Theory and Practice of International Mediation; Selected Essays: Selected Essays

This volume brings together some of the most significant papers on international conflict mediation by Professor Jacob Bercovitch, one of the leading scholars in the field.



It has become common practice to note that mediation has been, and remains, one of the most important structures of dealing with and resolving social conflicts. Irrespective of the level of political or social organization, of their location in time and space, and of the political sophistication of a society, mediation has always been there to help deal with conflicts. As a method of conflict management, the practice of settling disputes through intermediaries has had a rich history in all cultures, both Western and non-Western. In some non-Western countries (especially in the Middle East and China) mediation has been the most important and enduring structure of conflict resolution. Jacob Bercovitch has been at the forefront of developments in international conflict mediation for more than 25 years, and is generally recognized as one of the most important scholars in the field. His theoretical and empirical analyses have come to define the parameters in the study of mediation.



This volume will help scholars and practitioners trace the history of the field, its position today and its future and will be of much interest to all students of mediation, negotiation, conflict management, international security and international relations in general.

Jacob Bercovitch is Professor of International Relations in the Political Science Department at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. He is author or editor of more than 17 books and numerous articles. Professor Bercovitch is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, and a former Vice-President of the International Studies Association.

1. Introduction; Or how to Study and do Research on Mediation Part 1: The Nature and Theory of Mediation 2. Introduction: Putting Mediation in Context 3.The Study of International Mediation: Theoretical Issues and Empirical Evidence with Allison Houston 4. Social Research and the Study of Mediation: Designing and Implementing Systemic Archival Research 5. Mediation in International Conflicts: Theory, Practice and Development 6. Mediation Success or Failure: The Search for the Elusive Criteria Part 2: Case Studies in Mediation 7. Case Study of Mediation as Method of International Conflict Resolution: The Camp David Experience 8. Conflict Management and the Oslo Experience: Assessing the Success of Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking Part 3: Quantitative Studies in Mediation 9. Negotiation or Mediation? An Exploration of the Factors Affecting Choice of Conflict Management in International Conflict with Richard Jackson 10. Why Do They Do it Like This: An Analysis of the Factors Influencing Mediator Behaviour in International Conflicts with Allison Houston Part 4: Current Issues in Mediation Research 11. Managing Internationalised Ethnic Conflicts: The Role and Relevance of Mediation 12. Culture and International Mediation: An Empirical Assessment with Ole Elgström 13. The Management and Termination of Intractable International Conflicts: Conceptual and Empirical Considerations with Paul Diehl and Gary Goertz 14. Preventing Deadly Conflicts: The Contribution of International Mediation