Mediation and Conflict Resolution

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Recommended: Importance of conflict and conflict resolution

Critically discuss the relevance of mediation and conflict resolution in a capitalist society that neglects the disadvantaged.

Introduction-
Mediation and other means of conflict resolution assist the disadvantaged in giving them an opportunity to have control over how a resolution can be solved. The speed, cost and human element of mediation differs from the long, drawn out and what some may consider an inegalitarian process of litigation. A capitalist society, like Trinidad and Tobago places emphasis on materialism and hierarchical structures, which can create and forsake disadvantaged groups (Pavlich, 2013). This paper seeks to show how mediation can indeed assist the neglected and disadvantaged in protecting their social and economic right in a capitalist society.
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A capitalist society can be defined as a structure by which goods and services are privately or corporately owned. An essential characteristic of capitalism is the exploitative relation of capital towards labor within the value form (Wetly, 1987). In looking at an example of a capitalist society along this essential characteristic, Trinidad and Tobago can be used. when the Europeans came to Trinidad in an effort to colonize the country, an exploitative relationship existed. The Amerindians who already occupied the islands were “forced” to work for the colonizers. In exchange, they were conditioned to believe that they were being “civilized” because they were “savages”. As this exploitation continued, the only ones to benefit from this were the colonizers. They made sure that Amerindians worked as hard as they could and obeyed them so that any profits gained went towards the Europeans.

This continued into slavery being one of the most exploitati...

... middle of paper ...

... discourse making them relatively invisible in society.

Post modern theorists have also studied disadvantaged groups. They are referred to by such scholars as “marginalized groups”. Gayatri Spivak, in her paper, “Can the subaltern speak?” argued that marginalized groups are those rendered without agency by their social status. She went on further to state that anyone who does not have access to power, lives in the space of difference and are considered marginalized. Spivak postulated that blacks, homosexuals, lower class persons, women and girls are generally a major part of these marginalized groups.

INSERT CONCLUSION HERE!

1678 WORDS SO FAR!!!

Bibliography

Pavlich, G. (2013). Justice Fragmented: Mediating Community Disputes Under

Postmodern Conditions. New York: Routledge.

Kaplan, G. (2009). Executive Guide to Managing Disputes. Toronto: Beard Books.

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