Communication and

Personal Relationships

Chapter 10 Recap

Mean Girls (HCA # 6)1. What did the movie teach you about the culture of high school? How has the culture of high school changed? (Consider how you defined the culture of your high school or more recent media portrayals. You can also discussed how the culture of the fictional high school in the film changed)2. “The Plastics” exist as their own culture (within a larger culture); tell me about their culture.3. Tell me about Cady’s personal identity. What impacted her identity? (for example, consider the role of different factors discussed in the chapter such as self-disclosure, reflected appraisals, social comparisons, direct definition)

Relationships in Mean Girls (Q#4)

Personal vs. Social Relationships

Role relationships (COMM 1500)

Features

Uniqueness, commitment, investment

Relationship Rules (spoken vs. unspoken)

Relationship Culture

Role of context

Turning Points

Dialectics

Autonomy vs. Connection

Novelty vs. Predictability

Openness vs. Closedness

And attempts to mediate:

Neutralization

Separation

Segmentation

Reframing

Evolution of Relationships

Role of Communication

Relationships Today; Tied to Concepts in

ChapterDebatable Topics

Agree or Disagree?

Conflict in relationships is necessary

Conflict, context, healthy vs. unhealthy

Opposites attract

Matching Hypothesis

Attractiveness doesn’t play a role

Types of attractiveness

A relationship is an investment

Investment and Commitment (features of relationships)

Agree or Disagree?A relationship needs rules

Relationship rules and culture

Friendships and romantic relationships should overlap

Defining relationships

Friends can be defined as family

Defining relationships

Agree or Disagree?

Relationships are a part of a person’s identity

Personal identity, separation (connection vs. autonomy), culture

Separation is necessary for healthy relationships

Dialectic connection vs. autonomy

Costs should always outweigh rewards in a relationship

Equity theory, Social Exchange theory, investments and commitment

Agree or Disagree?

The structure, duration, and culture of relationships differs from generation to generation

Evolution of relationships, features, type, culture

Technology positively impacts relationships

Evolution of relationships, features, context

Relationship partners should have similar communication habits

Role of Communication

HCA #7 (will post)Find a short video clip (1 to 2 minutes) that serves as a good example of a healthy or unhealthy relationship.

You will use the clip to show an example of relationship culture/rules/uniqueness In a short write up (half a page to a page, typed) and in your explanation to class you will:

Explain why the relationship is healthy or unhealthy

Explain if the relationship is personal or social and why

Explain how their communication (verbal and nonverbal) helped you understand something about their culture, rules and uniqueness

Example on next slide

Include the video link on your typed assignment AND email it to yourself.

Come prepare to present. We will use the entire class period and will get through as many as we can.

Example: (will not be posted)In the clip, I begin to see how Bob and Billy have a unique, personal relationship. I am familiar with the show, so I do know they are involved in a friendship. But I also notice, from their exchange, that they have a bond. If I was to visit Bob, for example, we probably would not have the same personal exchange as he had with Billy.

At one point Bob calls Billy stupid. However, Billy responds with laughter and they still continue their conversation. This shows me that part of their uniqueness and culture is the ability to playfully tease each other. I would also guess that this is one of their unspoken rules. They are allowed to playfully call each other names that would be offensive in a different situation. The context and content of the encounter may have also played a role since they were discussing a playful topic…..