Relational Dialectics Paper

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Relational Dialectics

Morgan Kingston

Interpersonal Communications
Professor Seward
February 17, 2016

Morgan Kingston
Interpersonal Communications
Professor Seward
February 17, 2016
Relational Dialectics Everyone experiences some form of a relationship in their life, whether it is with family, friends, or a significant other. Not every relationship is flawless. Every relationship will have tensions that will exist. “A relationship is a union where two individuals from different backgrounds compromise in many ways.” (Relational Dialectics Theory). People experience internal tensions that are conflicting while being in a relationship. Relational Dialectics Theory, introduced by Professor Leslie Baxter and Barbera M. Montgomery …show more content…

The four core concepts of relational dialectics include: contraindication, totality, process, and praxis. Contraindications are the core concept of relational dialectics. It is the dynamic interaction between unified oppositions. A contraindication is formed whenever two tendencies or forces are mutually dependent yet mutually negate on another. For example, in a relationship one can desire both intimacy and distance. Totality suggests that contraindications in a relationship cannot be understood in remoteness. Dialectics are essentially related to each other. Tension between dependence and interdependence cannot be separated from the tension between openness and privacy. Relational dialectics must be understood in terms of social processes. Movement, activity, and change are functional properties. For example, an individual may move between periods of honest and open communication. Praxis is a term for the concept of practical behavior. In praxis the experience of having a relationship exposes one to the obligation of the needs and values of another. Praxis focuses on the everyday choices individuals make in the midst of the opposing needs and values. The choices and actions create, re-create, and change the nature of the relationship and the dialectical tensions themselves (Baxter, Leslie A., and Dawn O. Braithwaite. Engaging Theories in Interpersonal Communication: Multiple

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