Chapter 10

Interpersonal relationships- you are connected to others by virtue of your shared experiences,
interpretations, perceptions, and goals.

Types of interpersonal Relationships.

All interpersonal relationships have strong connection among the individuals.
Stranger-someone whom you do not know and who is therefore unfamiliar to you
Greeks-hold collectivistic values- the word for “non-Greek” translates as
“stranger”
Korean-family-dominated collectivism culture- a stranger is anyone to whom you
have not been formally introduced. Strangers in Korea are “non persons” to whom the rules of
politeness and social etiquette simply do not apply. Once you have been introduced to a Korean
or the korean anticipates in other ways that he or she may have an ongoing interpersonal
relationship with you, elaborate poliness rituals are required.

Acquaintances-someone you know, but only casually. Superficial interactions which

differs on the culture.
New Zealand-Appropriate to talk about national and international politics,
Pakistan- similar topics should be avoided
Austria- don’t talk about money and religion
China-may ask personal questions about their income and family background.
Friends-common expressions that refers to many different types of relationships. -
Friends is someone you know well, someone you like and someone with whom you feel a close
personal bonds-Friendship are voluntary-between people who see themselves as similar in
some important ways and who belong to the same social class.
Five types of changes in perceptions and behaviors will prob occur:
Friends interact more frequently
Resulting in more knowledge about and shared experiences with each
other
Increased ability to predict a friend’s reaction to common situations
The Sense of “We-ness” increases among friends
Characterized by a heightened sense of caring, commitment, trust, and
emotional attachment
Intercultural Friendships vary
Whom a person selects as a friend
How long a friendship lasts
The prerogatives and responsibilities of being friend
The numbers of friends a person prefers to have
How long a relationship must develop before it becomes a friendship, -what
constitutes a friendship.

Both party must agree about each aspects for the people involved to have
shared expectations about appropriate behavior and what friendship means to each of them.
Romantic Partners
 Family
How the family is defined, who is considered to to be a member of the family
The formality of roles and behavioral expectations for particular family members
The importance of the family in social relationships and personal decisions.

Three primary Dimensions used to interpret interpersonal communication

Control- involves status or social dominance
Affiliation-used to interpret the degree of friendliness, liking, social warmth, or
immediacy that is being communicated.
Activation- the ways people react to the world around them

The four relationship models that make up the building blocks of interpersonal interactions.
Communal Sharing- freely use a printer among themselves
Authority ranking-one member functions as the group’s leader
Equality Matching-”fair share” everyone has to do their fair share
Market Pricing-award varying amounts of “ participation points” to their fellow group
members for each person’s individual contributions to the group
 Market Pricing

Interpersonal relationships are dynamic- affected by past experiences, present circumstances,

and future ex
pectations. “ The efforts to stay “in rhythm” and coordinate movements with the music and
partner are analogous to the adaptation that people must continually make to the ongoing
dynamics of interpersonal relationships.

Explain these terms:Face- the favorable social impression that a person wants others to have of
him or her. Involves a claim for respect and dignity from others.
Face is social- occurs in a relational setting
Face is impression- differs from person to person
Face is favorable-refers to only the favorable social attributes that people want others to
acknowledge. Cultures differ in the behaviour that are highly valued. Therefore, different
expectations and or norms

Facework -refers to the actions people take to deal with their own and others’ face needs.
 maintenance of face-Depends on three characteristics of the relationship
Large power or status differences affect how the interaction is perceived. (argument
between supervisor and employee vs employee and employee
Social distance-things you would expect from family, co-workers and unknown person.
Culture-specific evaluation that people make. --- certain actions within one culture may
be regarded as face-threatening, whereas those same actions in another culture may be
regarded as perfectly acceptable.

Competent facework-encompasses a wide variety of communication behaviors. Ex.. apologies,

excessive politeness, ...

Explain the connection between interpersonal relationships and intercultural competence

Strong interpersonal skills help to develop good intercultural competence. Key is to learn about
other cultures and thereby reduce the degree of uncertainty. Share in an appropriate ways with
people from other cultures. Learn to use culturally sensitive methods to handle the differences
and disagreements that may arise.