Creating and Maintaining Romantic Bonds
Romantic partnerships, like other connections, help us meet our requirements for closeness, social connection, and sexual interactions. Romantic relationships, like friendships, go through phases of growth and decay. Let we first define romantic partnerships.
Many romantic partnerships in the West are consensual. We are free to date and establish life-long partnerships. In certain Eastern cultures, parents or community elders make these choices based on the welfare of the family or social group. Even in Western countries, not everyone has equal freedom and ability to choose their mates. Affirmative action programs and other social programs may help. While it is now legal for same-sex couples to marry, many still face political and societal obstacles when planning a family. Much of the study on romantic relationships is done in the West. In this sense, romantic partnerships are consensual connections between people who want each other to be a part of their life.
Consider your own romantic connections. Who do you like? They are probably individuals you meet in daily activities like school, work, hobbies, or sports. In other words, self-identity, likeness, and proximity all play a role in choosing romantic relationships. We frequently choose people who match our self-identity; heterosexuals couple up with heterosexuals, lesbian women with lesbian women, and so on. Social status, religion, and ethnic or racial identity all have a role in how individuals couple up. Logically, it is difficult (but not impossible) to meet individuals outside of our local geographic region. In other words, how can we know whether someone is someone we want to pursue a relationship with if we haven’t met and interacted with them? We can’t meet or stay connected without a feeling of closeness.
Personal Interaction and You
CAN YOU LOVE?
Love comes in many ways. A mother’s love for her kid Two brothers’ love. The bond between a dog and its owners. These two kinds of love have many similarities but also vary greatly. Love is sexual, but it is also contextual. The Greeks had six terms for love, while we use the word “love” to express numerous things. I adore it. I adore her. I adore him. Use the table below to find the Greek word for love in these phrases.
Type of Love | Definition |
|---|---|
Eros | Passion and Commitment |
Ludus | Game Playing |
Storge | Love and Friendship |
Pragma | Pragmatic Love |
Mania | Emotional Intensity |
Agape | Selfless Caring |
We are not proposing that we exclusively date our mirror images. Interracial marriage has changed dramatically in recent decades, both in terms of numbers and attitudes. It’s becoming increasingly usual to see diverse pairings.
Just like with friendships, there are basic phases we follow in establishing and maintaining love relationships. Let’s examine these six phases of love development.
No Interaction is the initial stage of love partnerships. The first stage of a love connection happens when two individuals have never met. For example, you may notice someone you like on the first day of class and think, “I must meet her.” We may be drawn to someone to see whether we might establish a love connection.
Invitational Communication is the second stage of love partnerships. We may indicate or invite someone we like to engage with us. You may do this by inviting them to dinner, or by saying, “I really enjoyed that film.” “How did it go?” The message’s substance (the subject) is less important than the relational level (how people feel about each other). “Words matter more than what is written down,” says poet Maya Angelou. It requires a human voice to give them greater meaning.” Shades of deeper meaning are relational messages that encourage people to pursue a love connection. We frequently plan how to initiate conversation with others to explore possible relationship growth.
Interpersonal Communication RISK
Probably someone on campus has caught your attention. Maybe there’s someone in your class right now that you like (or who likes you) and you’d want to know them better. How would you move from “No Interaction” to “Invitational Communication”? Take a risk and go meet someone. I wish you both the best of luck. Maybe you’ll make a new buddy.
Explorational Communication is the third stage of romantic development. When people accept our invitations, we go on to explorational conversation.
During this stage, we exchange information about ourselves and search for common hobbies, political or religious beliefs, and familial connections. Personal information is shared and received in a manner that promotes trust and closeness. Attending parties or other publicly organized events that promote connection and self-disclosure are common dating activities in this period.
Intensifying Communication is the fourth stage of romance. If we remain attracted (mentally, emotionally, and physically), we begin to communicate more intensely. On cannot stand to be apart from the other person at this point (the “relationship high”). You may start planning your spare time together and creating a private relationship culture. Activities like making supper together at home or long walks on the beach take precedence over going out to parties and mingling with friends. Self-disclosure grows as each individual want to know and understand the other. In this stage, we tend to idealize one another, minimizing (or ignoring) flaws and focusing on the other’s strengths.
