Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor’s Social Penetration Theory provides for a deeper analysis on how relational closeness develops. A multi-layered onion model is used to depict the personality structure of an individual. Each layer constitutes perspectives and beliefs about oneself, other individuals, and the world (Griffin 114). Self-disclosure, the process by which we “peel back the layers,” is a gradual process that is motivated by what we perceive as the outcome of an interaction. The depth, level of intimacy, and breadth, the extent of self-disclosed areas, are essential to forming an intimate relationship. Communication privacy management, explaining the ways individuals manage the tension between privacy and disclosure, contributes to the overall outcome of relational closeness. The Social Penetration process can be applied to the concept of ‘work spouses’ to explain the high level of intimacy one would deem equivalent to a married spouse. In the article “Signs You Might Have a ‘Work Spouse,’” Patty Lewis and Tom Bristler shared information about their close relationship in the workplace. Lewis revealed that she shared information with Bristler from psychological to emotional perspectives. This reflects the different layers and areas of the onion that forms the personality structure. Her self-disclosure or vulnerability is like a wedge that is drawn into the onion in multiple areas. Lewis and Bristler’s self-disclosure process was presumably gradual because it’s highly unlikely that they would quickly share deep, personal information with a colleague. The depth and breadth of self-disclosure were equally important to forming their close relationship. Not only did Lewis and Bristler share information about their wor... ... middle of paper ... ...enetration. The area and degree of information the parties shared paired with a cost-benefit motivational factor produced an intimate relationship not commonly seen in the work environment. Privacy coordination also played a role in Lewis’ relational closeness with her husband and colleague. Lewis and Bristler’s or any ‘work spouse’ relationship may be the result of social penetration. Works Cited Griffin, Emory A. "Semiotics of Roland Barthes." A First Look at Communication Theory. Seventh Ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009. Print. Dorsett, Katherine. "Signs You Might Have a 'Work Spouse' - CNN.com." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. 16 Feb. 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. .
Providing a fascinating and meticulously crafted first-person insight into the effect of the various relationships formed between humans, Robertson Davies’ Fifth Business is a magnificent exploration of both the positive and negative consequences that interpersonal relationships can have. Davies’ protagonist Dunstan Ramsay- known also by alternative variations of the name such as his given “Dunstable” and affectionate “Dunny”- reflects upon the interpersonal relationships he has navigated throughout the course of his life. With the aid of age and experience, he is able to consider how these relationships have affected his own intrapersonal introspection. Though Dunstan’s tale is one of immense guilt and self-discovery, the driving forces between
Reynolds uses the character and disposition or, Ethos, to prove the trustworthiness of his sources. John Lawrence Reynolds is an author of fiction and non-fiction titles. He graduated from McMaster University with degrees in English and Psychology. He has won multiple awards including two Arthur Ellis awards, a National Business Book award, a National Magazine award, and has been recognized by an Author’s Award from the Foundation for the advance...
The Social Penetration model demonstrated two way in which communication can be more or less disclosing. The model is like an onion with layers. The first dimension is known as breadth, which is the range of the subjects being discussed, which with an onion as demonstration would be the outer layers. Second is depth, the depth level is significant and more central to ourselves, In the onion this would be the inner and core. The inner and core layers are the things with most private and significant to us. Thus, sharing information from our depth may require greater risk taking. The information from this dimension of self is typically known by and held in confidence by only a few people. Due to the fact
This case is discussed here for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a
Closeness in marriage allows for faults to appear and truths to reveal themselves. Shakespeare writes
Every individual has a distinct past that shapes his or her identity. The situations people face may cause them to have distorted perceptions of themselves. These distorted perceptions allow people to lose sight of the important things in life. In order to discover their true selves they will need to create a path for self transformation. Scott Momaday, Victor Joseph and Macklemore have different pasts but all share a common thread of reconnecting with the important things in life. Many variables affect each person’s destiny, but it is their physical and psychological factors that predisposition their vulnerability. Vulnerability can often be seen as a sign of weakness, but these protagonists are examples of those who embrace their vulnerabilities. Within Scott Momaday’s The Way to Rainy Mountain, Sherman Alexie’s Smoke Signals and Macklemore’s life, the protagonists claim their true identities by becoming vulnerable.
