Family Communication and Relational Dialectics Activity
Description
Griffin, E., Ledbetter, A., & Sparks, G. (2019). A first look at communication theory (10th ed.).
I. Think about the people who make up your “family;” what might you be able to see about your family’s communication system? Briefly profile your family system by answering the following questions. Be specific as you can.
A. Identify two patterns of communication (e.g. control, conflictual, closed and reserved, sarcasm, joking and playful, etc.). Who is directly involved with each—be specific here. (e.g. father and mother use much sarcasm with joking undertones with each other as well as with us kids…) What might be the sources or reasons for this? Explain.
Pattern: Can you see this in your own behaviors with others outside your family? Explain.
B. Identify one specific relationship (e.g. mother and father) and decide whether this relationship is symmetrical or complimentary. Give an example.
C. Can you identify a family “rule”? If so, give an example.
II. Relational Dialectics: Pick someone with whom you are currently in a relationship and analyze your relationship in all of the areas of Relational Dialectics.
Person: _____________
A. Relational – between two relational partners
1. Connectiveness and Separateness
2. Certainty and Uncertainty
3. Openness and Closedness
B. Parallel – between couple and community
1. Inclusion and Seclusion
2. Conventional and Uniqueness
3. Revelation and Concealment
