Informal Justice in Contemporary Society: A Multicultural City in Israel

Drawing on an ethnographic study in a multicultural city of Arabs and Jews in Israel, this book examines the models and expressions of power implicated in discourse and conflict resolution practices in cross cultural contemporary community. The author explores community politics expressed in daily life as a contextual background to the analysis of conflict resolution politics, exploring perspectives of state and civic stakeholders. Through case analysis, and addressing the individual, organisational and societal levels, Dr Li-On illustrates that conflict resolution is dominated by politics, with culture, ethnicity, and identity playing a significant role; disputing groups rely on conflict resolution to achieve contesting socio-political goals. The book explores core concerns in the field, illustrating obstacles, challenges and opportunities confronting informal justice in contemporary communities. Informal Justice in Contemporary Society is motivated by the field’s research-practice gap and the lack of real world impact research in cross-cultural settings. The book contributes insights towards theory refinement and conflict resolution practice by addressing practical issues confronted by mediators in the field. This innovative research path introduces a holistic approach to the study of informal justice in social context, deploying multilevel ethnographic analysis to broaden the perspectives and understanding of conflict resolution in contemporary communities. Locally, it provides insights into conflict resolution in Israel in a mixed city of Arabs and Jews. This book belongs on the reference shelf of essential reading for educators, researchers and practitioners in conflict resolution and social studies, including anthropological, community, legal and cultural fields.