11: Building and Maintaining Relationships — Read

From LibreTexts, under CC BY-SA 4.0, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

Learning Objectives

Identify and understand different types of interpersonal relationships, needs, roles, and norms
Discuss how interpersonal communication changes as we move through various relationship stages
Explain the influence that context, identity, and culture have on our interpersonal communication interactions and relationships
Apply interpersonal communication theories and strategies when discussing and analyzing relationships

Interpersonal communication is vital to building, maintaining, and even ending our relationships. In this chapter, we discuss the foundations of relationships, relational stages, and the tools and strategies to achieve the relational outcomes we desire. We talk about healthy and unhealthy communication in relationships, and how to deal with relationship termination.

11.1: Introduction to Building and Maintaining Relationships
A short vignette and reflection questions are used to introduce the Building and Maintaining Relationships chapter.
11.2: Foundations of Relationships
Types of relationships, boundaries, norms and rules are discussed. We examine which relationships are voluntary, involuntary, social or personal, and explore dialectical tensions that exist in all relationships.
11.3: What Brings Us Together
Family, friendships, work relationships, and romantic relationships are common relationship types discussed in this section. Additionally, we look at Family Types, based on how Conversation and Conformity Orientations interact in different ways.
11.4: Relationship Stages
A review of Knapp and Vangelisti's (2009) Model of Relationship Stages.
11.5: The Role of Self-Disclosure
Self-Disclosure plays an important role in the development of our relationships. The Johari Window is a tool we can use to examine how we handle both self-disclosure, as well as feedback from others. Uncertainty Reduction Theory speaks to the strategies we use to increase predictability about other people.
11.6: Summary and Review
11.7: References

Thumbnail: Sisters Laughing Together by Alex Starnes in Public Domain

This page titled 11: Building and Maintaining Relationships was last modified on Sun, 04 Oct 2026 01:47:03 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Brielle Plump.

Contents

Text

Learning Objectives