Communication theory and the family

pp. 565-589

in: Pauline Boss, Ralph LaRossa, Walter R. Schumm, Suzanne Steinmetz (eds), Sourcebook of family theories and methods, Berlin, Springer, 1993

Abstract

Communication is a "god" term in our society because it is viewed as a panacea for ailing human relationships. Communication has moved from the periphery to center stage as the sine qua non of family life. Communication is central to family life today because the expectations for personal relationships have changed slowly but inexorably in this century. Although many of the traditional functions of the family have been delegated to other social agencies (e.g., care of the aged, education of the children, and so forth), the nurturance function remains. And, the nurturance of family members takes place primarily through the exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages (Fitzpatrick & Badzinski, 1985).