You will be required to analyze a relationship in which you are currently involved in, or a past relationship. The relationship does not need to be romantic in nature; however, it must be one in which you share some history, and therefore are fairly familiar with the other party. The rationale for this is that your analysis may be a practical and relevant application of some of the theoretical material offered in this course. For skills learned in class to transfer to non-classroom interactions, you must practice them in your everyday interaction with others (outside the classroom) and reflect on the outcomes that result from these new skills. Hopefully, from this analysis some communication options will emerge that will aid you in improving the quality of your current relationship or future relationships. In your analysis, you must select and apply concepts (minimum of 4). You can also use some communication skills that we have discussed and practiced in class to the relationship you have chosen. You will be required to write a minimum of 4-6 pages (double spaced) for this assignment. Paper is worth 100 points.
Your paper should have an introduction of the person you chose and your relationship with them. The body of the paper is where I would like to see how you will apply any of the communication skills or concepts that we covered in class. Some examples are:
Emotions—how your express them
Conflict—is it functional or dysfunctional
Dynamics of Relationships—Knapp’s relational model
Listening—what types of listening do you engage in?
Perception—is who you perceive yourself to be at odds with the way other’s perceive you?
Language—in your relationship do you use the “I” or “You” language?
Culture—Does your relationship face challenges due to cultural differences?
Self Disclosure—Is it something that comes easy or difficult in your relationship?
Culture—How has it impacted your relationship?
These are just a few examples to get you to think about what area of your relationship you will focus on. The idea of writing this paper it to improve the quality of your communication by self-reflection through writing.