Prior studies acknowledge and examine how coworkers describe WR and their reactions. However there is a lack of research understanding what the couples themselves think about how they are treated as a couple. For example, research shows there are negative attitudes from other employees towards couples in the workplace romance and that other employees may see a couple as a power coalition. Are they being treated like one and the same person? Do the couples feel that people at work treat them as an invincible duo with extra power, rather than as two separate individuals with more limited
Workplace romance is an issue that has been causing employers to create and enforce a No-Fraternization Policy. A No-Fraternization Policy is sometimes called a “Love Contract,” according to Kathryn Taylor from Society for Humans Resource Management (2008). A love contract is a policy that is signed by those involved in the relationship and the employer. This contract is a testimony stating that the relationship is consensual and voluntary by both. Many employees would say this is an invasion of their privacy but to others, including myself, it’s a protection for them and for the company. The No-Fraternization Policy is valuable because it helps reduce the possibility of harassment, favoritism, and will help keep productivity at a healthy level.
Arnett, E. (1998). “OFFICE ROMANCES BLOOMING; RULES BEING REVISED AS TRENDS SHOW RISE IN WORKPLACE DATING,” Daily News, pg N. 20.
The author seems almost ashamed of her writings, and “blushes” over the fact that they have been made public (Perkins & Perkins 102). She anthropomorphizes
According to the social networking site Facebook, the company’s overview states “to give the people the power to share and make the world more open and connected”. Within the last few years we have seen the world increasingly becoming smaller by way of social networking sites. The everyday tasks that we use seem so insignificant have now become an integral part of many lives. Simple daily tasks such as talking, setting plans, playing games, and even dating now have all become accessible through Facebook by bringing our personal relationships out into the public domain. Each user has the ability to declare to the world their relationship status by selecting through a variety of options ranging from single, married, to it’s confusing. In some areas, Facebook is considered the official announcement tool of our social status. The power given to us by Facebook has grown to the point of complete control in every aspect of our social interaction with people, but has it eliminated the need for personal interaction within human relationships?
In discussing the different views of social organization, Radcliffe-Brown is mentioned as an anthropologist who focused on how groups formed and what rules held them together. Monaghan and Just define Radcliffe-Brown as a functionalist. They quote his definition of a joking relationship as “one where one party ‘is permitted, and sometimes required to tease or make fun of the other, who in turn is required to take no offense’” (Monaghan and Just 57). An avoidance relationship, on the other hand “are characterized by extreme mutual respect and a limitation of direct personal contact” (Monaghan and Just 57). The authors then go on to describe Radcliffe-Brown’s analysis of these relationships and showcase his conclusions that they are “standardized social relationships” used to regulate two potentially awkward or conflict-prone situations such as with a sister-in-law, generally normalized through joking, or a mother-in-law, typically normalized through avoidance (Monaghan and Just 57-59). These customary relationships give people a way to navigate tricky social waters.
Park, N., Jin, B., Jin, S.A. (2011). Effects of self-disclosure on relational intimacy in Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(5), 1974-1983.
to the core concept of one’s own self” (Pennington, 2008, p.6). Due to social networking, the idea of moving through the onion layers is nonexistent. Upon become “Facebook friends” with someone, one can find out where that person is from ,whom they have dated, where they were last night, and what is their family’s favorite Christmas tradition. Of course, the sender of the friend request is not at fault, because society struggles with “what is private vs. what is public”. The research done suggests that by looking to the natural views of how the social penetration theory society has evolved that two things result; (1) we have different concepts of public vs....
Every day people portray multiple personas, sometimes characteristic of one’s self but others entirely uncharacteristic. Who we are in front of our employers, children, friends, or strangers are different parts of our whole. This is taken to a much more extreme level with the rise of the Internet, and people often undertake a persona otherwise unseen in the “real world”. In one moment we are the epitome of professionalism, yet in the next moment we are online jabbing at various political parties or insulting another player on a video game. However, if we were to do this under our actual name it is likely we would be chastised. It is this reason we frequently adopt pseudonyms online. By doing so we grant ourselves an amount of freedom; we are given an opportunity to portray someone our inhibitions may not otherwise allow or society frowns upon. Of course, the apparent anonymity of the Internet causes a large amount of negative behavior, often in the form of what is colloquially known as “trolling”. Because we concentrate on this behavior pseudonyms are slowly being replaced with our real identities. However, the use of pseudonyms may have a beneficial impact as well. Through lack of example we often lose sight of this, but it is by observing an example in which pseudonymity breeds positive consequences in which we can understand the importance of it online. One such example of this is in the semi-autobiographical work Ruth Hall: A Domestic Tale of Present Time, by Fanny Fern (Sarah Willis), written in 1854. Even though this is a historical case and, of course, does not involve the Internet, it provides insight into what apparent anonymity offers. By examining the positive consequences the protagonist, Ruth Hall, undergoes after ado...