Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Communication - Essay Example Interpersonal communication entails the process of using feelings, ideas, and thoughts to initiate and develop relationships with other members of the society. Initiating and developing relationships follow three systematic stages. The first stage involves understanding another person’s situation. This enables us to understand the context and perspective from which the other person is speaking. The next step involves responding to the message in an appropriate manner. This entails employing the right tone and emotional expression based on the understanding of the person communicating (Wood 72). After communicating the response in the right manner, the respondent should be able to achieve the objective of communicating. This entails the establishment of a common understanding between the subject parties. Good interpersonal communication skills help in conflict resolution contexts. Interpersonal conflicts arise when people reaches a disagreement over their convictions, beliefs, ideas and desires. Interpersonal conflict can present serious consequences to the parties involved. Therefore, the best solution on resolving a conflict is by employing effective interpersonal communication skills. In reality, conflict leads to emotional stress, hurting feelings and situational disappointments. When any conflict is handled in an unhealthy way, it might result in irreparable damages in social relationships. Therefore, the best method of resolving any conflict is applying some ethical principles while striving to reach a compromise. One of the essential ethical elements during conflict resolution is empathy. Empathy entails putting oneself into another person’s shoes. Thought empathy allows one to understand what another person is saying. Feeling empathy allows someone to acknowledge how another person feels. Therefore, empathy facilitates healthy communication when resolving a conflict. The other ethical element is exploration. Exploration allows one to enquir e thoroughly on the other person’s thoughts and feelings. Stroking is also essential during conflict cases. Stroking involves complimenting the person by making respectful and positive opinions about him/her. To resolve a conflict successfully, I align myself to these three ethical aspects, which are empathy, exploration, and stroking. The definition of gender roles and other aspects associated with gender and society depends on an individual’s social background. The beliefs and convictions held by an individual concerning the social roles expected from different genders influences social relationships to a substantial extent. On my part, I expect females to be submissive, and accommodative to different ideas and situations. The other factor that may affect my communication is ethnicity. Ethnicity brings about prejudice and discrimination within the society. Discrimination entails behaviors directed towards people from a different ethnic background while prejudice invo lves holding irrational and inflexible attitudes towards members of another ethnic group. Prejudice influences communication whereby negative prejudice results in discrimination. Therefore, ethnicity might affect my judgments and decisions during communication in a positive or a negative way. The other factor than influences communication is culture. Culture is comprised of behaviors, beliefs and other social characteristics that define a particular social group. Though people would like to define themselves individually, the society conforms an individual to some set standards of beliefs, values and behavioral norms. These inbred cultural principles in an individual influence his/her relationship with people within a culturally diverse environment. As a