Your objective is to pick a real interpersonal relationship (friendship, romantic partner, family member, co-worker) and reflect on/write about the structure of that relationship. Essentially, your goal is to tell the reader about the relationship while identifying/defining specific, relevant concepts from the class that you feel can be applied effectively to your reflection.
For instance (these are just examples – you are NOT restricted to the following concepts), how does the generalized other (p. 54) fit into your relationship? Can you use the Johari Window to analyze your connection to this person? How did social scripts help create this interpersonal relationship? Please note, you are not limited to the concepts listed here—these are just a FEW of the possibilities you’ll have access to as we progress through the semester and textbook.
All papers will need to include an APA reference page with a minimum of 4 credible sources (you are welcome/encouraged to use our textbook as one of these sources). The suggested length is between 4-6 pages (not including the reference page).
What is meant by credible sources? Either popular press outlets that practice actual journalism (The New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, Gallup Polls, Rolling Stone magazine, etc.) and/or peer-reviewed research articles (through our University Library page). Sources to avoid would be Wikipedia, personal blogs, dictionaries (e.g., Merriam-Webster), user-submitted articles, pure opinion pieces, etc.
Recommended structure: introduction (with a preview sentence), description of the relationship, definition/application of course concept(s), conclusion, APA reference page
While working on this paper make sure you are clearly defining your selected concepts before applying them to your example. Also, do your best to make that application as clear as possible by providing real communication experiences from the relationship you are writing about. Finally, DON'T FORGET TO CITE! Citing should occur whenever you are using definitions/facts/figures/theories that aren't your own. Try not to overuse direct quotes - for a paper of this length, 1-2 direct quotes would be appropriate. Otherwise, aim for paraphrasing (with citations) instead.