BACHELOR IN COMMUNICATION

SEMESTER 1 / YEAR 2021

ABC1103

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION

NAME : Lavinia

IDENTITY CARD NO : 931123-10-6282

TELEPHONE NO. : 0103702393

E-MAIL : [email protected]

LEARNING CENTRE : Kedah Learning Centre ( Alor Setar )

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NO TOPIC PAGE NO

1.0 INTRODUCTION 3

DISCUSSION ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN A

2.0 FAMILY AND THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE 3-4
OCCURRENCE OF A CONFLICT AMONG FAMILY SYSTEM

THE EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES ON HOW TO AVOID CONFLICT

3.0 4-7
AMONG FAMILY.

IDENTIFICATION ON HOW YOU CURRENTLY COMMUNICATE

4.0 YOUR GENDER, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL IDENTITIES IN FACE-TO- 8-9
FACE AND IN ONLINE ENVIRONMENTS.

5.0 CONCLUSION 9

6.0 APPENDIX 10-12

INTRODUCTION

In research from Hardy (n.d.)  ...When you are able to communicate with family members,
you will be able to express what you believe and understand what others feel is correct.
While you may not see eye to eye, you may start to understand more about the reasons why
they do what they do or talk what they talk. You could even grow a better acknowledgement
for them. According to new research…  (“Communication Skills for You and Your Family |
Cooperative Extension | University of Delaware,” n.d.) Communication is the primary
elementary unit of our relationships. It is through communication that we indicate our
thoughts, feelings, and link to one another. In research from Miller-Day (2017) ...Families
mould individuals throughout their lives, and family communication is the starting point of
family life and performing. It is through communication that families are explained and
members acquire a knowledge of how to organize meanings. When individuals come together
to configure family relationships, they fabricate a system that is larger and more composite
than the number of its individual members. It is inward that this method that families
communicatively maneuver togetherness and adjustability by generating family pictures,
themes, narratives, customs, regulations, and positions to control strength, affinity, limits and
engage in an active participation of meaning-making, constructing mental representation of
family life that live through over time and across originations.

Discussion on the importance of communication in a family AND the factors

contributing to the occurrence of a conflict among family system

In research from Bagwell (2019) ...Communication in a family is very essential and if it does

not operate accurately, assist systems can break apart. The first importance of creating this
family communication would be that there would be a sense of openness amongst family
members in ways of expressing their thoughts and emotions to one another. The first step of
broad-mindedness would be being a good spectator because sharing concepts may assist the
other member of the family to feel unflustered and also will help that individual in the family
feel cared and respected. In part, open family communication developes a surrounding of
flexibility where purposefulness through hard times strengthens family unity. Families
with a more firm and controlling adaptation were more likely to have kids with a
downgrade sense of their own confidence and magnified levels of privilege compared with
their peers from more communicative families. There will be also a sense of faith among
the family members which means the action of one family member will impact and will
give a long-term effect emotionally and psychologically on other family members
(Hamzah & Yusof, PDF 2016). According to new research… (“Family Interactions/
Communications Through Out Life Span,” 2015). while rugged independence is an adored
national principle, our long-term goal must be interdependence. People thrive when they stay
linked to each other. Another essential aspect would be that there would be a particular
system and some of the main elements of family are universality, emotional basis, limited
size, formative influence, nuclear position, duties of the members, social rules that are
permanent and temporary. There will also be a necessity for information sharing be it health,
personal and other information. Without allocating information to one another, the other
individual would not be informed of what the outcomes will be in the future and there will
also be a confidentiality among one another to share information. Furthermore, there would
also be a composite interactive feedback. Interaction within the family is exceptionally
important because it entitles members to convey their needs, wants, and concerns to each
other. Open and honest communication developes an atmosphere that permits family
members to express their differences as well as love and appreciation for one another.

The effective strategies on how to avoid conflict among family.

In research from Hays Daily News Staff (2021) ...Family problems occurs when members of

