Resolving Disputes

Getting Disputes Resolved discusses three main approaches to resolving conflicts. This includes displays of who has the most power, who has the most right, or resolving in a way that suits everyone's interests. Typically, but not always, focusing on interests is the best way to resolve disputes because it has the lowest costs. When a dispute is resolved based on power, there is more room for disaster later on. One party is bound to feel like they are losing out, which can cause sore feelings and lead to recurrence of the initial dispute. This can also occur with negotiating based on rights, but it yields less dangerous results. However, there are certain situations where it is ideal to resolve issues by focusing on power or rights. One example would be in dealing with cases of civil rights. The article uses the example of Brown v the Board of Education, suggesting that if the issue of an African American child attending an all white school was resolved with a negotiation of interests, then the same result may have been reached for that child, but it would not have made a major impact on minority rights as a whole.