Abstract

This paper sets out to analyze the role that argumentation may play in dispute resolution, in particular within the practice of dispute mediation. The focus is on the complex interplay of different argumentative discussions which are necessary for the parties to personally handle and possibly solve their conflict. This contribution focuses in particular on the mediator's role in a well-conducted mediation, considering how he introduces the disputants into the practice of argumentation by setting up a space for an argumentative discussion. In this relation, the mediator's strategic maneuvering with the topical potential emerges as particularly significant in mediation. The analysis presented here is based on an empirical corpus of successful mediation cases including different applications of mediation to interpersonal conflicts.