The human image of mediation (with transactional analysis)

25 Basics of mediation (10)

There are not only a Mediation does not have a single image of humanity, but rather a variety of approaches to mediating conflicts. This means that there are also a number - albeit ultimately a smaller number - of different images of humanity that have an effect in mediation. However, they can be bundled, sorted and categorised. In the following, I would like to present a helpful image of man: The transactional analysis-based view of human nature for mediation.

What are images of people and what meaning do they convey

One speaks of images of people when fundamental, axiomatic assumptions about people. Ultimately, everything else that theory and practice may produce is based on these assumptions; concepts and models, methods and tools.

What is referred to here as the image of man is a Explanatory principleThe aim is to show the original pattern in order to find one's way through the diversity of phenomena.

Human images are suitable for supporting, reflecting and professionalising the work of mediators. This seems necessary in view of the work of mediators and their mediation task. The danger of making one's own image of humanity explicit and thus switching from ethics to morality and ultimately working ideologically ("What cannot be, because it must not be!") is latent in my opinion - and we mediators would not be the first to fall into this trap. Ideology and dictatorship trap were fumbling. There have been others who had a good idea in view of the suffering and injustice in the world, but brought about miserable results and consequences.

Nevertheless, I think it is important to become aware of our own assumptions. We must be aware of Danger of ideological behaviour face. This is particularly true for us mediators, as it is crucial to make appropriate decisions and correct inappropriate ones where necessary, especially when dealing with those we may have to perceive biased. Even if some seriously believe that they are able to perceive and treat each person completely individually, it is a Question of professionalismbut also to reflect on our own personal patterns. We all develop routines in our interactions with people, and these routines can become harmful if we assume unchecked that we are or can remain free of patterns.

The fact that we as human beings are able to become aware of and reflect on our assumptions and, if necessary, make new decisions, is already a specific expression of a mediative view of human nature.

Our patterns or fundamental decisions influence our thoughts, feelings and behaviour towards the mediants. This in turn influences the experiences they will have with you. And these experiences, for their part, are again compared with our own, i.e. independently decided, image of humanity - and changed if necessary. Mediants, conflict parties and people in general are therefore not simply the way they are, but have an effect on mediators "along" their image of humanity. The vernacular puts it more simply: "As you call into the forest, so it sounds out!" - But the question of whether and how to call in when it rings out remains unclear and unsatisfactory!

My aim in the following is not to create a binding image of humanity for mediation and present it to you, but I would like to present what I consider to be a helpful view of human nature, which is capable of providing helpful services for the work of conflict mediators and which has been sufficiently proven in counselling situations and process support: the transactional-analytical view of human nature.

Philosophical localisation of the human image of transactional analysis

TA's view of the human being is rooted in humanistic psychology and the philosophical existentialism. Especially for J.-P. Sartre, S. Kirkegaard and K. Jaspers the connections can be recognised, even if the literature on transactional analysis focuses primarily on the dialogical philosophy of Martin Buber (1878 - 1965) recurs. This can probably be explained by the identical core topic, which is also the trans-actional and thus the dialogue principle declared authoritative: Man becomes from you to me. This existentialist view of humanity became established in the Humanistic psychology of the last century alongside the already formulated psychological directions of the Depth psychology and the Behaviourism. Within humanistic psychology, however, different approaches were formed. Currents:

• the Transpersonal Psychology, represented by A. Maslow

• the Client-centred conversational psychotherapy from K. Rogers,

• the Gestalt therapy from F. Perls and

• from Eric Berne significantly developed Transactional analysis.

The core element of the transaction-analytical view of human nature is the Human autonomy.

First and foremost Fundamental freedom of choice and decision of man to give shape to his life. As an individual (=indivisible unit), this also gives rise to a Need for a decision.

On the one hand, this autonomy is a prerequisite for mediation activities, but at the same time it is also the goal of transactional analysis-based process counselling and conflict support: people cooperate on the basis of personal responsibility (even in conflict) and help each other to become more aware of this personal responsibility (through the conflict and its constructive handling).

These Autonomy concept of transactional analysis, which will be discussed in more detail elsewhereThe "new" approach initially appears to be fraught with fundamental dilemmas:

How can people involved in a conflict be accompanied and mediated without

• firstly, to violate their autonomy and

• secondly, to strengthen their perception and organisation of their autonomy.

Basic assumptions of transactional analysis

Transactional analytical counselling is an expression of four interlocking basic assumptions about people. They are the frame of reference of transactional analysis, its core, which constitutes the offer of help and counselling:

1. the people are all right 

- The trail does not teach you who you are.

It can just teach you to accept who you are!  -

(Motto of the Thruhiker)

It's all right with us humans. We are not a mistake of nature, nor are we its catastrophe. As human beings, we are all right and are born with the dispositions that allow us to be fundamentally cooperative and social - even if we don't always behave that way.

