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Emily: Experiences of Mediation as Denial and ‘Sham’: Mediation as a Problematic Choice

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How Parties Experience Mediation

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Abstract

This chapter presents the nuanced analysis of the conflict and two mediations of Emily, an employee of a large public organisation in England. Emily has a serious medical condition and since her return to work following sick leave has been in conflict with two employees, Kate and Tracy. The analysis explicates Emily’s experience of conflict as ‘being vulnerable and unprotected in the face of threats’. A powerful portrait of Emily’s perceptions of bullying is presented involving her experience of conflict that ‘destroys’ her self-esteem and self-efficacy. Emily’s marked negative experience of mediation is explored: her subjective perceptions of a ‘sham’ process and the pressures to ‘give in’ are highlighted. The analysis raises a number of questions including the importance of a thorough intake conversation in determining whether a case is apt for mediation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Law, University of Essex, Colchester, UK

    Timea Tallodi

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  1. Timea Tallodi
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Tallodi, T. (2019). Emily: Experiences of Mediation as Denial and ‘Sham’: Mediation as a Problematic Choice. In: How Parties Experience Mediation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28239-4_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28239-4_8

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-28238-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-28239-4

  • eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)

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