Personal Interaction and You
Relationships terminate for many reasons. People may end a relationship due to significant problems like infidelity or distance. Occasionally, individuals grow apart and mutually decide to go on. People terminate relationships for many reasons. It’s not always easy to negotiate the end of a relationship, the process of ending it, and the aftermath. With the hope of avoiding future sorrow while providing you with advice/knowledge to share, here are some video links that may help.
The Revising Communication stage is the fifth stage in the development of a love relationship. The “relational high” wears off after a while, and partners begin to have a more realistic view of one another and the relationship in general. In this stage, individuals may be able to see the flaws in the other person that they had previously overlooked or romanticized.
Couples must also make choices about where they want their relationship to go in the future: do they want to remain together and work for long-term objectives, or do they want to define it as a short-term partnership? A couple may be passionately in love, yet they may also come to the decision to end their relationship for a variety of reasons. Perhaps one of them wants to join the Peace Corps after graduation and explore the globe, while the other wants to stay in their hometown after graduation. It is possible that their unique needs and objectives will not be compatible with the demands of a long-term commitment.
Developing a love relationship progresses through six stages, the sixth of which is commitment. When a couple takes the choice to make their relationship a permanent part of their life, they are said to be in a committed relationship. During this stage, the participants make the assumption that they will be in each other’s lives for the rest of their lives and make choices about the future as a group.
While marriage is an apparent indication of commitment, it is not the sole evidence of this stage in a person’s development. Some couples choose to declare their desire to remain together with a commitment ceremony, while others choose to register as domestic partners. In the same way, not all couples who want to spend the rest of their lives together officially marry. Some people may lose economic advantages if they marry, such as Social Security payments for elderly, while others may reject the institution (and the inequalities that it entails) of marriage itself.
Obviously, just committing is not enough to keep a relationship strong through the difficult periods that come when couples mature and alter their lives. Similar to a ship sailing toward a goal, a couple must learn to navigate their way through both stormy and calm seas. An engaged couple may do this by learning to communicate effectively during both the good and the difficult times. When a couple continues to modify their communication and methods of engaging in order to reflect the changing requirements of each individual, they are said to be navigating.
When seen as a natural part of the life cycle, changes in one’s circumstances may be more readily accepted and appreciated. When a couple is juggling two jobs, children, and a mortgage payment, their initial methods for dealing with dialectical conflicts may no longer be effective in maintaining their relationship. Outside demands such as children, professional obligations, and financial commitments add to the strain on relationships, which requires more attention and negotiating skills. In the absence of good communication between a couple, dealing with change becomes more difficult, putting the relationship’s stability in risk.
Along with the stages of development, loving partners go through a number of phases of degradation as they go through their relationship. The deterioration of a couple’s relationship does not always imply the end of the relationship. Instead, couples may cycle back and forth between periods of degeneration and times of development over the life of their romantic engagement.
As an example,
MARRIAGE FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES IS LEGALLY PERMITTED
The Netherlands was the first nation to provide legal marriage to same-sex couples (4/1/01), and Belgium was the second (1/30/03), to make this possible. The prohibition on same-sex marriage has since been lifted in Canada (on June 28th, 2005) and Spain (on June 29th, 2005), among other countries.
The state of Massachusetts was the first state in the United States to do so on May 17, 2004, and many other states have followed suit since then. As of 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States of America recognized the right to marriage for both heterosexual and homosexual couples.
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
A domestic partner with benefits for same-sex couples is recognized in the countries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden as well as in certain areas of the United States.
During the first stage of deterioration, known as Dyadic Breakdown, a couple’s relationship begins to deteriorate because they begin to ignore the little things that have previously kept them together. When they rent a movie, for example, they may decide to cease snuggling on the sofa and sit in different seats. If this scenario is seen in isolation, it does not imply that a relationship is in danger. However, if intimacy continues to decline and the partners are unhappy with their relationship, this unhappiness may lead to concern about the future of the partnership.
