Baroff, Roy James, April 1983 - THE DISPUTE SETTLEMENT CENTER: PROGRAMMING IN DISPUTE RESOLUTION Abstract: The use of mediation to help settle interpersonal disputes in the forum of dispute centers has grown tremendously since the mid 1970's. This thesis describes the projects and activities of an internship pursued at one of these centers, the Dispute Settlement Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, from January through May, 1982. Internship duties included conducting a survey of other dispute centers as well as daily activities, special projects, and mediation activities at the Dispute Settlement Center. This thesis presents a base of information on mediation and the field of dispute resolution in order to set the stage for further research. In addition, it seeks to establish an active role for applied anthropology in the human services and specifically in the dispute resolution field. .