Widening the Family Circle: New Research on Family Communication / Edition 1

by Kory W. Floyd, Mark T. Morman

Overview

Widening the Family Circle: New Research on Family Communication bridges the significant gap in family communication literature by providing a thorough examination of lesser-studied family relationships, such as those involving grandparents, in-laws, cousins, stepfamilies, and adoptive parents. In this engaging text, editors Kory Floyd and Mark T. Morman bring together a diverse collection of empirical studies, theoretic essays, and critical reviews of literature on communication to constitute a stronger, more complete understanding of communication within the family.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781412909211
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	11/10/2005
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Kory Floyd is a professor of communication and professor of psychology at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on the communication of affection in close relationships and its effects on stress and physiological functioning. He has written 16 books and over 100 scientific papers and book chapters on the topics of affection, emotion, family communication, nonverbal behavior, and health. He is a Fellow of the International Communication Association and a former editor of Communication Monographs and Journal of Family Communication. His work has been recognized with the Mark Knapp award for distinguished scholarship in interpersonal communication, the Bernard J. Brommel award for distinguished scholarship in family communication, and the Charles H. Woolbert award for lasting scholarly contribution from the National Communication Association. He has also received the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Western States Communication Association, and the Early Career Achievement award from the International Association for Relationship Research. One of his most recent books, The Loneliness Cure, examines the problem of affection deprivation and identifies strategies for increasing affection and intimacy in close relationships. As an educator, he teaches courses on health communication, emotional communication, close relationships, communication theory, and quantitative research methods. A native of Seattle, Professor Floyd received his undergraduate degree from Western Washington University, his master’s degree from the University of Washington, and his Ph D from the University of Arizona.

Mark T. Morman is a professor of communication in the Department of Communication at Baylor University. For more than 33 years he has taught interpersonal and family communication at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition to publications in professional journals he is the co-editor (along with Dr. Kory Floyd) of Widening the Family Circle: New Research in Family Communication (2^nd ed.). His scholarly and curricular interests include the communication of affection, father-son relationships, and men’s health. He served as chair of both the family and interpersonal communication divisions of the National Communication Association and has served on multiple editorial boards including Communication Monographs and the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. He holds a master’s and doctorate in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s degrees in communication from Southern Utah University.

Table of Contents

Introduction: On the Breadth of Family Experience - Kory Floyd and Mark T. Morman
What We Know and Don't Know about Communication in Family Relationships
Widening the Circle of Family Communication
Part A: Family-of-Origin Relationships
Introduction - Kory Floyd and Mark T. Morman
1. Communication Over the Life Span: The Mother-Adult Daughter Relationship - Michelle Miller-Day and Carla Fisher
Communication and Connection in Mother-Adult Daughter Relationships
Unique Patterns of Communicating
Dialectics
Turning Points
Conclusion
2. Communication among Peers: Adult Sibling Relationships - Alan Mikkelson
Unique Characteristics of the Sibling Relationship
Different Types of Sibling Relationships
Communication in Adult Sibling Relationships
Communication Behaviors among Adult Siblings
Conclusion
3. The Good Son: Men's Perceptions of the Characteristics of Sonhood - Mark T. Morman and Kory Floyd
The Role of Son
The Good Son Study
Conclusion
Commentary on Part A - Anita L. Vangelisti
Part B: Extended Family Relationships
Introduction - Kory Floyd and Mark T. Morman
4. Friends and Allies: Communication in Grandparent-Grandchild Relationships - Jordan Eli Soliz, Mei-Chen Lin, Karen Anderson, and Jake Harwood
The Lack of Attention to Grandparental Relationships
Communicative Opportunities and Challenges
What Do We Know about Grandparent-Grandchild Communication?
What's Left to Learn about the Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship?
Conclusion
5. The "Other" Women in Family Life: Aunt/Niece/Nephew Communication - Patricia J. Sotirin and Laura L. Ellingson
The Title of "Aunt "
Aunting in Family Communication Research
Themes and Schemas of Aunting Relationships
Descriptions and Dialectics of Aunting Relationships
Communicative Strengths and Challenges
What is Left to Learn about Aunting?
Conclusion
6. Getting Along with the In-Laws: Relationships with Parents-in-Law - Mary Claire Morr Serewicz
Defining the Relationship with Parents-in-Law
The Nonvoluntary, Tiradic Structure of the Parent-in-Law/Child-in-Law Relationship
Interaction Between Parents-in-Law and Children-in-Law
Conclusion
7. Getting Along with the In-Laws: Relationships with Siblings-in-Law - Christina G. Yoshimura
What is a Sibling-in-Law?
What is Known about Communication among Siblings-in-Law
Contemporary Research on Siblings-in-Law
Conclusion
Commentary on Part B - Fran Dickson
Part C: Relationships Created Through Divorce, Remarriage, or Adoption
Introduction - Kory Floyd and Mark T. Morman
8. Joined by Hearts and Words: Adoptive Family Relationships - Kathleen M. Galvin
How Common is Adoption?
Background of Adoption Practices
Contemporary Adoption Practices
Why is Adoption Historically Understudied?
Communicative Challenges to the Adoptive Family
Communicative Opportunities and Challenges
What We Need to Learn about Adoption
Conclusion
9. Understudied and Misunderstood: Communication in Stepfamily Relationships - Dawn O. Braithwaite, Paul Schrodt, Leslie A. Baxter
Stepfamily Development and Types
Communication and Stepfamily Boundaries
Conclusion
10. Investigating Privacy Boundaries: Communication in Post-Divorce Families - Tamara D. Afifi and Tara Mc Manus
The Role of Privacy Boundaries in Post-Divorce Family Relationships
Redefining the Boundaries with One's Former Spouse
Redefining the Boudaries with One's Children
The Privacy Dilemmas of Interpersonal Conflict and Children's Feelings of Being Caught
Conclusion
Commentary on Part C - Beth Le Poire
11. Understudied Relationships in Family Communication Research: Expanding the Social Recipe - Lynn H. Turner and Richard West
Dialectic Tensions
Methods for Dealing with Dialectic Tensions
Conclusion
References

Editorial Reviews

"The editors bring together a diverse collection of empirical studies, theoretic essays, and critical reviews of literature on communication to constitute a stronger, more complete understanding of communication within in the family. This book brings together the best of the research being conducted on various types of family relationships and showcases the work of some of the most respected scholars within the field of family communication."

Jonathon Kroll

Floyd and Morman are on the cutting edge of family communication. They are insightful, interesting, and unique in their approach to presenting family communication. I appreciate their efforts. They are bringing a useful and important textbook to other scholars and students. Hats off to them!

Kandi L. Walker