The Intrapsychic Phase, the second stage of degradation, begins when couples get concerned that they are no longer connecting with one another in the same manner they used to, or that they are no longer doing enjoyable activities together. When this occurs, individuals may begin to see their lives without the partnership as a possibility. If the couple does not accept their connection as a given, they may begin to ponder what their lives would be like if they did not participate in the partnership
The Dyadic Phase, the third stage of deterioration, begins when partners make the decision to speak about their issues with one another. It is at this point that they discuss how to address the problems and may seek outside assistance, such as therapy, to assist them in working through the causes for their increasing distance. Additionally, this may be the period at which couples begin their first talks about how to split their common resources, such as property, money, or children.
The fourth stage of degeneration, Social Support, happens when the partnership is doomed and the partners begin to seek for social support outside of the relationship. Couples will make the news public at this point by informing friends, relatives, and children that their partnership is coming to an end. Social assistance is provided by family members who listen to issues and friends who invite them to go out and do things to keep themselves occupied.
The pair will need social support from others as they go through the process of ending their relationship and coming to grips with its dissolution.
Grave Dressing, the fifth stage of degeneration, happens when partners have reached a point of no return in their relationship and are ready to go on with their lives. A relationship that has come to an end should be grieved in the same way that a physical death is. People need time to go through this process in order to completely comprehend the significance of the relationship, the reasons for its termination, and the lessons that may be learned from the experience.
Through this period in a healthy manner, we may gain the knowledge and skills necessary to manage future relationships more effectively.
The majority of these phases are most likely something you’ve experienced in your own relationships or seen in others’ relationships. Experience has shown us that we do not always go through these phases in a linear fashion. For example, a couple may seek therapy during the dyadic phase, work through their issues, and then proceed to a second phase of increasing communication, revising, and so on until they have resolved their issues. Other couples may decide to skip some of the phases entirely. However, these models are useful because they offer us with a method to identify basic communication patterns and the choices we have at each stage of our interactions, which is very useful. By understanding the implications of our decisions and the possible repercussions of those choices, we may use our knowledge and experience to create the kinds of connections we want in our daily lives.
Relationships within the family
The third major kind of interpersonal connection in which we are involved is the one with our immediate family. What exactly is family? Is family formed via legal connections or through the bond of having a similar bloodline? Alternatively, may a family be regarded a group of individuals who are committed to one another? Our definition of family is intended to reflect the variety of families.
A family is an organized collection of people who are typically connected by blood or some other connection that binds them together, and where individual roles and relationships change over time. Family relationships are usually long-lasting, and they normally include a period of time during which common space is shared.
As suggested by Pearson, families have a number of characteristics in common, including the tendency to be well-organized, to be a relational transactional group that shares a living space for extended periods of time, and to have a mixture of interpersonal images that evolve over time as a result of the exchange of meaning. Please allow me to explain this term in more detail.
Families Have a System in Place. In our familial connections, we all occupy and perform roles that are rather predictable (parent, kid, elder sibling, etc.). A similar pattern may be seen in the communication patterns of these partnerships. Consider the following scenario: your younger brother may serve as the family’s mediator, while your elder sister is the one who constantly starts conflicts with her siblings.
Families are a group of people who interact in a relational and transactional way. It is not just the individual individuals that make up a family, but it is also characterized by the connections that exist between those members. Take a moment to recall our study of Systems Theory in Section Five. In a family that consists of two opposite-sex parents, an older sister and her husband and three children, a younger brother and his new wife, and two children from a previous marriage, the relationships among family members are mainly determined by their differences. All of these individuals play a certain function in the family and interact with one another in a manner that is generally consistent with their responsibilities.
Long-term occupancy of a common living space is common among families that share a common living space. When it comes to defining family, one constant element is the recognition that members of the same family usually live under the same roof for a long length of time. We definitely consider extended family as part of our definition, but for the most part, our ideas of family involve those individuals with whom we share, or have shared, common space over a period of time, such as our parents, siblings, and children. Despite the fact that you may have gone away to college, the fact that you spent a significant portion of your life in a house with people whom you consider your family contributes significantly to your concept of family as well.
