Article Critique: Self-Disclosure, Gender, and Communication

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Article Critique: Self-Disclosure, Gender, and Communication Marcella Kendrick COM200: Interpersonal Communication (ADM1245A) Professor Donna Mills November 26, 2012 Article Critique: Self-Disclosure, Gender, and Communication Self-disclosure is important in relationships in an effort for individuals to understand one another. It is unfair for individuals, especially in a marriage, to assume their partner knows or understands what they need without vocalization. No one can read minds and communication is the key to any successful relationship. In my current relationship, my partner and I take out time every day to communicate with each other in private. During this period, no other communications are on and we do not speak to anyone else during our time together. We also use a talking stick, a cultural way of communication started by the American Indians. Whoever has the stick is the only one allowed to speak and the other individual may only listen. When one of us is finished talking, we pass the stick to the other partner and then the roles of speaker and listener are reversed. During my time and his, we both practice self-disclosure concerning how we feel, if we feel slighted and so on. This creates a gateway for communication and the corrections of any misunderstandings that have taken place. This also eliminates the necessity for anyone to walk around angry, as we both try to vocalize not only pleasant things, but the difficult as well. This process has also strengthened our intimate relationship as we discuss and respond to our personal needs. I can honestly say that I wish I had the maturity to allow self-disclosure to come out years ago, as I believe I could have avoided a few relationship mistakes. My boyfriend does not seem to be hung up on gender behavior nor do we try to generalize what

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