Course Integration

During the course of this semester we were assigned to write five different analysis’s of five different case studies of our choosing. We had many to choose from and each case study brought another aspect of the course into perspective. This method of learning was all new to what sounded like the majority of the class and I was extremely excited about being able to make my writing public and have so many people access and critique my work. This method proved to be very effective and I have retained many of the methods and writing to this day that I will continue to carry with me for a very long time.

There was a lot to be learned when it came to communication in relationships. Many of us have been in at least one serious relationship and I’m betting that all of us have at least one form of close personal relationship with another individual. Whether that relationship was a boyfriend or girlfriend or even a best friend that we went to when times were rough we all have been involved in some form of personal relationship. With so many diverse relationships that we live through and are yet to come in our lives we all could gain great insight in those relationships. I believe this to be the main purpose of this class. We read many cases, all of which involved problems ranging from large to small and at least one aspect to the cases connected with you on a personal level. The intention of this was to grasp the reader’s attention and hold it until the very last page. With topics ranging from problems with school dances and popularity to newly wed problems and the communication breakdown that they were seeing. This case study book had it all. Integrated in these stories were so many great aspects that could help us further understand things such as immediacy behaviors which are actions that signal warmth, communicate availability, decrease psychological or physical distance, and promote involvement between people (Anderson, 1985). Other great topics that these cases had integrated deep within them were ways to manage uncertainty or the truth about how a compliment really works. These topics could be used in a daily manner so that we as communication scholars can further understand the development of relationships.

The case that hit me the hardest was case 19 “We’ll Never Be That Kind of Couple: The Variability of Intimate Violence” which had two main characters by the names of Emma and Jason. Emma and Jason had a very touchy situation at hand that involved their neighbors constantly fighting to the point were they would both get physically violet with one another. As Emma and Jason continue to tell themselves that they would never treat one another as such they actually start slipping down a steep slope into something that potentially could resemble their neighbor’s relationship. This case really got me thinking and allowed me to really grasp the concept of case study analysis. It was so interesting because more and more you hear about things like this happening. I was explaining this case to my boss (a prestigious community manager at an “A” listed community) and we both agreed that we hear about his all the time. She then asked if I could show her my analysis and what it involved. This allowed me to apply real life situations to something that was very similar to the case in the book. I talked to my manager about the symmetry of relationships and the effects of negative reciprocity that a couple can develop. This allowed the two of us to actually understand some of the individuals at our community and actually hold a sense of sympathy for couples who are going through trials and tribulations such as this.

Analytical thinking was a massive portion of the case study as well. This taught us as the students to take a text as a whole and break it into pieces to further understand the development of what is going on. This gave us further insight on how to analyze things and gave you a smaller chunk to really look at. Once the parts had been dissected and analysis was complete it was then time to piece the parts back together so that we can understand the relationship each part has on one another. Upon doing so I discovered many things I had not yet though about. Things that you never thought were related actually came together in relation to one another and made the story make sense as a whole. The case study title “I Need Some Space” really put this to the test when it came time for it’s’ analysis. There were so many aspects to be defined when it came to the breakdown of two great friends relationships. The text was difficult to understand and study by itself and if it was studied as a whole you would have come out with a different conclusion. Once the pieces to the puzzle where disassembled one could recognize the true underlying problem that the two best friends were seeing in their relationship.

This course has taught me so many great things that I will forever apply in my current and upcoming relationships. It has taught me to slow down and don’t be so quick to make decision on how people act and react. The course has given me great insight on how to mend relationships and how to keep strong relationships the way they are. So many scenarios could potentially arise in the future of my life and I believe now that I am ready to handle them as they surface. I can now truly understand meaning and definitions about certain situation that I had not seen in the past. This course has been extremely beneficial and I will be recommending it for the future students at UNM.