10.1: Introduction to Building and Maintaining Relationships
Introduction
Yasmeen is visiting with her in-law’s family for Thanksgiving. Her partner is currently deployed in the armed forces, so she is there for the first time on her own. Yasmeen and her husband do not practice any religion at home, as they come from different cultural and religious backgrounds. As the family sits down for the meal, everyone holds hands and Yasmeen is asked to say a prayer. She is unsure what to do. She does not want to alienate or offend her husband’s family. At the same time, she does not want to say something disingenuous, or that goes against her own practices.
Questions
- What options would you offer to Yasmeen in this situation, in order to both maintain her relationship with her in-laws and stay true to herself?
- In this situation, how does the context (Thanksgiving at her in-laws, while her husband is deployed) contribute to her interpersonal considerations?
- Have you ever had a situation like this, where differences in cultural or religious backgrounds led to challenges with interpersonal communication?
The vignette you just read exemplifies how challenging interpersonal communication can be, even within close relationships. Interpersonal relationships vary from surface conversations to friendships to romantic partnerships. The same issues we find in this example are applicable in many different situations. Can you remember meeting your best friend for the first time? Do you think about how you are presenting yourself when you interview for a job or go on a first date? These are the complexities we all have to navigate in new relationships. Interpersonal Communication is vital to building, maintaining, and even ending our relationships. In this chapter, we will discuss the foundations of relationships, relational stages, and the tools and strategies we have to achieve the relational outcomes we desire. This chapter introduces couples' communication and weaves in how identity and culture affect our interactions and relationships.