Relational Communication: Continuity and Change in Personal Relationships / Edition 2

by Julia T. Wood

Overview

This text is a sophisticated and comprehensive integration of current theory and research on communication and relationships. It emphasizes communication as the primary process through which individuals create, develop, and sustain intimate relationships while exploring the many ways gender, culture, and social context affect communication in personal interactions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780534561604
Publisher:	Cengage Learning
Publication date:	03/17/1999
Series:	Speech and Theater Series
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Julia Wood joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when she was 24. During her 37 years on the faculty, she taught classes and conducted research on personal relationships as well as gender, communication, and culture. She was named the Lineberger Distinguished Professor of Humanities and the Caroline H. and Thomas S. Royster Distinguished Professor of Graduate Education. In addition to publishing 25 books and 100 articles and book chapters, she has presented more than 100 papers at professional conferences and campuses around the country. Her accolades include 14 awards honoring her teaching and 16 awards recognizing her scholarship. She received her B.A. from North Carolina State University, her M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University.

Table of Contents

Part One: CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS FOR STUDYING PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. 1. Introduction to Communication and Personal Relationships. Key Concepts. About This Book. The Nature of Personal Relationships. First Insights into Personal Relationships. Influences on Personal Relationships. Chapter Summary. For Further Reflection and Discussion. Recommended Readings. 2. Theoretical Insights into Personal Relationships. Key Concepts. Theorizing Society. Theorizing Social Communities. Theorizing Individuals. Theorizing Relationship Dynamics. Chapter Summary. For Further Reflection and Discussion. Recommended Readings. 3. Communication: The Central Dynamic in Personal Relationships. Key Concepts. Communication as Symbolic Interaction. Premises About Communication. Chapter Summary. For Further Reflection and Discussion. Recommended Readings. 4. Relational Culture-The Nucleus of Intimacy. Key Concepts. Relational Culture. Central Dynamics of Relational Culture. Chapter Summary. For Further Reflection and Discussion. Recommended Readings. 5. The Social Context of Personal Relationships. Key Concepts. The Best and Worst of Times. Culture as a Context of Intimacy. Current Social Trends. Reconfiguring Personal Identity. Affirming Personal Agency. Chapter Summary. For Further Reflection and Discussion. Recommended Readings. Part Two: THE EVOLUTION OF PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. 6. Launching Personal Relationships. Key Concepts. A Developmental Perspective on Intimacy. Initial Interaction: The Genesis of Relationships. Explorational Communication: Reducing Uncertainty. Developmental Dialogue. Tendencies in Early Relationship Development. Chapter Summary. For Further Reflection and Discussion. Recommended Readings. 7. Committing to Personal Relationships. Key Concepts. Passionate Love and Commitment: Different Issues. Styles of Loving. Communication Processes During Committing. Building Relational Culture. Publicizing the Relationship. Intimate Commitment. Chapter Summary. For Further Reflection and Discussion. Recommended Readings. 8. Maintaining and Repairing Personal Relationships. Alternative Approaches to Relationship Continuity. Everyday Rhythms in Personal Relationships. Dynamic Equilibrium: Change as Constant. Strategies to Maintain and Repair Relationships. Gendered Standpoints on Personal Relationships. Chapter Summary. For Further Reflection and Discussion. Recommended Readings. 9. Transforming and Ending Personal Relationships. Processes of Relationship Deterioration. Symptoms and Sources of Decline in Personal Relationships. Ending and Redefining Personal Relationships. Chapter Summary. For Further Reflection and Discussion. Recommended Readings. 10. Summing Up: Communication, Choice, Commitment, and Change in Personal Relationships. Communication. Choice. Commitment. Change. Glossary. References. Subject Index.

Editorial Reviews

Presents a readable, research-based study of relational communication, outlining how communication helps couples create, sustain, and dismantle relationships. Explains how gender, culture, and social context affect communication in personal interactions, and explores the link between communication theories and everyday experiences. This second edition includes new material on the role of technology in intimate relationships, gay and lesbian relationships, and interracial and intercultural relationships. Wood teaches communication at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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