6.3 Recommendations for Future Research
While the findings of this research project are self contained,the methodology and findings lead to a new set of questions to be considered by scholars.Some possible lines of inquiry include:
Given that there has always been huge disparity between the urban and rural areas in China’s history, what are the differences between the language strategies and tactics adopted by mediators in the urban area and those adopted by the rural area?
China is a traditionally patriarchic society even though women experienced liberation during Mao’s time and still enjoy equal rights with men today, what are the differences between the language strategies and tactics adopted by male mediators and female mediators?
China is a developing country where the peasants account for 70% of the total population of 1.3 billion.In the process of modernization, since the end of last century, millions of young Chinese peasants have left their families and hometowns in rural areas, enter into the city and work in the factories.Today,migrant workers have evolved into a unique social class in China,for example, the ratio of migrant workers to local residents has increased dramatically in the Pearl River Delta in southeast of China; 300 million peasants have left home for the city to become migrant workers within the past 30 years, and 80 million peasants each year still migrate between rural and urban areas (Du, 2008).Most studies on Chinese mediation including this book have focused on community mediation where the notion of neighborhood is relatively stable and mediation is relationship-based.However, this socio-cultural environment has been changing with the migrant workers’ frequent movement.It will be interesting to study the mediation styles and strategies in such unstable and changing socio-cultural context to find out how traditional or old mediation strategies are altered or adapted to this growing population and their unique values and problems.(https://www.daowen.com)
One of the limitations of this study is as follows: the study is only on some Chinese mediation sessions, therefore, when talking about the differences and similarities between mediation in China and in the US; they are not supported by strict research methods and data in this study.Comparing the differences and similarities of mediation in both cultures can be carried out in future research using the same research method on the data from both cultures.
Future research can also focus on the discussion of the application of the findings of this study.Knowing the unique characteristics of Chinese mediation, social scientists can study the effect that Chinese mediation has on Chinese society and how to improve it to match the fast changing pace of Chinese society,as well as the possibility of introducing some of the Chinese ways of mediation into American mediation system.
With research on Chinese mediation being carried out in a more detailed, systematic and in-depth fashion, the study of this alternative dispute resolution method will, contribute to the study of conflict resolution and management in different cultures,disentangle some elements of the unique communication styles,and help us better understand socio-cultural, political and legal structures in today’s China.