As divorce rates rise, family mediation represents an alternative way of making settlements without involving an already overburdened judicial system. This book presents a discussion of the current North American trends in the burgeoning field of family mediation by featuring both a review of the literature and a model for family mediation practice. The practice model presented here, Therapeutic Family Mediation, stresses an ecological perspective, and considers the feminist critique of the mediation process. The authors also address mediation's role in the important issues of joint custody, ethnicity, and child protection. Future directions in family mediation are examined in the final part.
Howard H. Irving, B.S. (Rhode Island), M.S.W. (Connecticut), Ph.D. (Toronto), is a Professor at the Faculty of Social Work, and is cross-appointed to the Faculty of Law. He is co-director of the combined Law and Social Work Degree Program. Dr. Irving is a founding member and a past-president of Family Mediation Canada. He was a Visiting Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Hong Kong University and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Professor Irving is the author of five texts on family mediation and related topics. His most recent book is Family Mediation: Contemporary Practice Issues, published in 1995. Professor Irving has conducted several research studies on dispute resolution and is a consultant in family mediation and arbitration. Since September 2006, Michael L. Benjamin has served as the executive director of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). Prior to FCCLA, Michael served as executive director of The National Council on Family Relations in Minneapolis, MN. Before that he was executive director of the Institute for Mental Health Initiatives, a component of the School of Public Health, George Washington University in Washington, DC. Michael began his career as a high school teacher teaching German in Beaumont, Texas. He co-authored a chapter with his spouse Marva P. Benjamin, "The Role of Leadership in Addressing Issues of Race and Ethnicity: Cultural Competence as a Framework and Leadership Strategy" in the 2004 book titled Promoting Racial, Ethnic, and Religious Understanding and Reconciliation. Also in 2004, he co-authored a chapter "Public Policy Advocacy" in the Family and Community Policy: Strategies for Civic Engagement.
General Introduction PART ONE: BACKGROUND Family Mediation Practice and the Knowledge Base An Integrative Review of the Divorce Research Literature (Phases 1 through 3) Family Mediation Practice and the Knowledge Base An Integrative Review of the Divorce Research Literature (Phases 4 through 5) PART TWO: CLINICAL PRACTICE Therapeutic Family Mediation Practice Principles and Ecosystemic Processes Toward a Feminist-Informed Model of Therapeutic Family Mediation PART THREE: CHILD CUSTODY Shared Parenting Critical Review of the Research Literature Shared Parenting and Sole Custody A Complex Comparative Analysis PART FOUR: SPECIAL TOPICS Family Mediation and Ethnicity A Critical but Neglected Dimension of Practice Mediation in Child Protection Cases - Allan E Barsky Research in Family Mediation An Integrative Review PART FIVE: CLOSING THOUGHTS Thematic Issues and the Future of Family Mediation
