| Instructor: | Professor Timothy Stephen |
| Office: | Social Sciences 325 |
| Phone: | 442-4878 |
| email: | stephen@albany.edu |
| Graduate Assist.: | Julie Batson |
| Office: | Social Sciences 378 |
| Phone: | 442-4878 |
| Office hours: | TBA |
| email: | TBA |
| course web site: | http://www.cios.org/courses/interper/main.htm |
| Orientation |
This course is concerned with communication processes in dyadic (two-person) relationships. Our focus will be communication in meaningful long-term relationships such as friendships and couples, and sometimes collegial relationships at work; however, course material is relevant to understanding communication in other dyadic contexts such as doctor/ patient relationships, other work relationships, or relationships within a family system.
You should be aware that this is a university-level course in interpersonal communication and the course material will be pitched appropriately. Interpersonal communication is a popular focus for workshops staged by corporations, church groups, marital enrichment programs, etc. In these contexts what is a complex and abstract area of theory - a domain of many questions and a only a limited number of hard answers - is often distilled for easy audience consumption to a set of quickly memorized lists of dos and don'ts. I predict you'll find the course interesting and enriching with plenty of moments that will stimulate your thinking about your own communication behavior but the course will also challenge you to hone your ability to think abstractly and analytically.
Our course will sample the broad area of interpersonal communication as it has been constructed through approximately a hundred years of work by scholars in the social sciences and humanities. The resulting material, which will be the subject of our course, tends to be abstract and tentative, painted in broad theoretical strokes and with less in the way of definitive advice than some might want. Major topics covered in the course are: the social history of interpersonal communication, symbolic interactionism and interpersonal communication, psychodynamic theory and interpersonal communication, communication and gender, the self and personal identity, disclosure of the self to others, management of interpersonal relations, and the quality of the self concept.
| Course Goals |
By the end of the term you should be able to articulate theoretical principles that are of significance in understanding interpersonal relationships and to discuss intelligently the impacts of our frenzied contemporary culture on interpersonal communication. In addition, you should be able to discuss relevant empirical research, and to critique your own and others' communication styles. In regard to this last item, the course will provide opportunity to consider alternative ways of interacting with others and to weigh the potential advantages and disadvantages of different options. We will also explore potential ethical consequences that accompany the choice of one or another option for communicating.
| Texts |
Weiner-Davic, Michele (1992). Divorce Busting. NY: Simon and Schuster. (required).
Hall, C. S. (1979). A primer of Freudian psychology. NY: Mentor. (required)
Bolton, Robert (1979). People skills: How to assert yourself, listen to others and resolve conflicts. NY: Simon and Schuster. (required)
| Assignments/Grading |
You will be responsible for two exams, each counting for 30% of the course grade. The exams will cover material from lecture, class discussion, and assigned readings. They may include both multiple choice and short essay questions. Be sure that you take very careful notes during class lectures. This is especially important because lectures are not duplicated by the course texts. Since lectures will not be redundant of the readings you should be careful to complete assigned readings in advance of the tests so that you can bring questions to class for discussion. Students with poor study habits may have a difficult time in this course. Beware: if you find yourself leaving lectures with sparse class notes, past experience predicts that you will not perform well on tests. Pay attention to this issue and arrange for help if you are having difficulty.
Thirty five percent of your grade will be obtained from a series of written assignments. All students complete an interview paper (5%, graded A/F), and an initial self analysis paper (10%, graded A/C/F). The remaining 20% of the grade will be derived from a final paper consisting of a comprehensive appraisal of your communication style. These assignments will be discussed in greater detail as the semester progresses. The remaining 5% of the grade will be awarded for class participation, preparation, and other evidence of your commitment to the class learning process.
To receive a grade of A you'll need to obtain better than 325 of 400 quality points possible in the class. For a B you'll need between 250 and 325, for a C you'll need between 175 and 250, and for a D you'll need between 75 and 175.
Quality points are determined by converting the letter grade you receive on an assigment to a numeric scale on which A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, and F = 0. Multiply the percent of course grade the assignment is worth (e.g., each test is worth 30%) by the converted grade. For example, an A on the self analysis paper is worth 10 x 4 = 40 quality points.
Take care to prepare written work properly. Papers should be clean and neat, typed, pages stapled, and spell-checked. Double space all written work and leave a one inch margin on all four sides of the page. Fonts should be set at 12 points. Bold and italic fonts should be avoided. Do not turn in work in folders or plastic report covers. Do not turn in papers on disk or through email. Allow extra time for problems with printers and computers. Assignment that are late due to technology problems are not exempt from penalty.
| Attendance |
Prompt arrival for class and consistent attendance is required. More than four absences will result in your final grade being reduced by one letter. A pattern of late arrivals will result in the same penalty. Stepping out during class is disruptive and will be penalized.
| Late Assignments/Make-up Tests |
In the absence of a documented medical excuse, late assignments will receive a grade of C if they are of A or B quality, a grade of D if they are of C or D quality, otherwise a grade of F. Make-up tests are not available without a signed medical excuse documenting a disability or illness: no exceptions. Take heed if you are scheduling job interviews, plant trips, or need to be away from campus for other reasons.
| Reading Assignments for the First Weeks |
By the third week you should complete the reading: ``Venturing Forth: Bodily Management in Public" (rudeciv.pdf). By the fourth week, you should be nearing completion of ``Front Porch/Back Seat" (masfem.pdf).
These readings are available on the course web site.
Complete ``A Primer of Freudian Psychology" around week 4.
| Use of Electronic Communication Devices |
Taking calls or instant messaging on portable communication devices during class is prohibited. Leaving the room to take or make a call is prohibited. Either will cost you 25 quality points at the end of the semester. Don't allow your phone to ring while class is in session. Do not bring a portable communication device to class during a test day. If you do, you must leave it with the instructor for the duration of the test. Failure to do so will mean failure of the test.
| Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Honesty |
Academic dishonesty, such as plagiarizing a paper or cheating on an exam, is antithetical to the core reason that universities exist: to pursue and protect the truth. Academic dishonesty will therefore not be tolerated. The result will be an immediate grade of ``F" for the course and a memo to the appropriate academic authority recommending your suspension from the University.
Student-teacher relationships are built on trust. Students must trust that teachers have made appropriate decisions about the structure and content of the courses they teach; teachers must trust that the assignments students turn in are theirs. Acts that violate this trust undermine the educational process.
In this class, ``cheating" consists of passing off the papers, published articles, or unpublished reports of others as one's own work, fabricating interviews, and collaborating on the completion of tests. Other forms of collaborative work, such as studying or discussing course material with class members and, of course, group work are highly encouraged.
Plagiarism has become a substantial concern in contemporary university life. All students in this course are required to study the library's web presentation on plagiarism. Your understanding of this information will be tested on the first exam. The link for the library presentation is: http://library.albany.edu/usered/plagiarism