Unquestioned Ease

In this book, the authors describe and challenge the pervasive and often unconscious “ease” in our everyday communication. By both raising critical awareness of “ease” and introducing cognitive, emotional and communicative resources, the authors provide readers with strategies to engage in effective communication about difficult subjects.

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This book highlights hidden unintentional biases, emotional defense mechanisms, and responses in haste. By revealing these preconceived notions present in message choices, Xiaowei Shi and Steven Mortenson demonstrate techniques to help prevent communication from becoming problematic. In a conversational style, the authors extend their interdisciplinary theoretic perspectives by introducing concepts and practices of supportive confrontation and argumentative interaction management. Through examining those automatic responses and reactions in our everyday conversation with friends, coworkers, and loved ones, this book engages the readers to confront their own hidden preferences and underlying beliefs about gender, relationships, and themselves with a new eye. The book moves beyond prior work on rational choice model in strategic communication by considering actual human attributes. Shi and Mortenson offer new insights into communication “noises” and how to engage in communication during a difficult life event or on a difficult subject in a more skillful manner. Scholars of social psychology, interpersonal communication, and communication training and development will find this book of particular interest.