Is mediation a profession? Views of professionals and trainers from an international perspective

Abstract

The main aim of this article is to understand whether, in the opinion of experts and professionals, mediation has sufficient substance to be considered an autonomous profession in comparison with other professions and specifically with social work. For this purpose, a qualitative study was performed based on an analysis of the data obtained from 17 interviews and three focus groups held with participants from eight different countries. Above all, the conclusions of this study offer an international and multidisciplinary perspective that should be taken into account in order to clarify and resolve the difficulties affecting the professional status of mediators.