Influence of sex and Communication on interpersonal relationship essay

1.0 Concepts of sex

Sex refers to the distinguishing feature which classifies organismsas either male or female. Sexual activity therefore refers to an actthat produces sexual sensation. Sexual activity can be homosexual orheterosexual. Homosexual is an attraction between same sex while,heterosexual is sex attraction between different sexes. Sex can bedefined based on, sexual body part e.g. breasts purpose of sex e.g.procreation or based on outcome e.g. sexual arousal for prostitutes.

Interpersonal relationship is a deep, close or strong bond of love,inference, or some other type of commitment existing between two ormore people. Generally, they are the social connections with others.Several theories try to explain how relationships are entered andmaintained. And this include Uncertainty Reduction theory thatstates that the more we learn about others, the more we try to reduceuncertainty about them. Social Exchange Theory states that theresults of the relationship should be more or equal to the inputs ofthe relationship.

The importance of sex in relationships is that it joins familymembers and close friends as well as those in love. It evolvesthrough reciprocal self-disclosure and candor. Sex also bridgesdifferences. According to the dialectical theory, relationships arein constant state of flux. The outcome of relationships is influencedby how the challenges affecting relationship are managed. Sex alsoreduces uncertainties in involved parties as evidenced fromUncertainty reduction theory. Interpersonal relationship isinfluenced by the sex of the people involved. The relationshipbetween individual of the same sex is very different from thatbetween individuals of different sex.

Overview of the clip, The Girl Next Door.

The Girl Next Door is a 2004 American comedy film about a high schoolsenior, Matthew Kidman (Emile Hirsch) an Eighteen year old, is anacademic overachiever who falls in love for the first time with thegirl next door, Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert), but finds the situationbecoming complicated after he learns that she is a formerpornographic actress. Ultimately, Danielle helps Matthew emerge fromhis shell and discovers that with the person you love, sometimes youhave to risk everything for her. Besides, Mathew risks losing hisscholarship because of love. Finally he loses the scholarship.

The film comedy is important in highlighting that sex is a bond thatbinds two different people as evidenced from attachment theory.Mathew gets himself in a situation that is complicated and he is tooclose to somebody (Danielle) who was once his stranger. Besides welearn that the more you be with somebody, the more uncertainty isreduced. By Danielle staying with Mathew for long, they came to knoweach other better. Mathew realizes that Danielle was once a porn staractress (The Girl Next Door, 2004).

2.0 Communication concepts

Communication refers to the process of sharing information betweentwo or more parties in a continuous manner or flow. It involves thesender who is the source of the information sent. The message whichis the information being passed. The code which is a system thatconveys the message between the sender and the recipient. It can beencoded, put in a code or decoded, taken out of the code. There arevarious channels, which are the specific mechanism, which individualsused in transmitting the message. The feedback is the response fromthe recipient and is important in decision making about issuesaffecting relationships. The contexts of communication includeIntrapersonal, interpersonal, public, interactive or non-interactive.

Interpersonal relationship is a social connection with others. Themore you communicate with somebody the more interconnected youbecome. From the Dialectical theory of social connection, it can beevidenced that gaps are narrowed down and the most effective routesare explore thus achieving success. The more you also communicatewith somebody the more freely you are with him/her. This shows thatcommunication promotes interpersonal relationship by reducinguncertainties between two or more involved people.

Communication plays an essential role in reducing misunderstanding.Understanding of between individuals is enhanced when they know theinterest of the other. Information about the other enhances theunderstanding if it is timely conveyed. This is possible as peopleare able to agree on certain issues thereby strengthening the bondamong individuals. Communication also promotes a healthy interactionssince the feelings of one individual can be recognized by the other.The pitch, tone, volume will enable one to read the mind of the otherparty. Communication also promotes long-lasting relationships. Ifindividuals do not communicate with each other effectively, theprobability of problems occurring is high. Your influence on otheranother person can be determined by how they respond to variousissues in the relationship.

Overview of the movie Two for the Road

Two for the road is a 1976 movie starring Audrey Reuben as Joanna andFinney Albert as Mark. The two first meet on the road in Europe, Markworking as a struggling architect and Joanna being a touring girls’choir. The film follows their live together through courtship andmarriage, infidelity and parenthood and all in the road in a varietyof cars and thus the heading with a score of time shifting vignettes. Joana and Mark’s relationship deteriorates. They meet new friendsand have affairs and at last the marriage ends.

The film presents a lovely portrayal of a young couple growing in andeventually out of love. It not only shows the lifecycle of arelationship, but also brilliantly portrays how communication changesthat cycle of life. But as their relationship and life changes sodoes their communication style. In time, their experienced lifetogether makes them not to talk about more as they used to talk aboutit at much as they used in their lives before they met and thus thereare no mistakes to giggle about anymore. Joanna and Mark fail tobridge the gap between not needing to talk constantly and notcommunicating. (Two For the Road, 1967)

References

  1. Bleakley, A., Hennessy, M., Fishbein, M., &amp Jordan, A. (2009). How sources of sexual information relate to adolescents` beliefs about sex. American Journal of Health Behavior, 33(1), 37-48.

  2. Burleson Samter (2009). &quotDefinition of Interpersonal Relationships&quot. Communication Quarterly 57 (2).

  3. Cox M.F., Fasolion T.K., and Tavakoli A.S. (2008). Factor Analysis and Psychometric Properties of the mother–adolescent sexual communication (MASC) instrument for sexual risk behavior. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 16(3), 171-183.

  4. Stanely Donen., Audrey Hepburn, Albert Finney, Eleanor Bron. (1976). Two for the Road. British comedy drama De Luxe color film.