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Comm 4323/5223: COMMUNICATION IN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
Instructor: Dr. Hayes Office Hours: M 4:30-5:30, T/Th.
11:00-12:30
Course Objectives: This course is designed to help you: · become acquainted with some of the fundamental issues, concepts and theories involved in the study of close relationships · to be able to think critically and sensitively about your close relationships · to become more competent in creating and sustaining healthy close relationships Text/Readings: Miller, R. S. & Perlman, D. (2009). Intimate Relationships (5th ed.) Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. See additional readings below. Assignments and Grading : The grading scale is 90 % = A, 80 % = B, 70% = C, 60% = D, below 60% = F. Please keep track of your points below. Undergraduate Students: Exam 1: /100 pts. Exam 2: /100 pts. Participation: /100 pts. (exercises/activities/in-class participation) Presentation: /100 pts Total: 400 pts. Graduate Students: Exam 1: /100 pts. Exam 2: /100 pts. Participation: /100 pts. (exercises/activities/in-class participation) Teaching Session: /100 pts Presentation: /100 pts Total: 500 pts. Exams: (All Students) There will be two exams. The format of the exams will be some combination of multiple-choice, true-false, and matching questions and possibly some short answer or essay questions essay. Make-up exams will only be given in the case of a documented emergency or illness. All make-up exams will be in essay format and will be scheduled at your instructor's discretion. Exams will cover material presented in lecture and in the text. Group Presentation: (All students) You will form groups early in the semester. In the last three weeks of class, your group will “teach” a class period about a particular relational context, complete with lecture and class activities and visuals. Guidelines will be provided. Teaching Session: (Graduate Students Only) Graduate students will be responsible for preparing for and “teaching” one class period during weeks eleven or twelve. Graduate students should choose one of the topic areas listed for those weeks and prepare a lesson plan around those topics. Your lesson plan should be based on primary research on the topic of your choosing. Be sure to schedule time for one activity or exercise. Include some type of visual aid. All topics should be approved by the instructor by the first exam date. Lesson plans should be approved in advance before presenting them also. Participation: (All students) You will be awarded points for various exercises, activities and short papers due throughout the semester. These points cannot be made up if you miss an in-class activity. Attendance: You will find it difficult to do well in this course unless you attend all lectures and discussions. Poor attendance and/or frequent tardiness will affect your participation grade negatively. You are responsible for all the information presented in class even if you are absent or late. Make-up work is only allowed in the case of an absence due to attendance at a university sponsored event. Proof of attendance is required. You are also responsible for keeping up with any changes that occur to the syllabus/schedule of topics. Changes will be announced in class—keep up with them. Tentative Schedule of Topics: Note: This schedule is subject to change. See above section on “attendance.” Unit One: Importance of Relationships Week One: Orientation to the course (Jan. 13,15) Ch. 1, The Building Blocks of Relationships Week Two: Socio-evolutionary perspectives on relationships: (Jan. 20, 22) Ch. 3, Attraction Article: Epstein (see below) Unit Two: Lifecycle of Relationships Week Three: Relationship Development: (Jan. 27, 29) Ch. 4, Social Cognition Week Four: Relationship Development cont. (Feb. 3, 5) Ch. 8, Love Week Five: (Feb. 10, 12) Ch. 6, Interdependency Article: Weigel (see below) Article: White (see below) Week Six: Ch. 14, Maintaining and Repairing Relationships (Feb. 17, 19) Week Seven: EXAM 1 (Feb. 24, 26) Ch. 13, The Dissolution and Loss of Relationships Article: Emmers (see below) Unit Three: The Dark Side of Communication
Week Eight: Ch. 11, Conflict Week Nine: Ch. 10, Stresses and Strains (Mar. 10, 12) Unit Four: Contexts Week Ten: Case Study: Film (Mar . 17, 19) Week Eleven: No class, Spring Break
(Mar. 24, 26) (Mar. 31, Apr. 2) Special Topics Week Thirteen: Presentations (Apr. 7, 9) Week Fourteen: Presentations (Apr. 14, 16) Week Fifteen: Graduate Student Presentations (Apr. 21, 23) Week Sixteen: Study Day is April 28th (Apr. 28, 30) See Exam Schedule for Final Exam time Readings: (As assigned) The following articles can be found online by accessing our library's 'article databases.' Search for the following full-text articles at the 'Communication and Mass Media Complete' database available through the library. Articles:
Emmers, T. M.
(1996). Romantic relationship disengagement and coping rituals.
Communication
Research Reports,
Epstein, R.
(2007). The truth about online dating.
Scientific American Mind, 18, 8-35.
Fisher, H.
(2000). Lust, attraction, attachment: Biology and evolution of the three
primaryemotions for mating,
Weigel, D.
(2003). A communication approach to the construction of commitment in the early
years of marriage. |
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This website is maintained by Marceline Thompson Hayes, mhayes@astate.edu This page last updated August 21, 2007 Arkansas State University |
