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Communication in Families and Intimate Relationships

General

Prefix

CMST

Course Number

320

Course Level

Undergraduate

Department/Unit(s)

Communication Studies

College/School

College of Liberal Arts

Description

Communication patterns between individuals involved in ongoing, intimate relationships. Family interactions and related topics such as nonmarital cohabitation and long-distance relationships.

Prerequisites

Credits

Min

3

Max

3

Repeatable

No

Goals and Diversity

MN Goal Course

No

Cultural Diversity

No

Learning Outcomes

Outcome

Explain the role that day-to-day processes such as decision making, maintenance strategies, and the management of dialectical tensions play in couple/family relationships.

Outcome

Explain the role that rituals play in couple/family relationships.

Outcome

Explain how intimacy is communicated in a couple/family relationship.

Outcome

Explain how communication changes over the lifecycle of a couple/family.

Outcome

Identify constructive and destructive communication skills couples/families use when engaging in conflict communication.

Outcome

Identify the topics that couples/families are most likely to fight about.

Outcome

Identify three communication practices that can damage a marital/family relationship.

Outcome

Explain what forgiveness is and how it can function to restore a marital/family relationship to a constructive state.

Course Outline

Course Outline

Day-to-day processes in families. 15% Rituals and communication in families. 15% Intimacy and communication in families. 15% Communication and change in families over the lifecycle. 15% Communication and parenting. 15% Communication, conflict and relational repair in families. 15% Forgiveness in families. 10%

Dependencies

Programs

CMST320 is a completion requirement for: