Conflict In Successful Conflict Management

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CMN 598 Topic: Communication in the Family / Fall 2015
Kelley exam (the final) Conflict is natural and inevitable in marriages and other close relationships. However, conflicts do not mean something bad or result to negative consequences, but rather conflict avoidance can lead to negative long term consequences. In fact, happy family or happy couples do not always mean lack of conflict, but how they manage these conflicts in a successful manner. Simply conflict mean "an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive in compatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from the other party in achieving their goals" (Galvin, Braithwaite, Bylund, 2014). Actually, Gottman defines three couples types in managing …show more content…

When parents deal with conflicts successfully, this causes a positive effect to their kids because they teach them how to manage a conflict in the future. Moreover, partner who shows and experiences love are more capable to deal with conflict more constructively than partners who do not show love to each other. Constructive conflict occur through learning strategies and skills that improve spouses relationship. First, empathic listening without judging helps to know what other party wants to say. Nods and humming (like you 're right, uh umm, absolutely) are useful to make the partner feels that what he says is completely worth and important. Repeating what the partner says is helpful too, because it clarifies a point and show that the spouse listen carefully. Second, using fair fighting. It means allocating equal time for each partner to talk without interruption. Also, make agreement of not step out the main topic as well as not including other conversations or old problems that do not relate to the current problem. Third, create boundaries about what is acceptable behavior and what isn’t, such as no cursing, no physical interaction, no yelling or screaming. Fourth, change the environment would help too, because choosing bedroom for example as a place in discussion conflict may link the bedroom with problems instead of intimacy and romantic. Thus, it is good to choosing an appropriate …show more content…

He inferred on that by indicating that power relationships have important implications in marriage and families even when conflict does not exist. For example, power hierarchies may help to shape the family system. For that he suggests "it seems wise to keep the ideas of power and conflict as distinct as possible, even though in many concrete instances they will be found together" (McDonald, 1980). For example, conflict arises when spouse (who has implementing power) attempts to modify the situation beyond the boundaries established by the

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