Chapter 1. Understanding Conflict: Nature, Functions, and Myths
Chapter 2. Sources, Levels, and Escalation of Conflict
Chapter 3. Theories and Models for Conflict Analysis
Chapter 4. Communication Foundations for Conflict Resolution
Chapter 5. Active Listening, Questioning, and Reframing
Chapter 6. Negotiation Fundamentals and Interest-Based Bargaining
Chapter 7. Mediation: Roles, Models, and Process Design
Chapter 8. The Mediation Session: Intake, Opening, Exploration, and Agreement
Chapter 9. Ethics, Impartiality, Confidentiality, and Power
Chapter 10. Emotions, Identity, Culture, and Trauma Awareness
Chapter 11. Workplace Conflict Resolution and Mediation
Chapter 12. Conflict Resolution in Schools, Families, and Community Settings
Chapter 13. Group Conflict, Facilitation, and Collaborative Problem Solving
Chapter 14. Restorative, Transformative, and Dialogue-Based Approaches
Chapter 15. Online Dispute Resolution and Technology-Supported Mediation
Chapter 16. Designing Conflict Management Systems and Building Professional Capacity
Appendix A. Mediation Preparation Toolkit
Appendix B. Sample Templates and Checklists
Glossary
Preface
This textbook introduces students to conflict resolution and mediation as fields of study and as professional practices. It treats conflict neither as an abnormal interruption nor as a purely negative force, but as a recurring feature of social life that can produce either growth or harm depending on how it is handled. The chapters move from foundational concepts and analytical models into practical skills, ethical decision making, and context-specific applications.
The text is designed for study, discussion, classroom instruction, and independent review. Each chapter contains learning objectives, explanatory content, a table, a text-based diagram, an applied vignette, key takeaways, and review questions. The final sections include practical tools, and a glossary.
Although mediation is a central theme, the book also emphasizes the wider ecosystem of conflict management: negotiation, facilitation, restorative practice, systems design, and reflective professional development. Students are encouraged to treat every model as a lens rather than a formula. Competent conflict work depends on preparation, curiosity, ethical clarity, and the humility to keep learning from practice.