Families have a collection of interpersonal images that have developed through time as a result of the exchange of meaning between members of the family. Our families teach us vital lessons about intimacy, spirituality, communication, and respect, all of which are crucial in our lives. Parents and other family members set the tone for how we interact with others by modeling appropriate actions. Therefore, we constantly create ideas of what it means to be a family and strive to keep that image of family alive in our daily lives, as a consequence of our experiences. Your immediate family, which consists of your parents and one sibling, may be considered to be your family. Your love partner, on the other hand, may consider family to be comprised of parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, among other people. Each of you engages in a variety of communication activities in order to preserve your family’s image.
A large number of families include children as members of their structure. Olson and McCubbin describe the seven phases that families with children go through as they move through life with their children as their focus. Individual families will not go through all of these phases, and blended families, where one parent does not have primary custody of the children, may go through less drastic transitions between stages than single parents do.
The first stage of family formation is known as the Establishment of a Family stage. Couples transition into committed or married life at this stage, and they make the required adjustments to reflect their new legal, relational, and social statuses, among other things. If they did not live together previous to marriage, they may need to figure out the specifics of how they will share space, money, and time once they are married. This stage often included the establishment of a first house together as a couple.
The Enlarging a Family stage is the second stage of family development.
A couple has reached this stage of their relationship and has decided to extend their family by having children. While it is a time of pleasure and celebration, it is also a time of tremendous stress and change for parents, as they adjust to their new responsibilities as parents and learn about their children. As the needs of a new kid become the main worry and focus of the couple’s attention and resources, the couple’s time with friends, at work, and with one another is often reduced. At this point, the connection is no longer defined only in terms of the two individuals involved, but now includes the children who have become a member of the family.
It is at the third stage of family development that the family is formed. As children develop, their requirements shift from being mainly physical (such as eating, changing diapers, and sleeping) to being more cognitive and emotional (such as learning and playing). When it comes to teaching cultural and spiritual values in children, as well as developing their unique personalities, parents become the main source of information. This age necessitates a significant investment of time and effort on the part of parents, since the children remain the focal point of everyday interactions.
Consider the family that is always on the go, transporting children to soccer, baseball, piano lessons, and church, all while directing their educational growth. The family places a great value on the personal development of its children at this point in their lives.
Encouraging Independence is the fourth stage of family development, and it is the most important. After reaching adolescence, children begin the process of naturally withdrawing from their parents in order to develop an autonomous identity and to feel secure in their decision to live independently of them. Some of you may remember that this time period was marked by times of tension and frustration for your parents, in addition to yourself. With more time spent away from home, children may see their parents as overprotective or inquisitive about their friends and activities, while parents may perceive themselves as abandoned and worried for their child’s safety as a result of this. It is during these years that youngsters engage in activities that are aimed at establishing their independence from their parents that they are often referred to as the rebellious years.
The Launching Children stage of family development is the fifth stage of family development. During the process of raising children, couples develop a connection with one another in which the children are often the primary emphasis rather than the pair themselves. During the Launching Children stage, each member of the pair must relearn his or her responsibilities when the grown children eventually leave home to attend college, pursue a profession, or start their own marriage and family of their own. Parents who have given up their careers to have children may find themselves wondering what to do with their spare time.
In addition to being stressful, the empty nest syndrome provides an opportunity for new possibilities as parents have more time and money to spend with their spouses, on hobbies and travel, or with their friends and relatives. Many people are ecstatic at the prospect of being able to devote more time to each other as a spouse after years of caring for children at home.
a photograph shows two adolescent guys kneeling in front of a Christmas tree, with a dog in between them
The Post-Launching of Children stage is the sixth stage in the formation of a family.