a family have different beliefs or viewpoints, when people misjudge one another, when
someone gets hurt emotions and develops irritation for one another, and when
miscommunication leads to mistaken impressions and daily quarrels. Family stages often
cause problems. These involves learning on how to live as a new couple, having the first baby
and any subsequent children, sending a child to school, conducting with adolescence and
encountering the pathways of young persons into adulthood. Each of these stages has
innumerable possibilities for problems to happen. The other times arguments occur is during
various changes in family situations. Separation and divorce create conflict, as do moving to
a new state, starting a new profession or starting a new school. Starting to travel long hours to
and from work creates family conflict as well. Changes in financial situations also are life
changes that can create conflicts. Through time, the desires, morals and opinions of family
members can change and develop conflicts. Change can happen between spouses, between
parents and children, between siblings, between nuclear families and in-laws, and among
extended family members. In research from Vargas-Benitez (2020) ...Unfaithfulness causes
some of the most tragic family conflicts and can lead to separation or divorce. Lack of
emotional support, closeness, esteem or admiration are common causes of infidelity.
According to MaritalHealing.com, other reasons include forsakenness, egoism and feeling
unperformed by parenthood. Cheating usually leads to deep pain and distrust. A partner
who discovers her husband has been unfaithful usually feels betrayed, angry and even
embarrassed. The extramarital affairs can significantly create a huge impact on children in
the family, especially if a custody battle occurs. Extended family members who offer
assistance may also be affected. The purpose to have children is essential and changes a
person's life eternally. While usually fulfilling, parenting can also be intricate, exhausting
and tiring. Parental choices are judgemental, long-lasting and can lead to arguments.
Conflict can occur when a couple is unable to conceive or when a man and woman does
not come in terms about whether to have children or not. Some conflicts happen because a
couple conceives all of a sudden but then is not ready to have a family. Other problems
related to parenting happens when a mother and father have conflicting parenting methods.
They might disagree about how to discipline their kids or how to control a physical,
mental, emotional or learning difficulties in a child. In such situations, counselling can
help work out conflicts. In research from ... (2017) ...Another cause of family conflict is
the never -ending rivalry that occurs between siblings. Children usually seek their
parents’ attention and approval, even if this requires chatting on, or sometimes causing
harm to a sibling. Whether a child shows signs of jealousy to the other sibling, competes
or teases him non-stop, it is bound to cause conflict. Each child requires an ample
amount of parental love and acceptance, yet sometimes a parent may favour one child
over another. This merely escalates the conflict Sesan (2017, December 24., para 3). In
research from Forgie (2016)  ...One of the most trying feature of life comes when a family
member is growing old. Whether the argument is over exceeding privileges, housing options,
or financial issues, getting older can definitely take its toll on even the closest of families.
According to new research… (“Family conflict - Better Health Channel,” n.d.) Conflict can
also happen when family members have different views or beliefs that collide. Sometimes
conflict can occur when people misjudge each other and jump to the wrong conclusion.
Issues of conflict that are not resolved collectedly can lead to fights and resentment. It is
standard to oppose with each other from time to time. Seldom conflict is part of family life.
However, episodic conflict can be tiring and damaging to relationships. Some people find it
tough to manage their feelings and become purposely hurtful, aggressive or even violent.
This usually means that everyone agrees to a solution or agrees to disagree. Sometimes,
strong emotions or the power contrasts that can be present in relationships are hard to resolve
and can only be approached in a counselling situation. In research
from Dempsey (2019) ...Finances are top of the list for creating conflict within families.
Money, or lack of it, can cause daily stress as families struggle to make ends meet. If
someone is unemployed, that puts even greater pressure on the family purse. Other conflicts
can arise when someone credits another family member some financial aid and there’s no
plan for repayment. Some of the worst rows and rifts can occur when a parent dies and the
children and other beneficiaries argue over the property will.

According to new research… (“How to Effectively Resolve Family Conflicts,” n.d.) If you

