George Laskoff, Frames, Divorce, and Mediation

I am reading “don’t think of an elephant” by George Lakoff. He writes about “Frames” which he defines as “mental structures that shape the way we view the world.” He goes on to say that “when we hear a word, it “Frame” is activated in our brain.” Although the book is geared to politics, it also applies to mediation. This is especially the case since he says that “what pulls all issues together is the Frame of family values. Progressive and conservative positions derive from two opposing paradigms for families. The strict father family model and the nurturant family model. “In mediation we see the same “Frames.” Awareness of “Frames” and the ability to work with “Frames.” makes for a more successful mediation.
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