Reflecting on the past three months, I find that the most interesting topic was those with some sort of relation to romantic relationships. I find these interesting because I am in a romantic relationship and it seems that a lot of previously unknown knowledge has been bestowed upon me about these relationships. Romantic relationships involve various aspects such as commitment, intimacy and passion according Julia Wood, the author of Interpersonal Communication. It is agreeable that a relationship is based on these ideals, but one must inquire, is that all a relationship is based upon? In her definition, Wood seems to leave out two important aspect of a relationship, trust and investment.
One thing that Wood states in her writings is that commitment is a pivotal part of a relationship. Commitment is not a feeling, correcting many misconceptions of this thought. Commitment is a decision. It is the choice to remain within the relationship and it links two partners to a future. When two people decide to commit, conflict is not seen as a time to end the relationship but as a resource to make the relationship stronger by working through their conflicts. Commitment involves the choice to speak and listen effectively to one’s partner. When two people commit, they take responsibility for continuing to invest in and care for their bond (Wood 267-268).
With commitment comes challenge. Various items can affect two people’s choice to commit and their future within that commitment. One of these challenges includes distance. With distance two people are not able to share the small events of their day with their partner. Distance disables two people share their ordinary comings and goings that helps relationship stay woven together. Another challenge is unrealistic expectations for time together. Partners who are distant tend to expect each moment that they spend together to be perfect. They believe that conflict should be avoided and that they should be joyfully focused on their partner not realizing that conflict no matter what type of relationship is inevitable. Another challenge with this type of relationship is unequal effort that the two partners invest to make and maintain their connection. One of the main reasons distant relationships do not work is because one person feels as if they are doing all of the work to keep the relationship solid and ongoing. (Wood, 407)
I call these challenges because they can be overcome.
Once they can objectively see the pattern and how it repeats itself over time, they are in a position to see their own contribution to it” (pg. 36). An individual can only change their own relationship pattern. If one individual in the relationship tries to make a positive change to their relationship pattern it is more than likely that the other partner will follow in their footsteps (Gilbert, 1992). While reading this chapter on relationship patterns I began to notice similarities with some of my own relationships. It was awesome to see how these patterns come about and how to improve them. One of the second concepts discussed in the chapters was the emotions in relationships. One factor that stood out to me was how vital and crucial emotions are to human life. Gilbert (1992) believes that “Emotions are important to all life, firing the strong, quick reactions necessary to survive the dangers of existence” (pg. 38). Emotions can also be described as patterns that are created early on. In relationships emotions are one of the crucial parts of a relationship, but they can also lead to be part of the most difficult parts of a relationship. Gilbert (1992) states “While they are necessary, desirable, and pleasurable, feelings and emotions also lead to most of the
Gina Marchetti, in her essay "Action-Adventure as Ideology," argues that action- adventure films implicitly convey complex cultural messages regarding American values and the "white American status quo." She continues to say that all action-adventure movies have the same basic structure, including plot, theme, characterization, and iconography. As ideology, this film genre tacitly expresses social norms, values, and morals of its time. Marchetti's essay, written in 1989, applies to films such as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Rambo: First Blood II. However, action-adventure films today seem to be straying farther away from her generalizations about structure, reflecting new and different cultural norms in America. This changing ideology is depicted best in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers (1994), which defies nearly every concept Marchetti proposes about action-adventure films; and it sets the stage for a whole new viewpoint of action in the '90's.
When thinking about romantic relationships, whether in the movies, media or your own relationship what characteristics come to mind? The topic we will discuss in this presentation attends to the romantic relationships within interpersonal communication.
The media is one of the most powerful tools in people’s lives, since it’s used by many as the medium for the delivery of useful information to diverse audience. Over the past few years, the media landscape has undergone noteworthy developments. Prized information about various cultural groups is often relayed through appropriate media, and it’s interesting to note that blogs are currently being utilized as the best medium for celebrity gossip. Celebrity blogs are usually thronged with readers, who would like to know more about their favorite superstars. The entries of different celebrity gossip blogs are often accompanied by paparazzi photos that are usually meant to trigger a stream of comments based on the readers’ observations, enthusiasm and criticisms.
