In the first episode of Parenthood, it is very evident that a normal family such as the Braverman’s can have just as many conflicts as any other family. The Braverman clan, comprised of an older couple, their four children, and their respective families, experience many trials throughout this first episode, which just goes to show that conflict is inevitable when you have that many people together. The first episode is a culmination of different conflicts that entail things less serious such as Crosby, Sarah’s younger brother, sleeping with his girlfriend Katie, who has a different man’s sperm in their refrigerator to more serious conflict where Kristina and Adam find out their son is diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. The scene that I am
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Throughout this episode, Katie pesters Crosby about having a child, but at the same time worries and expresses to him that she feels he is too immature to take care of a child at this stage of their relationship. A competitive conflict communication style occurs because the whole time they are talking, things gradually escalate which then in return, intensifies the argument. The textbook characterizes this as schismogenesis which occurs when the behavior of one person intensify the behaviors of the other person (Kahn & Abigail, 2014). For example, when Crosby goes to Katie to confront her about the person whose sperm is in their refrigerator, Katie immediately responds with calling Crosby an infant and telling him that he needs to grow up before they have a child of their own. This just goes to show that if you approach a situation with hostility, you may receive it after you dish it out. The next thing that we can apply to this conflict is the relationship theory of social exchange. According to Kelley and Thibault, people evaluate their interpersonal relationships in terms of value, which is created by the costs and rewards of the relationship (Kahn & Abigail, 2014). Katie was actively evaluating the decision to keep the sperm in her house because the choice she makes could adversely affect the relationship. Crosby was also doing the same by debating whether or not to give her a baby within the next three years to keep her around and ultimately make her
Throughout this episode, Katie pesters Crosby about having a child, but at the same time worries and expresses to him that she feels he is too immature to take care of a child at this stage of their relationship. A competitive conflict communication style occurs because the whole time they are talking, things gradually escalate which then in return, intensifies the argument. The textbook characterizes this as schismogenesis which occurs when the behavior of one person intensify the behaviors of the other person (Kahn & Abigail, 2014). For example, when Crosby goes to Katie to confront her about the person whose sperm is in their refrigerator, Katie immediately responds with calling Crosby an infant and telling him that he needs to grow up before they have a child of their own. This just goes to show that if you approach a situation with hostility, you may receive it after you dish it out. The next thing that we can apply to this conflict is the relationship theory of social exchange. According to Kelley and Thibault, people evaluate their interpersonal relationships in terms of value, which is created by the costs and rewards of the relationship (Kahn & Abigail, 2014). Katie was actively evaluating the decision to keep the sperm in her house because the choice she makes could adversely affect the relationship. Crosby was also doing the same by debating whether or not to give her a baby within the next three years to keep her around and ultimately make her