Neurobiological research in recent years points in a similar direction, which is why it has met with great interest within the "transactional analysis scene". Nevertheless, some cultural-historical developments, such as the extent of violence, appear to be a sign that this view is (also) the result of a long developmental path and is by no means "God-given or natural". Rather, the "History of violence" (Pinker, 2013), he points out an extremely optimistic path that we have all travelled so far.

According to transactional analysis, every normal human child is born with the ability to develop its potential for its own benefit and that of society. Every human being is capable of doing bad things (=behaviour!). We can hurt, torture or even kill others. However, their value as a human being is not lost as a result (see, for example, Article 1 (3) of the Basic Law, prohibition of the death penalty and life imprisonment). They remain valuable and worthy of respect in their uniqueness. It must be assumed that every person is fundamentally capable of adapting their behaviour and changing it accordingly.

Transactional analysis thus clearly differentiates between the Being human as such and specific human behaviour. This leads to the logical conclusion that behaviour is not an expression of personality per se. It is also context-dependent, for example, which is particularly important for dealing with conflicts, especially in organisations.

People are not thought of as individuals, but always in relation to others and therefore as social beings. This is the value of a transaction-analytical foundation for mediation in particular - it is a Trans-action analysis, not a psychoanalysis.

2. people feel, think and act accordingly

- Everyone can think, even if they don't. -

Every healthy person has the ability to feel, think and act accordingly. This assumption is reflected, for example, in the theory of „ego states“, which describes coherent patterns in these three dimensions. The stimulation of these individual dimensions, mediated by sensory organs, enables an individual to experience the world, develop an understanding of it (which is emphasised in constructivism as a theory of cognition), learn through these experiences and develop themselves in this world, in collaboration with other people. This forms the basis for a Willingness to learn and develop.

This willingness to learn and develop takes place in the area of tension between self-centredness and you-centredness or world-centredness, is a constant process between Self-realisation and adaptation tendencies - between growth and survival.

The decisive factor here is that self-realisation can be experienced in relation to other people, while at the same time there is room for one's own social adaptation in reflected seclusion. Neither the one nor the other should be over-emphasised, as both poles are mutually dependent. This is a central aspect in the conception of transactional analysis and demonstrates the freedom and necessity for people to decide how they organise their (life) time.

3. the human being can decide and can revoke decisions

- If you don't want to fall by the wayside, you have to deviate from the path from time to time. -

The concepts and models of transactional analysis have a further unifying element, which has its origins in the image of man: People decide (consciously or unconsciously) about their thoughts, feelings and behaviour. These are always the result of a fundamental choice.

Neither thoughts and feelings nor behaviour are linear-causal from the outside and independent of the person concerned, but always require an (albeit unconscious) "consenting" decision by the person concerned.

This decision concept is to be understood more comprehensively than in everyday usage and only recognises one exception: Man cannot decide not to decide as long as he lives. He must decide how he reacts to the course of his life by feeling, thinking and acting. This necessity to make a decision is irrevocable, non-negotiable and therefore beyond the power of human judgement.

Transactional analysis counselling is ultimately based on the assumption that it is also a "decision" to spend one's life beyond the awareness of this "fact" - and that this decision can be reviewed and revoked.

In view of the fact that this basic assumption of transactional analysis is itself a basic decision, it can be used excellently for recursive and self-reflective considerations. Or to put it another way: even if the cat seems to be biting its own tail here, this bite nevertheless develops the Strength of the transaction-analytical Counselling and mediation servicesIt is also necessary to rely on people's own strengths where hopelessness seems tempting in the face of systemic and environmental forces.

4. man strives for autonomy

- We have to let the sparrow out of our hands so that the dove can find its place from the roof. -

If we consider the transactional-analytical view of human beings as „living means deciding“, it becomes clear that these decisions affect both the individual freedom as well as obligation are reflected. Seeing one's own life as a reaction to questions of survival and organisation means that responsibility carries with it the question of the quality of the answers given.

Man's striving for autonomy presents itself as the striving to actualise and enliven his autonomy, as a perceptible possibility to experience himself feeling and thinking in his autonomy.

The idea that man fundamentally strives to strengthen his autonomy on the basis of his autonomy turns out to be the pinnacle of a deeply optimistic and philanthropic conception of man, which nevertheless throws him back on himself - alone, but as a social being.

The postulated autonomy and the striving for it are always to be understood as a "related autonomy" (Schlegel) to understand. The fact that we humans are indeed relational beings is supported by the most recent Research in neurobiology. They attest that we have a so-called.  "social brain" (Inse and Russel)which attunes our entire mental and physical constitution to successful relationships with other beings, especially human beings. Through the three Cs, communication, co-operation and creativitywe grow and actualise our desire for autonomy.