De-essentializing notions of self and identity in mediation

The social constructivist self-identity concept has been embedded across scientific disciplines over the last 30 years, but widespread and often-used interest-based mediation theory and practice is still premised on an essentialist notion of self-identity, meaning that mediators’ core task is to reveal the interests and needs of the parties. The chapter therefore presents the contextually and negotiable self-identity concept from a Goffmanian starting point and, through a qualitative research study, shows how the contextually defined ‘self’ changes the perspective on what is at play in the mediation session. Simultaneously, this shift highlights the significance of cultural framing, which is briefly touched upon in final reflections on intercultural mediation.