Following the birth of children, depending on how a couple handles stage five, the years following the birth of children can be filled with renewed love, or they can be filled with great strain as a couple learns that they do not know how to relate to one another outside of the context of raising children. As a symbol of this new chapter in their relationship, some couples choose to renew their wedding vows as a way of expressing their feelings for one another. Even while some parents choose to remain in a marriage for the sake of their children, other parents choose to end the relationship after the children have left the family home. When there are no “birds left in the nest,” for some couples, the family dog takes on the role of the new focus of attention, and unintentionally assumes the role of one of the children, continuing to control and limit the couple’s activities as the dog requires raising and retraining. Some parents take up new activities, travel across the globe, and schedule several “date days” each week with their children.
Retirement is the seventh stage in the development of a family.
Freedom from employment may be a catalyst for personal development and the discovery of new relationships and interests, similar to the launching of children into the world. Simple things like having extra time in the day may make things like travel, volunteer work, and further education much easier to do. However, individuals who are in this stage may suffer a decrease in income as well the loss of identity that comes with being a member of a certain profession. During this stage, the family may also see fresh development when adult children bring their own relationship partners and grandchildren into the family as new members.
As a family goes through the phases outlined above, communication patterns within the family, as well as within a couple, are always changing and being updated. It is necessary for a couple to maintain constant control over dialectical tensions such as autonomy/connection since they spend less time together during stages two and three and more time together throughout stages five through eight. Conflict may arise as a result of the management of these tensions if not addressed. Every relationship is characterized by tension. Conflict is an unavoidable part of life. The way we think about and deal with conflict is what is important here.
Contemplating the Issue of Conflict
A black and white photograph shows two pawns, one white and one black, on a chessboard, placed diagonally from one another.
Is it more common for you to have a good or negative response when you hear the term “conflict”? Are you the kind of person who believes that confrontation should be avoided at all costs? While confrontation may be unpleasant and difficult, it does not always have to be harmful or destructive. Consider the social and political developments that resulted from the civil rights movement’s battle with the government throughout the decade of the 1960s. No doubt, this struggle was painful and even fatal for some civil rights activists, but the conflict led in the removal of many discriminatory practices and the creation of a more equitable social structure in the United States as a consequence of the conflict. Examine two different approaches to conflict, as well as a variety of choices for responding to conflict in our interpersonal interactions.
Conflict as a Destructive Process
When we avoid confrontation in our interpersonal connections, it’s possible that we’re doing it because we believe it will be harmful to our relationships. They are not always well-founded, as is the case with many of our ideas and attitudes, and they may lead to harmful actions. Augsburger identified four assumptions that underpin the harmful perspective of warfare.
Conflict is defined as a harmful disruption of the state of peace.
However, rather than adapting to the demands of its members, the social system should adapt to the ideals that have been developed through the years.
Confrontations are both damaging and unsuccessful in the long run.
Dissidents should be held accountable.
This style of thinking about conflict makes us feel that it represents a danger to the established order of the partnership. Consider athletics as an example for the way we see conflict as being harmful. In the United States, we enjoy sports in which there are victors and losers. We find it difficult to understand sports and activities in which a tie is a possibility. How is it possible for neither side to win nor lose? This makes sense when it comes to our personal lives and the reasons we are averse to engage in disagreements with one another. No one wants to lose, and no one wants to watch their relationship partner lose either. As a result, one alternative is to avoid conflict altogether so that neither party is forced to deal with the consequences.
Conflict as a source of innovation
As an alternative to viewing conflict as a destructive force, it is also possible to consider conflict as a constructive natural outgrowth and component of human interactions, which may even be beneficial. Augsburger identified four assumptions that underpin the notion of conflict as constructive.
Conflict is a natural and beneficial part of life.
Through discussion, any and all problems are open to modification.
Direct confrontation and conciliation are seen as valuable strategies.
When conflict occurs, it is a necessary renegotiation of an implicit contract, resulting in a redistribution of opportunities, the release of tensions, and the rebirth of interpersonal connections.
