Running Head: FAMILY COMMUNICATION 1
Family Communication
Takyra Thompson
Liberty University
FAMILY COMMUNICATION
2
Family Communication
While talking about interpersonal communication is important, it all leads up to actually
putting things together. All of the techniques, tips, and goals of bettering communication are to
better each person’s life. Not only it is important to know what interpersonal communication is,
but it is imperative that it is used right. The best practice that one may get for mastering this skill
is communication within the household. From the first signs of speaking, in each human being,
they are introduced to words, facial expressions, and body language by their parents and family
members. From the first word spoke, each person learned more and more about the basics of
interpersonal communication from their family members. This is what family communication is
the key to further interactions. The only difference is that the way that family is portrayed today
affects the way people communicate with each other.
The way that family communicate if affected by the type of family one lives in. In past
centuries, family consisted of parents and their children; nuclear families. But in today’s society,
extended families are more and more prevalent. On the other hand, there are more and more
families open to mixing and changing things. For example, there are families that consist of
lesbian, gay, and interracial parents. This is different to interpersonal communication because it
puts switch to the things people learn which lead up to how they communicate. Because these
families are misunderstood, there are more people who tend to judge and the way they raise their
children is confusing (Stewart, 2012). This could be bad because if some people think this way,
they are interpreting this type of behavior to other people and even their own children. As
Stewart (2012) stated, it is important, to communicate effectively, that in today’s society to
distinguish between personal choice and respect for other’s choices. This means simply that one
does not have to take on another’s choices of family to respect their choice. For example, raising
FAMILY COMMUNICATION
3
a child in a home with who gay parents where others believe children should be raised by a
heterosexual couple. Just because one may accept that others choice this path doesn’t mean that
everyone else does.
A big issue that most to all families deal with is criticism, harsh wordings, and hurtful
communication within the family. This is very common within almost all families due to many
reasons. Some people may have a hard time understanding themselves, so when it comes to
communicating with someone else, they say or do hurtful things Stewart (2012) states that family
communication embodies the principle “I care, therefore I criticize.” No matter what the
situation is, all family members use this statement to show other they care but they have to say
what they need. In some moments, this may not be a big deal, but in others it could cause a huge
blowout in communication. What is sometimes a misunderstood aspect is how the message or
metamessage is taken. The way we say things, how it is said, or the fact that it is said between a
speaker and listener is important to why we communicate. As unspoken messages, the
metamessage often have more meaning then the message itself. It is important to understand
what one is hearing and saying within metacommunication because the way the message is
portrayed can be taken in another meaning.
Another reason why it is important to focus on what we say and how we say it is because
of the surroundings. If one is not effectively listening due to what is happening around them or in
their minds, the message given or taken could take a turn. What happens in one’s head and heart
while communicating determines their listening skills (Burley-Allen, 1995). When speaking to
another person, it is important to truly focus on what they are saying and what you may say to
another. This could also affect the way one may see another in the first impression. Because the
first impression is key to the future relationship, if you are not listening effectively it could
FAMILY COMMUNICATION
4
hinder those interactions and future ones. Inclusion into the family, some problems arise because
of the disconnection one may have during the communication interaction. This would lead to
other problems that people may feel could break a relationship, which could lead to divorce.
FAMILY COMMUNICATION
5
References
Burley-Allen, M. (1995). Listening: The forgotten skill: A self-teaching guide (2nd ed.). New York,
NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN: 9780471015871.
Stewart, J. (2012). Bridges not walls: A book about interpersonal communication (11th ed.). New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN: 9780073534312.
