Conflict is a normal part of family life. As a mediator, you have the skills to facilitate peaceful resolutions to conflicts, but it can be challenging to apply them so close to home. In this article, we'll discuss how mediators can be the peacemakers in their own family conflicts by providing strategies for identifying unique considerations, assessing the situation before engaging, addressing power dynamics between family members and recognizing the limitations.
Family gatherings can bring feelings of warmth, excitement and joy. Like most of us these days, you may also be bracing yourself for dreaded toxic political conversations. A couple of my peers and I wondered what happened to simpler times, when people had healthy debates on front porches. From those musings, we developed a project called Porch Talks, to guide conversations from toxic to healthy. I have lifted some of those ideas to share six simple ways to prevent family gatherings from being derailed by politics.
The value of protocol, etiquette and codes of behavior shape our everyday life. Social norms and rules can be complicated, but they serve an important role in conflict management. In most cases, they exist to preserve social harmony, communicate expectations, deter conflict and foster respect. They vary from situation to situation and culture to culture. Some are formal, others informal but equally important to preserving harmony within groups. As the world becomes interconnected, these variations can also lead to conflict. While we may not all agree on the rules, in my experience, most people are inclined to want peace and harmony at the end of the day. Sometimes the simple act of appreciating conflicting social norms can promote social harmony.