Conflict, rather than causing damage to relationships, is seen as a chance for them to be strengthened. Conflict provides an opportunity for relationship partners to discover methods to fulfill the needs of one another, even when those needs are in opposition to one another. Recall our study of dialectical tensions earlier in this chapter. You may or may not express disagreements with your relational partners about these tensions, but the fact that you are negotiating them indicates that you are capable of using conflict in ways that are beneficial to the relationship as a whole and to the interests of the people involved.
Different Types of Conflict
Understanding the many ways in which conflict may be valued is the first step toward participating in constructive conflict relationships with others. In the same way, understanding the many kinds of conflict that may arise in interpersonal interactions can assist us in identifying suitable methods for dealing with certain types of conflict. According to Cole, there are five kinds of conflict in interpersonal relationships: Affective conflict, Conflict of Interest conflict, Value conflict, Cognitive conflict, and Goal conflict.
Affective conflict is a conflict between two emotions. Affective conflict occurs when we have emotions that are conflicting with those of another individual. A couple that has been dating for a time may decide that one of them wants to marry as a show of love, while the other decides that they would want to see other people. What exactly do they do? Affective conflict arises as a result of the disparities in how people feel about one another.
There is a conflict of interest. When individuals disagree on a course of action or what to do in a particular situation, they are said to be engaged in this kind of conflict. A Christian Scientist, such as Julie, thinks that prayer may heal sickness and does not feel that medical assistance is necessary in some situations. Jeff, who is a practicing Catholic, believes that getting traditional medical care while sick is the best course of action. What happens when Julie and Jeff make the decision to have a family? Do they follow Jeff’s religious views and take the children to the doctor when they are sick, or do they follow Julie’s religious beliefs and practice her religion? This is an example of a conflict of interest.
There is a conflict of values. Value conflict is defined as a disagreement in ideas or values between two or more relationship partners. Julie and Jeff, for example, are faced with a conflict of interest about what to do in regards to the medical requirements of their children since their religious beliefs are divergent. Many individuals are involved in heated debates regarding religion and politics. Remember the old adage, “Never discuss religion or politics with your family,” and follow it to the letter.
Conflict in one’s thinking. When two people have divergent thinking processes, interpretations of events, and perceptions, they are said to be in cognitive conflict. Marsha and Victoria, who have been together for a long time, are both invited to a party. The reason Victoria refuses is because she has a major presentation at work the next morning and wants to be well rested for it. Marsha’s mutual friends Michael and Lisa see her spending the whole evening with Karen when they are at a party they are attending. Lisa has suspicions that Marsha is flirting with and cheating on Victoria, but Michael denies, claiming that Marsha and Karen are simply good friends getting together to catch up. Michael and Lisa are both seeing the same conversation, but they have different interpretations of what is going on.
This is an example of cognitive dissonance.
There is a conflict in objectives. When individuals differ on the ultimate result of a situation, they are said to be in goal conflict. Jesse and Maria are in the process of purchasing their first home together. Maria is looking for something with long-term investment potential, while Jesse is looking for a home that will meet their requirements for a few years before moving into a bigger house. Maria has long-term objectives for the home purchase, while Jesse is more concerned with the near future. These two individuals have quite different objectives when it comes to buying a house.
Strategies for Dealing with Disagreement
When we ask our kids what they want to do when they are faced with a dispute, the majority of them respond with the word “resolve.” While this is reasonable, it is also important to recognize that conflict is a constant in all relationships, and our approach to conflict should be to “manage it” rather than constantly attempting to “resolve it.”
A photograph shows a small group of individuals conversing in a group setting. One lady has her gaze fixed on a guy sitting opposite from her, who has his arms crossed in front of him. Knowing the five main methods for managing conflict in relationships is one approach to get a better understanding of the choices for managing conflict.
While most of us are likely to prefer one approach over another when it comes to handling conflict in our relationships, we all have a variety of choices available to us. The ability to choose from a range of alternatives allows us to be more flexible in our relationships with others. The following are five methods for dealing with interpersonal conflict: dominating, integrating, compromising, complying, and avoiding confrontation (Rahim; Rahim & Magner; Thomas & Kilmann).
