Communication in Close Relationships
Students connect the academic curriculum with meaningful public work to strengthen our communities for a sustainable future.
In the Spring of 2018, I completed a course entitled Communication in Close Relationships. I took this course as an elective. I chose it for an elective because I had the professor, Dr. Christine Bacon, for Public Speaking and I adored her so much that I took her Communication Topics class. This class was centered in close relationships- family, romantic, platonic, and even business. I have attached the syllabus for a clear explanation of the course. Please click on the document to view it in its entirety.
service-learning-syllabus
For this course, I completed a couple writing assignments, three exams, and one presentation. I will attach both writing assignments as well as the PowerPoint from my presentation.
For one of our earlier writing assignments, we had to come up with ten qualities that we desired from a romantic partner. At this time, I had been dating my then-boyfriend (now fiancé!) for a couple of years. While I knew we were serious, we were still very new to our long-distance relationship. This assignment was a great opportunity to take an objective look at what I desired in a partner and see if my then-boyfriend fit the qualities that I envisioned in a long-term partner. It also forced me to take an introspective approach and evaluate myself not only as a partner but also as a human in close relationships. Please click on the document to view it in its entirety.
service-learning-top-10I also completed a paper where I analyzed a fictional book of my choosing using our class materials. The paper has a book synopsis, descriptions of love in the novel, as well as a reflection of the sustainability of the characters and comparisons to real-life examples. This assignment was an incredible opportunity to take theory we had discussed in class and use in to analyze a piece of pop culture. So much of what is in books, TV, and movies is completely unrealistic relationships, so this was an excellent opportunity to highlight those inaccuracies as well as the parts of the novel that were more realistic and reflected a true relationship. Please click on the document to view it in its entirety.
service-learning-love-paperFinally, I completed what was called a “Super Couple” presentation. Dr. Bacon wrote a novel on a theory she founded called The Super Couple Formula. She describes a Super Couple as a couple that considers themselves extremely happy in their marriage and just seems to work better together in comparison to so many marriages that end in failure. Our job was to interview a couple we believed to be a Super Couple. I chose my life-long next-door neighbors. They have always been a couple I looked up to. This assignment allowed me to build a closer relationship with them while also learning that every couple truly has their own problems and what really matters at the end of the day is how they handle it together. Please view the attached presentation.