Mediation as an innovative way to manage social conflicts: an experience of practical research

In the Russian society, the number of citizens expressing dissatisfaction with the forms of government response to social demands is growing. Conflict state of society is the result of the perception of the surrounding social environment. The article examines the possibility of effective management of social conflicts in modern Russia through mediation. The authors rely on independently collected rich practical material: opinions of experts, participants in social conflicts, conflictologists, and civil servants. The authors consider the specifics of social conflicts in modern Russia and point to the need to develop and use innovative methods that correspond to the current level of development of society, which would effectively manage social conflicts. The contradictions formed in the system of relations between the state and civil society, the peculiarities of problem interactions and the transfer of conflict potential into a positive-functional channel are revealed. The authors conclude about the expediency and potential effectiveness of using the tools offered by mediation to achieve the stated goals.