Comparison of the american mediation process with A Korean-American harmony restoration process

The mediation process used by community-based mediation centers in the United States is compared with the informal process for handling conflicts used by Korean-Americans interviewed in the Washington, D.C., area. Significant differences and some commonalities between the two are presented. A framework for comparing conflict resolution procedures is provided. It includes perceptions of conflicts and their derivations, process goals and objectives, how the process is initiated, roles and responsibilities of people in conflict and the third party, type and extent of third-party preparation, structure of third-party meetings with conflicting parties, how solutions are generated and selected, and how conflicts are concluded.