Answer to Question #321147 in English for eddie

Question

Teacher Eva asks you to create an introduction for this lesson by using the mediation technique of ‘recruit’. Use the information that you have learned and create a suitable introduction for this lesson plan. 

Answer 1

Mediation involves: Voluntary participation. Face-to-face discussions between the parties in conflict. An unbiased mediator without any decision-making power who helps those involved to understand each other's point of view and come to an agreement.

Gator v. City of Quincy – Featured Small Claims Mediation

This three-person, two-hour, small-claims mediation is between a motorist and a city attorney regarding liability for damage to the motorist’s automobile due to a pothole. Alex Gator, a in young salesperson, has a car that was damaged when Alex drove it into a large hole in a city street. Alex claims that the City of Quincy is responsible for the damage, since no warning signs were posted near the hole, which was part of a city construction project. The city, represented by a hard-nosed, part-time city attorney, does not really doubt Alex’s story, but claims no legal liability under applicable statutes. Both sides have agreed to mediation, but have only a limited time to discuss the case, before it is called before a judge in Small Claims Court. Major lessons of this simulation include:

• This exercise tests a mediator’s skill at information-gathering and reality testing. Both sides are withholding important information that can most likely be elicited only by skillful questioning.
• The mediator must also be a skilled negotiator. The city attorney is a polished hard bargainer. Alex is a young person determined to see a just and principled result, not a compromise under pressure.
• The role of “face-saving” and legitimacy is highlighted in the (conflicting) interests of both sides.