"Why is it that so many disputes that were formerly addressed through adjudication are now resolved through mediation? The dramatic increase over the last 15 years in the use of alternative dispute resolution practices has been explored through a number of lenses. New Directions in Mediation provides valuable new insights into the process of mediation - by examining it from a communication perspective The contributors provide theoretical viewpoints in mediation, reveal new ways to understand the structure of the intervention process, illustrate how specific communicative acts shape the realities of mediators and disputants and influence the outcomes, suggest critical contextual factors that should be considered in order to guide mediation more effectively, and discuss with practitioners how these ideas can be translated into practice."--Back cover.