Page 169 - Reading Between the Sign Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

154 Reading Between the Signs

Mediators can be lawyers hired by the court to expedite con-
flict resolution, therapists who work with divorcing couples to re-
solve custody or visitation battles, or volunteers who work on a
panel to solve disputes within their community. Many mediators
who work in private practice are lawyers and may employ a vari-
ety of styles. The one thing that all mediators have in common,
however, is that they are called in to help resolve some type of
disagreement that the parties involved are unable to solve on their
own.
Mediations typically follow a set of steps. Step 1 is a state-
ment by the mediator laying out the ground rules, goals, and ex-
pectations for the session, with an optional exhortation to the
participants to try to settle this dispute through cooperation. In
Step 2 each party gets to tell his or her side of the story without
being interrupted. Step 3 is a joint discussion, where the media-
tor, through active listening, validates each person’s position and
clarifies what is needed to reach a resolution. There is an optional
Step 4, when the mediator may hold private meetings with both
sides to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their stated posi-
tions and give them a reality check about whether their expecta-
tions are justified. Step 5 is a group discussion of options. Step 6
is the closure phase, where either an agreement is reached and
written down or the barriers to reaching agreement are defined
(Lovenheim 1996, 7.3–7.50). While the mediator wields no power
to directly influence the decision reached, he or she is in constant
control of the mediation session to ensure that it stays focused.
The role of mediator does share a few characteristics with our
traditional view of interpreters’ roles: neutrality and confidential-
ity. Also presumed is the fact that the interpreter and the media-
tor find themselves between two parties who do not understand
each other. Their role is to try to facilitate communication to cre-
ate understanding. But at this point the two professions diverge.
Interpreters are not allowed their own voice. Whatever we inter-
preters do to facilitate understanding must be done inconspicu-
ously and usually simultaneously. Also, although mediation, by
definition, is utilized for conflict, we usually interpret situations
with no inherent dispute (e.g., a classroom lecture, a medical ap-
pointment, a conference).
Furthermore, although power imbalances are common in both
interpreted and mediated situations, we, as interpreters, are cau-
tioned to add nothing to the situation. We are severely limited in

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