Reference no: EM133405781
You work for a large car manufacturing company. The area where you work is a large room full of cubicles, each consisting of a compact workstation and comfortable chair. For eight years you've had the same "cubicle neighbor," whose status in the company is equal to your own, and you've come to respect each other. Lately, though, you've become increasingly aggravated about the strong perfume that your neighbor has started wearing. Then too, you've noticed that your neighbor has begun wearing loud, even outlandish clothes and gotten more short-tempered. Unbeknown to you, your neighbor's changed behavior is due to marital troubles. She's tried to make herself more "interesting" by changing her appearance and yet feels self-conscious about it--especially since, after a year of counseling, her marriage is about to break up. On top of that, your cubicle neighbor has noticed your increasing coldness toward her. Despite the strains in your relationship as cubicle neighbors, though, neither of you have directly communicated about your concerns. Refer to specific terms and concepts from Chapter 6 as you answer the questions below.
1. What communication pattern has emerged in the relationships with your cubicle neighbor? How has this impacted your relationship? What social world are you building through this pattern of communication?
What logic of meaning and action--causal, practical, or contextual (see page 139)--is guiding your interpretation of what you see in your cubicle neighbor and how she acts?
2. What logic is guiding her interpretation of you?
3. Imagine that the concerns between you and your cubicle neighbor have finally erupted into an argument and moved your conflict into the sphere of harm. What negotiating pattern (see pages 148-149) would break the ice and get you two talking again? What negotiating pattern would move your relational conflict toward the sphere of value?
4. Now that you and your cubicle neighbor have restored a good relationship, how would reflexivity help you maintain your relationship?