Conflict, Revised Edition

The award-winning first edition of The Promise of Mediation,
published ten years ago, is a landmark classic that changed the
field’s understanding of the theory and practice of conflict
intervention. That volume first articulated the ‘transformative
model’ of mediation, which greatly humanized the vision of how the
mediation process could help parties in conflict. In the past
decade, the transformative model has proved itself and gained
increasing acceptance. It is now being used in such diverse arenas
as workplace, community, family, organizational, and public policy
conflicts, among others.

In this new edition, the authors draw on a decade of work in
theory development, training, practice, research, and assessment to
present a thoroughly revised and updated account of the
transformative model of mediation and its practical application,
including

* a compelling description of how the field has moved toward
increasing acceptance of the transformative model

* a new and clearer presentation of the theory and practices of
transformative mediation, with many concrete examples

* a new case study that provides a vivid picture of the model in
practice, with a commentary full of new information about how to
use it effectively

* clarifications of common misconceptions about the model

* a vision for the future that shows how the model can coexist
with other approaches and where the ‘market’ for transformative
mediation is emerging

This volume is a foundational resource on transformative practice,
for both readers of the first edition and new readers – including
mediators, facilitators, lawyers, administrators, human resource
professionals, policymakers, and conflict resolution researchers
and educators. More generally, this book will strike a chord with
anyone interested in humanizing our social institutions and
building on a relational vision of society.

Table of Content

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

1. The Mediation Field: An Overview and Four Stories.

2. A Transformative View of Conflict and Mediation.

3. Gaining Sight of the Goal of Transformation.

4. Putting Transformative Theory into Practice: The
‘Purple House’ Mediation, with Commentary–Part
One.

5. Putting Transformative Theory into Practice: The
‘Purple House’ Mediation, with Commentary–Part
Two.

6. Myths and Misconceptions About Transformative Mediation.

7. Paths Toward the Future: Living with Differences in Values
and Practice.

References.

About the Authors.

Index.

About the author

THE AUTHORS

Robert A. Baruch Bush and Joseph P. Folger are the acknowledged originators of the transformative model of mediation and its best-known exponents. They are cofounders of the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation. Bush is the Rains Distinguished Professor of Alternative Dispute Resolution Law at Hofstra University School of Law. He has authored more than two dozen articles and books on mediation and alternative dispute resolution. Folger is professor of adult and organizational development at Temple University. He has published extensively on mediation and conflict and is coauthor of the award-winning text Working Through Conflict: Strategies for Relationships, Groups and Organizations.