To think about these tactics, and your choice to choose one over another, consider who will be served by the strategy in the given conflict scenario. Depending on how much worry you have for yourself and how much concern you have for others, you may conceive this notion in many ways.
When individuals choose the dominant method, also known as the win-lose approach, they demonstrate a high level of care for themselves and a low level of concern for the other person. The ultimate aim in this situation is to win the dispute.
This style is frequently characterized by communication that is loud, aggressive, and interruptive in nature. Once again, this is comparable to sports. Unfortunately, we avoid confrontation much too frequently due to our false belief that the only other option is to attempt to control the other person. It’s understandable that this approach would be unattractive in situations when we care about the other person.
Those who have an accommodating personality exhibit modest care for themselves and others, but a high level of concern for their relationship as a whole. According to this viewpoint, the people are less significant than the whole connection.
In this situation, a person may choose to downplay the differences or a particular problem in order to highlight the similarities. The statement, “The fact that we differ on politics isn’t a huge issue since we share the same ethical and moral values,” shows a gracious and accommodating attitude.
Whenever both sides are ready to trade one item for another, they are demonstrating their willingness to compromise and work together. PALCO and environmental activist Julia Butterfly Hill reached a compromise when she agreed to end her two-year tree sit in Luna as a protest against the logging practices of Pacific Lumber Company (PALCO) and pay them $50,000 in exchange for their promise to protect Luna and not cut within a 20-foot buffer zone. Alternatively, if one or both parties believe the compromise is unfair, they may be less inclined to stay with it over time. When confrontation is inevitable, many individuals will choose to compromise rather than fight.
One of the difficulties in achieving a satisfactory compromise is that neither side receives all they want. If you prefer Mexican cuisine and your buddy wants pizza, you may be able to come to an agreement and go to a restaurant that offers Mexican pizza as a compromise. While this may seem to be a wonderful idea, you may have been wanting a burrito, and your buddy may have been craving a pepperoni pizza at the time of this conversation. Even though the compromise brought together two different cuisine genres, neither party was able to fulfill their desires in this instance.
Those who avoid confrontation may conceal their emotions of irritation or just walk away from a difficult circumstance. While this is often seen as demonstrating a lack of care for one’s own and others’ well-being since issues are not addressed, the reverse may be true in certain situations. Consider the following scenario: Ginny and Pat are having a furious fight. Pat is on the verge of making a harsh comment due to his anger. In its place, she determines that she must ignore this debate for the time being until s
Detailed Description of Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication is communication between people who recognize and value the differences in one another. Interpersonal communication takes place in pairs very often. In order for interpersonal communication to take place, individuals must participate in self-disclosure, which is the act of disclosing information about oneself to others that they are not already aware of or are not comfortable sharing. The process of self-disclosure involves managing dialectical tensions, which are conflicting demands in interpersonal interactions. The methods we use to deal with these conflicts include neutralization, separation and segmentation as well as re-framement and re-positioning.
In our interpersonal interactions, we build communication climates, which are the general emotions and moods that individuals have for one another and the relationship as we navigate it. When we participate in disconfirming communications, we contribute to the creation of a bad relationship environment, while confirming messages may contribute to the creation of a good relational climate by acknowledging the individuality and significance of another person.
Friendships, romantic partnerships, and familial connections are the three main kinds of interpersonal interactions in which we are involved with one another. Each of these connections progresses through a number of phases of development and degradation before reaching its final state. Friendships and romantic partnerships are distinct from family connections in that they are relationships that are chosen by the individuals involved. Each of these partnerships requires the participation of all parties in order to successfully navigate the dynamics of the connection in order to sustain and develop the relationship.
Finally, conflict is a part of all human interactions. Conflict is often seen as a sign that there is a problem in a marriage or relationship. Conflict, on the other hand, is a normal and continuing component of all human interactions. It is not the aim of conflict management to eradicate it, but rather to manage it. Managing conflict may be accomplished via one of five main approaches: controlling, obliging, compromising, avoiding, and integrating.
