Relating: Dialogues and Dialectics

by Leslie A. Baxter, Barbara M. Montgomery

This book draws on the dialogism of social theorist Mikhail Bakhtin to develop a new approach which the authors term "relational dialectics" to the study of interpersonal communication. Emphasizing a social self instead of a sovereign self, multivocal oppositions instead of binary contradictions, and indeterminate change instead of transcendent synthesis, chapters examine and critique prevailing approaches to interpersonal communication. Building on these theoretical foundations, the volume rethinks such key areas as relationship development, closeness, certainty, openness, communication competence, and the boundaries between self, relationship, and society, and raises intriguing questions for future research.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology

285 pages, Paperback

First published May 17, 1996

Reviews

[Gabe Wisnewski-Parks]

Classic. Changes how you will think about relationships and people, forever, for the better.