Module 2 follows this three-part Standard Module design:
Part 1 is for describing an actual INCIDENT of a real conflict that you participated in or observed.
Part 2 is for ANALYSIS of the incident where you apply relevant concepts from our current textbook readings.
Part 3 is for EVALUATION where you judge the conflict and make specific prescriptions for communication changes.
This incident should be drawn from actual observations of events in your life. Do not use secondhand accounts, fiction, drama, film, TV programs, etc.
Module 2: An interpersonal conflict involving the meaning of words
You will find three (3) text boxes in this assignment; each box will be labeled as one of the three (3) headings for your standard module assignment. Follow these content and organization directions carefully to earn maximum credit:
I. INCIDENT:
This is a detailed description. Open this section with a sentence or two to provide context and set the scene (how did you come to know of it? when did it happen? who was involved? etc.) Then provide a concise description of what happened. Make sure you include a word-for-word, (as accurately as possible; no need to censor) line-by-line transcription of the conversation to the best of your recollection. Do not just do a summary of what was said and done. For example, this is a summary: “They had a big fight, called each other names, and he stormed out of the apartment.” A proper “transcript” of the conversation would include verbal & nonverbal details as to who said what, where, when, in what order, and how. Example: She shouted, red-faced and bursting into tears: “Then go!” He took a breath and then yelled, jerking open the door to his room, “OK, but first I’m getting my stuff and you can just stay out of my face!”
II. ANALYSIS:
In this section, employ at least two (2) concepts from each of the assigned chapters we are studying for the current module, using the selected concepts to label and explain what happened. Labeling is giving an appropriate name to a behavior using our textbooks’ terminology. Explaining is exploring beneath the surface of the behavior to provide a reasonable answer to this question: WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? Sometimes an explanation for what someone else does is mainly speculative, (that’s where the theories in the chapters help). But if you are talking about your own behavior, the WHY question may be easier to answer and using the textbook can also be of use. In this module section, concisely label and explain the behavior of all persons involved in the Incident you described in part 1. Boldface the text concepts you have drawn from the chapter and cite the textbook page # in parentheses, e.g., (p. 217) next to the boldfaced term or phrase, indicating where the concept can be found in our main textbook. A total of four (4) concepts, minimum, shall be employed.
III. EVALUATION:
Provide evaluation and some prescriptions. Here you pass a judgment: how well did this conflict go? Was it creative, destructive, or both? What could you and/or each the persons involved have said or done differently to help prevent or reduce the severity of the conflict? If you were involved in the conflict, focus on your own choices, but also make specific suggestions for changes in words and actions of the other(s), too. If you were just an observer and not directly involved, you can still make prescriptions for how the people who you observed could have spoken or could have behaved differently if they’d been thinking and communicating more creatively.
