Expectancy and Role Conflicts Illustrated in Everybody Loves Raymond
Expectancy and Role Conflicts Illustrated in Everybody Loves Raymond
Learning to communicate efficiently and manage conflict successfully is challenging. Gaining cooperation between people is complex and mentally demanding. Communication ways and conflict styles are deeply woven into our personalities. Conflict is the expressed struggle of interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, interference from the other party in achieving those goals, and the perception of scarce resources. Perceptions are just as important as reality in regards to conflict. As stated in the text, “we encounter conflict as we compete for acceptance, love, recognition, position, power, success, and many other goals. Judgments of the quality of conflict interaction depend on the perceptions and evaluations of the nature of the process and its outcomes by those affected” (McKinney, Kimsey, Della Noce, & Trobaugh, p.2).
Multiple conflicts are simultaneously occurring in the selected episode, Everybody Loves Raymond. It is important to note that the conflicts overlap as they are not managed efficiently. The key conflicts in this episode are expectancy (over expectations) and role (who is responsible for what). Knapp’s model of relationship development and deterioration is best suited to romantic relationships and is illustrated throughout the selected episode. It is also important to note, Knapp’s model can be adapted to describe processes of any relationship type. In the opening scene Robert is in the process of self assertion. After many years of living with his overbearing parents, he has moved into an apartment that he can call his own. He refers to it as the “happiest place on earth”. Robert’s girlfriend Amy arrives with excitement due to inference that Robert is ready to implement ‘the plan’. The plan is revealed as a verbal agreement. Once Robert moved into his own house they would get married and have four children. This exemplifies that information is lost in
Learning to communicate efficiently and manage conflict successfully is challenging. Gaining cooperation between people is complex and mentally demanding. Communication ways and conflict styles are deeply woven into our personalities. Conflict is the expressed struggle of interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, interference from the other party in achieving those goals, and the perception of scarce resources. Perceptions are just as important as reality in regards to conflict. As stated in the text, “we encounter conflict as we compete for acceptance, love, recognition, position, power, success, and many other goals. Judgments of the quality of conflict interaction depend on the perceptions and evaluations of the nature of the process and its outcomes by those affected” (McKinney, Kimsey, Della Noce, & Trobaugh, p.2).
Multiple conflicts are simultaneously occurring in the selected episode, Everybody Loves Raymond. It is important to note that the conflicts overlap as they are not managed efficiently. The key conflicts in this episode are expectancy (over expectations) and role (who is responsible for what). Knapp’s model of relationship development and deterioration is best suited to romantic relationships and is illustrated throughout the selected episode. It is also important to note, Knapp’s model can be adapted to describe processes of any relationship type. In the opening scene Robert is in the process of self assertion. After many years of living with his overbearing parents, he has moved into an apartment that he can call his own. He refers to it as the “happiest place on earth”. Robert’s girlfriend Amy arrives with excitement due to inference that Robert is ready to implement ‘the plan’. The plan is revealed as a verbal agreement. Once Robert moved into his own house they would get married and have four children. This exemplifies that information is lost in