Family Communication

Kathleen M. Galvin (Ph.D. Northwestern University) is a professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University. Her research interests focus on the social construction of families, particularly the discourse-dependent nature of families formed outside of full biological and traditional legal ties. She is the author of “Diversity’s Impact on Defining the Family: Discourse Dependence and Identity” in The Family Communication Sourcebook as well as related pieces on adoption, particularly transracial and/or transnational adoption, and family decision making in high stakes health situations involving minor children. She is the senior author of “Whose Future Is It? Ethical Family Decision Making about Daughters’ Treatment in the Oncofertility Context” as well as a co-author “Learning about Cancer and Fertility: A Guide for Parents of Young Children.” In addition, she served as the senior author of Family Communication: Cohesion and Change, throughout its earlier eight editions and the editor of Making Connections: Readings in Relational Communication, now in its 5th edition.   Carma Bylund, PhD, is Assistant Director of Medical Education at Hamad Medical Center in Doha, Qatar. She is a researcher and teacher whose areas of expertise are healthcare communication and family communication about health. Dr. Bylund is the author of 59 peer-reviewed publications and 16 edited book chapters. Dr. Bylund received her PhD in Communication Studies from Northwestern University in 2001. Dr. Bylund was most recently Director of the Communication Skills Training and Research Laboratory at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Associate Research Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Bylund’s teaching and research focuses on developing, implementing, and assessing interventions to improve patient and clinician communication. In addition, she has researched and published on family communication about genetics and family communication and storytelling.   Dawn O. Braithwaite, PhD, is a Willa Cather Professor and Chair of the Communication Studies Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She studies how people in personal and family relationships interact and negotiate family change and challenges. Her current work is centered in understudied families, communication rituals, and relational dialectics in the context of stepfamilies and voluntary kin. Dr. Braithwaite is the author of 95 articles in journals scholarly books, and co-author or editor of five scholarly books: Family Communication: Cohesion and Change (9th edition), Engaging Theories in Interpersonal Communication Engaging Theories in Family Communication, Casing Interpersonal Communication: Case Studies in Personal and Social Relationships and Handbook of Communication and People with Disabilities.  

In this Section:

1) Brief Table of Contents

2) Full Table of Contents

 

1) Brief Table of Contents

 

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Family

Chapter 2: Framework for Family Communication

Chapter 3: Family Theories

Chapter 4: Communication Patterns and the Creation of Family Identity

Chapter 5: Relational Maintenance within Families

Chapter 6: Intimacy within Partnerships and Families

Chapter 7: Communication and Family Roles and Types

Chapter 8: Power, Influence, and Decision Making in Families

Chapter 9: Communication and Family Conflict

Chapter 10: Communication and Family Developmental Stresses

Chapter 11: Family Communication and Unpredictable Stress

Chapter 12: Family Communication and Well-Being

 



2) Full Table of Contents

 

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Family

Families: Definitional Issues

Families: Current Status

Functional Families

 

Chapter 2: Framework for Family Communication



The Communication Process Communication Patterns and Family Functions

A Framework for Examining Family Communication

 

Chapter 3: Family Theories



The Systems Perspective

Social Constructionism/Symbolic Interaction

Relational Dialectics

Narrative Theory/Narrative Performance Theory

Communication Privacy Management Theory

 

Chapter 4: Communication Patterns and the Creation of Family Identity



Relational Cultures Communication Patterns That Influence Family Meanings

Narratives and Storytelling

  

Chapter 5: Relational Maintenance within Families



Relational Maintenance

Relational Maintenance Strategies  

Relational Currencies

 

Chapter 6: Intimacy within Partnerships and Families



Commitment Self-Expression: Disclosure and Nonverbal Affection

Sexuality and Communication   

Intimacy Factors: Effort, Sacrifice, Forgiveness, and Sanctification 

Barriers to Intimacy

 

Chapter 7: Communication and Family Roles and Types



Specific Role Functions

The Role Appropriation Process

Couple and Family Typologies

 

Chapter 8: Power, Influence, and Decision Making in Families



Power Influence   

Decision Making

 

Chapter 9: Communication and Family Conflict



The Process of Conflict  

Unresolved Conflict

Destructive Conflict   

Constructive Conflict

 

Chapter 10: Communication and Family Developmental Stresses

Overview of Family Change

Family Stages and Life-Course Issues

Transitions Between Stages

 

Chapter 11: Family Communication and Unpredictable Stress



Unpredictable Stress and Family Coping Patterns Communication and Specific Crises

 



Chapter 12: Family Communication and Well-Being

Family Communication and Physical Well-Being

Difficult Conversations on Current Issues

Approaches for Improving Family Communication