In a marriage or a relationship in general, individuals seem to ignore key aspects of who their partner is as a person. A lifetime partnership should be determined through communication, similar interests, faithfulness, and enjoyment of the others company. Individuals in love should build each other up and grow a strong foundation as a couple. Women or men must stop using sex as an excuse for ending or committing to a relationship; the only meaningful aspects that should be evaluated are their personal and emotional
It's clear to see the media focuses on various reports, television shows, and even sitcoms regarding all forms of psychology. While watching television one can say media basically relies on psychology. The media of psychology views psychology through means of common sense versus an actual science. Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processed. Behavior is anything you do that can be observed. In the media we can observe people through the television screen. Through our observations we learn from their behavior. For example in a famous experiment conducted by Albert Bandura called, "Bobo Doll Experiment," a preschool child is working on a drawing. An adult in another part of the room is building with Tinkertoys. The child is watching this adult through a television screen and watches as the adult gets up and for nearly ten minutes pounds, kicks, and throws around the room a large inflated Bobo doll, while yelling hurtful sayings such as, "Sock him in the nose" or "Hit him down" and even "Kick him". After the adult was done, the child was taken to another room and demonstrated the same actions as they have seen through the television screen to the Bobo Doll. It's clear to see from the experiment the media teaches society many aspects of psychology. From a psychological aspect we see a child observing violent behavior from what the media has presented. Humans learn through observation and in a world where technology is advancing, the media plays a large role.
‘Every day we create relationships by means other than formal contracts... As individuals form relationships they necessarily bring their accumulated experiences and developed personalities with them. In ways unknown to them, what they expect from the relationship reflects the sum total of their conscious and unconscious learning to date.’ (Spindler, 1994, p328)
The more you get to know someone, the more you are able to make better decisions and judgments for not just yourself, but for your partner as well. How a couple handles issues while
Relationships play an important role in everyday life. It is essential for the positive, social and mental development of the people required in the relationship. It starts off with infatuation and goes through several stages. Somewhere along the way the relationship can take a toll and will take the brunt of the fall. It’s a theory that describes how relationships and relational partners change over time. This communication theory research paper will identify the theorist, his educational and professional background, along with other contributions that he has made. It will define the theory and explain it using tangible examples. Finally, I will describe what I have learned from my research.
In LDRs, relational dialectics contribute to the future or demise of an existing or developing relationship. To some, the benefit of living apart from their partner allows the individual to establish autonomy within the relationship while allowing a connection to their partner through communication. However, additional effort may be required to guarantee assurances to the partner who desires more security and closeness. Moreover, couples in LDRs have the freedom to attain privacy while also providing open communication when required by the situation. Therefore, it is pertinent to identify these trends in relational dialectics through four studies examining LDRs.
Alot of people do not have the exact same opinion about everything, and not everyone thinks the same exact way because thats what makes us individuals; right? Thats what I think, but I seem to see everybody's starting to lose their originality in this world due to the media. I see it in the hallway, the classrooms, I see it outside of school. People are scared, their terrified, afraid of acceptance. People want to be accepted so bad that they even go to extra lengths just to fit in, just to be apart of something. They even begin changing their own opinions even if it is not exactly what they feel,thats the way they think they need to do, and how they should act, they even start to dress different and soon they just lose themselves.
The mass media over the years has had such a profound role in creating an image on how women should be viewed. From their appearance to what their duties are in everyday life, the media has made sure to depict unrealistic images of women. These images have caused not only the male public but women themselves to believe that they must attain a certain kind of body or occupation to fit into society. Women often feel obligated and pressured to comply to this praised image of perfection.
Long distance relationships (also known as LDR’s) are one of the toughest types of relationships to maintain. Many variables can affect this type of relationship
In most relationships, people meet through school, work, or they could even live by each other, but regardless, their significant other is usually somebody they are used to seeing on a daily basis. However, every once in a while some couples meet over the internet, at a church camp, or maybe even through a few friends and the distance doesn’t keep their growing passion for each other apart. Distance can come in many forms depending on the couple’s situation. For example, Jeremy and Kami are just your average high school couple even though they don’t attend the same school. They actually live 2 hours away from each other and maybe only get to meet up once a month. Now, on the other hand, we have John
In 2005, approximately 3.6 million Americans were in a long distance relationship and the numbering are surprisingly increasing. People believe that long distance relationships are almost impossible to maintain. People usually prefer short distance relationships because there are less challenges and therefore, less effort require. Americans believe that a perfect marriage or relationship is one where both persons are together. However, there has been reasons such as school, work, and military, that forces couples to separate. Geographical distance tests both partners’ love, commitment, and faith. Although people prefer short distance relationships, the advantages and disadvantages that com with being geographically apart strengthens the relationship, which ultimately make it successful.