are anticipating conflict the next time you get together with certain people, you may want to
think about things ahead of time and recognize patterns you've dealt with before, think about
probable choice points, and consider alternative replies you may choose. Try to come up with
a few strategies for each scenario, and think about what would feel right for you rather than
getting caught up in the normal conflict and hurt emotions, try to imagine what tone you'd
like the conversation to take, and see if you can lead the interaction in that direction with your
own responses at pivotal choice points. According to new research… (“Smart Ways to
Resolve Conflicts at Home - Health Encyclopedia - University of Rochester Medical Center,”
n.d.) Families have numerous sources of conflict in their lives. Sometimes, parents disagree
about how to raise their children, how to divide housework, or how money should be used.
Other times, heated arguments flare up between children that can involve the whole family.
It’s human nature to think that you are correct in any argument and to want to get your way.
But without looking for a answer that makes everyone feel included, you may find that small
arguments escalate into much bigger arguments. Unless you learn how to fight fair and
resolve problems peacefully, disagreements can break apart your family. Fortunately, you can
solve arguments in a uncountable ways without becoming angry and destructive. Remember
that, despite your differences, you love and acknowledge each other. The point of view of
everyone in the family are worth hearing and need to be acknowledged. The first step is for
each family member to do his or her best to listen attentively to the others. Calmly try to
explain the differences in the argument and define the conflict and frame it so that it’s you
and your partner or family versus the problem, not you against your partner or children. Once
you understand the problem, you can start to work on a compromise that benefits everyone
involved. People with jobs in conflict aspires call this a “win/win” solution, an agreement in
which everyone is a victor. If a problem brews up, make sure to get it resolved right away
rather than letting it grow. Many couples, especially those with young children, may use their
kids as an excuse for not resolving their arguments with each other. They reason that the kids
take up maximum amount of time and that they don’t need to focus on their relationship. This
is untrue and can lead to problems down the road. Don’t let an unresolved argument be a
roadblock in your marriage or relationship. Above all, avoid criticizing, being defensive,
stonewalling, and acting with disrespect. These are behaviours so dangerous that they are
considered serious threats to marriage. If a fight has grown too out of control, it might be
necessary to take a time-out.  Don’t forget about the argument entirely. Try to 5. In research
from Singh (2020) ...If you want to resolve usual family issues, you need to first decide if the
problem in hand is worth addressing or not.  You must deal with recurring or major issues to
minimise the negative impact of conflict and argument. If you feel the family conflict is over
a trivial issue or some minor difference, then the best way to resolve it may be is to just leave
it alone, and let everyone calm down after a while. While dealing with family problems, it is
essential for all members to be involved in trying to find ways to resolve your issues by
working together. Family members can help out by retrieving information from libraries,
bookstores, Internet, or by reading articles on various common family issues especially on
topics like raising kids, marriage, or dealing with and understanding teenagers. Mediation
helps a great deal while dealing with family conflict, though you can even solve issues
without bringing in a neutral third party. Such resolutions can be done by mediation from a
person who is a qualified professional like a family or marriage therapist, provided the other
member is ready to talk about the issue and wants to find a resolution. When nothing seems
to work and problems start affecting your mental and physical health, counselling may be the
answer to help you with steps or ways to deal with family conflict. If you are not able to find
solutions to resolve the common family issues and they are having a negative effect on your
health, then it’s better to try to forgive and forget the other individual, and move on in life.
Forgiving means that you let go your feelings of anger and resentment towards the person
involved, and this will benefit you in the future. Avoid choosing a side to agree with when
dealing with family conflict, as this leads to more fighting and problems. Instead, listen
calmly, be understanding, be indifferent, and let the involved people work out the problem on
their own. If you do have a solution to resolve family conflict that your family members are
facing, then offer it by remaining normal. Remember, if you don’t remain neutral and choose
sides, you become a part of the family conflict too.
Identification on how you currently communicate your gender, social and cultural
identities in face-to-face and in online environments.

According to new research…  (Lumen Learning, n.d.).Feminine people tend to self-disclose

more often than masculine people, and in more intimate details. Likewise, feminine people
tend to communicate more affection, and with greater intimacy and confidence than
masculine people. Generally speaking, feminine people communicate more and highlight
communication more than masculine people. In contrast, feminine people are highly possible
to communicate weakness and vulnerability. In fact, they may search out friendships more in
these times. For this reason, feminine people often feel closer to their friends than masculine
people do. Feminine people tend to respect their friends for listening and communicating
non-critically, communicating support, communicating feelings of enhanced self-esteem,
communicating validation, offering comfort and contributing to personal growth. In research
from Code and Zaparyniuk (2010)  ...Social identity concerns how we recognize our
similarities and differences to other known groups of individuals. Social identify is a
continual interplay between how we identify ourselves and how others identify us. To
identify with any given group of people, whether it is an ethnic group or an online society, we
look for similarities between the group members and ourselves. While similarities initially
attract an individual to a group, this initial attraction enables an individual to discover their
individual differences. These various social identities enable an individual to adopt various
roles and adapt to a variety of social contexts. The contexts in which a social identity exists,
supports the pluralistic nature of the self. As social groups exist at multiple levels such as.
societal, cultural, industrial, organizational, functional, and professional, individual’s social
identities are facilitated through communication within and amongst these levels. Race,
gender, sexuality, and ability are socially constructed cultural identities that developed over
time in relation to historical, social, and political contexts. I communicate through cultural
identity by joining local clubs that is related to my culture or race to maintain our traditions
over time. Furthermore, I would also share my thoughts and ideas of my culture to my friends
or colleagues which will also get them to know me better as a person in a cultural aspect be it
face to face or in online sharing. As for gender identity, I would say that I would portray
myself as a feminine person in that aspect because in my life, I take feminine as a sense of
gracefulness, gentleness and also better in handling different people than being masculine. I
would not say feminine is a soft character too but when a situation arises, I would know how
to handle it in a feminine way rather than being tough and masculine which would cause
more ruckus in a face-to-face situation or a online environment. As for social aspect, I
include myself as a member in social groups and am a good team player when it comes to any
form of communication Through community and interaction, as an individual myself I
perceive the shared task, goals and objectives between all the members in the group which
can also display the shared identity among the members and can also contribute to the
formation of an individual’s social identity itself.

CONCLUSION

As a conclusion of this essay, we learned about the importance of communication and the
implication of a conflict in a family system; and to analyse how self-identity is formed and
communicated. We understand that a family cannot be joined together by blood ties or even
adoption but communication must play a vital role in this to keep a good harmonious
relationship among all family members.

VIDEO PRESENTATION
 APPENDIX

REFERENCES

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