Paper Assignment

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to learn more about theories and research related to communication in close relationships. You’ll be researching a phenomenon of relational communication of your choice. You will have the opportunity to (a) conduct library research, improving your skills in locating and analyzing relevant scholarly articles, and (b) hone your analytical skills by evaluating your popular press book using this scholarly research.

Popular Press Book. You will find one popular press book that relates to your chosen topic. Regardless of your more specific topic, ensure that your book focuses on both close relationships and communication. Your book choice must be submitted no later than 2/4, in class (you are free to submit your choice earlier). All books must be approved by me.

Some ideas for topics…

Category: General relationship processes

1. Relationship development

2. Relationship maintenance

3. Relationship dissolution

Category: Relationship skills

4. Relational conflict

5. Social support

6. Managing relational uncertainty

Category: Communication in particular types of close relationships

7. Cross-sex friendships

8. Same-sex relationships

9. Dating

10. Marriage

11. Family

Category: Topics of relational communication

12. Love

13. Gender and communication

14. Sexual communication

15. Online relational communication

Etc…these 15 topics are just ideas to get you started!

Some ideas for finding books…

· Go to your local bookstores

· Go to a public library

· Search online: Google, Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, etc.

Paper Sections

Introduction: Provide a brief preview of the structure of your paper. This includes, at minimum, an “attention getter,” which is something that “grabs” the reader’s attention, such as quotes, brief stories, interesting questions, etc.; thesis statement, which is the “main point” of your paper, and a clear preview of your main points. (~1/2-3/4 page).

Section 1: Summarize the book. This is a sort of mini “book report.” Write it with the assumption that the reader has not read the book. Be sure to focus on the important components of the book – that is, its content that explicitly relates to your topic. That may mean that you do not review all sections of the book, which is fine, provided you have read the book, thought it through, and chosen to review the key components. Do not copy the abstract of the book from the book cover, internet, etc. This is plagiarism and will be treated as such. You must summarize the book in your own words. (2-3 pages)

Section 2: Explain how communication research and theory corroborate and/or contradict the book’s main points. In this section, you will need to cite all of your sources. You will want to choose 2 to 4 main points you would like to make and elaborate on them.

This section constitutes the bulk of your grade, so you should treat it as such. As an example, suppose that you choose a book about how to maintain a satisfying marital relationship. In section 2, you would want to identify 2-4 main points you’d like to cover about your book. Let’s say that your book suggests five ways to maintain a relationship. You may want to choose three that relate most clearly to communication and write a section on each, seeing if the book’s advice is supported by outside research. Another example might be choosing a book about how to make friends. Let’s say that your book has sections on same-sex and cross-sex friends. You may want, then, to have two main points, one about same-sex and one about cross-sex friends. In each section, you would write about how the book’s recommendations are supported – or not supported – by communication research. Or, given the same example, maybe the book suggests four main strategies for making friends, regardless of whether they are same-sex or cross-sex friendships. You could then write about these four strategies as your main points.

There is no one “right” way to write this section, and it will be largely dependent on the book you choose. That being said, you may want to choose a book that will allow you to make a few broad points. If your book consists of a list of 50 pointers for maintaining a marriage, it may be difficult to break those pointers down to 2 to 4 points (though not impossible). The idea is to write a well-organized, clear, thoughtful analysis of your book’s main ideas (~4-6 pages)

Conclusion: Summarize what you have accomplished in your paper. This includes, at minimum, a restatement of your thesis; a clear, comprehensive review of each of your main points; and a “clincher,” which is another story, quotation, etc. that leaves the reader with a lasting impression of your paper (~1/2-3/4 page).

Total: 8-10 pages, excluding title page and references.

Source Requirements

You need to use and cite at least 10 credible sources, six (6) of which must be peer-reviewed journal articles. Other than peer-reviewed journal articles, credible sources include scholarly books (or book chapters) and interpersonal communication textbooks. You cannot use websites (unless approved by me). Journal articles and book chapters that are in print may also be available online, and those are fine to use. Your popular press book does not count as a source. Your textbook or course readings do not count toward your 10 sources – though you may use them. Your text and course readings are only a starting point for this paper. All sources must be cited in correct APA format.