Ethics approaches

Ethics in Communication

After reading about the ethical considerations considering interpersonal and group communication, there are many similarities. The two differ in the sense of size. This leads to more considerations in the larger of the two, group communication, where there may be many different interpersonal relationships within the small group. However, for this analysis, like the book, I will focus on ethical considerations of the small group as a whole. Interpersonal relationships are unique in themselves, as each one is different than the next. One major ethical consideration in this context is fairness. When people are interdependent, or share mutuality, there are almost always issues of fairness or justice that arise. These two issues are most commonly based off of individual’s feelings and relational satisfaction. In our culture, this sense of justice or fairness can be attributed to the distribution of rewards in proportion to each partner’s contributions. Relationships are often times weighed on costs and rewards. When this cost-reward system is unbalanced in relationships, we often see issues arise. Another major consideration in interpersonal relationships is privacy and autonomy, or openness and closeness. In communication, this comes down to self-disclosure. Issues can arise if one partner in the relationship is disclosing too much or too little about themselves, and there is an unbalance between the two relational partners. One major issue in relationships is jealousy, which can stem from any of these ethical considerations.
In small-group communication, there are a few unique ethical considerations that arise. One major issue in small groups is groupthink. Groupthink is the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility. Another unique ethical consideration is issues that involve symbolic convergence within in-groups and out-groups. Symbolic