人民调解工作的性质、实践和发展

Abstract

人民调解工作是具有中国文化和社会主义特色的民间纠纷解决样式。九十年代以来人民调解委员会在民间纠纷总量攀升的前提下处理的个案却减少，有政策和制度上的原因。民间纠纷的上述变化，为社会工作专业在中国的发展开拓了制度性生存空间。重新检讨社会冲突的概念，促进人民调解工作向专业化方向发展是本文的启示。 Community mediation in China is an approach of conflict resolution with distinct characteristics of the Chinese culture and socialist ideology. Since the 1990s, family disputes and conflicts among residents have substantially increased but the number of cases handled by the community mediation committees throughout China decreased. The reasons are related to both policy and institutional changes. The increase in family disputes and residents' conflicts have significant implications for the development of social work as a helping profession in China. The authors believe that the term "social conflict" needs to be reconceptualised and that community mediation as an approach should be professionalised.