The scene focuses more on the tension brought on by integration and separation which Cools’ responds to in her research. In the clip there are no intercultural references, nor are there “different set of rules different values, habits, and viewpoints” (p. Although Ross is Jewish and Rachel is gentile, the issue of traditions and religion are not in the clip being analyzed here. Cools (2005) presents issues that arise from a difference in language, communication, and traditions. The issues presented in Ting-Toomey and Hoppe-Nagao’s (2002) research are applicable to Ross and Rachel and their situation of deciding whether to be together or independent. Not only are these people married, but they also suffer from tensions of integration and separation. Hoppe-Nagao and Ting-Toomey researched dialectical relations within marriage, as did Carine Cools (2005), but Cools’ studies focus on intercultural couples. She sheds light on positive aspects of this television representation that can be applied to other television shows such as Friends. I’m it’: Defining Adolescent Sexual Identity Through Relational Dialectics in Dawson’s Creek”, she argues that fictional representations are models for personal relationships. No couple wishes to have tensions as defined by Baxter and Montgomery (1996), but watching another couple cope with these tensions can reduce the fear and anxiety of dealing with their own. Once Rachel finally began to realize her commitment to Ross she began to wish for independence. Viewers can use Rachel’s example of running away and Ross’s example of putting pressure on Rachel as what not to do. Sahlstein states in her research, “People want to be a part of relationships, but they also desire being their own person” and “being your own person is accomplished by being defined in relation to others” (p. Baxter and Montgomery’s research, along with Sahlstein’s (2004), show integration and separation cannot be understood without one another. They identified key areas of relationships that bring about tensions including development, closeness, certainty, openness, communication competence, and the boundary between self, relationship, and society. The tensions that occur between couples will never be completely fixed, but by looking at other couples as models, especially ones on television or in fictional works, there can be a start at finding a solution.īaxter and Montgomery (1996) in their book, Relating: Dialogues and Dialectics, developed a new approach to studying interpersonal communication that emphasizes the idea of a social self instead of sovereign self.
Analyzing scenes between Ross and Rachel will add more information to the research already found for Relational Dialectics.
Relationships are many times the center of people’s lives. A prominent scene between two main characters, Ross and Rachel, generates questions about the theory of Relational Dialectics created by Leslie Baxter and Barbara Montgomery. How is the theory of Relational Dialectics, as presented by Leslie Baxter and Barbara Montgomery, related to the relationship of Ross and Rachel from the television comedy Friends, and how can analyzing their tensions benefit others? This communication event is useful to study because it enables researchers, theorists, and common people to better understand the importance of working with their partner in order to establish a healthy, positive relationship. By analyzing a fictional representation of a relationship, individuals may appreciate it and apply it as a model for their own real-life relationship. Researchers and theorists study the tensions between couples in order to identify communication strategies that can be used to manage or diminish these dialectical tensions. In every intimate relationship, there are bound to be some tensions couples will need to overcome in order to carry out successful partnerships and connections.
RELATIONAL DIALECTIC THEORY PDF
Download a PDF of this article here: relational dialectics ziemann
0 kommentar(er)
