Booth 1

Annalise Booth

ENG 1201

Dr. Cassel

17 March 2022

Better Communication Helps Improve Relationships

Communication is the key to making all relationships work, between people, pets,

oneself, and more. Through communication, human beings can build trust. Trust includes

growing and maturing in relationships with one another. Studies have tried to determine the

meaning of communication and how it shapes us as people. Relationships matter and make huge

impacts on our lives; communication is what helps those relationships thrive. To discover how

communication works as a tool in our relationships, one must focus our thoughts on asking

ourselves what communication is, how it makes an impact on daily life, and how it has evolved

through time.

Communication dates back to approximately 100,000 BCE. During this time,

communication was mainly through hand gestures and grunts. We have since evolved to the

point that even a tone change in your voice can have a different meaning when communicating.

Statements previously seen as offensive have possibly changed meaning as communication has

evolved.

The spelling of words has also evolved. For example, in Romeo and Juliet, they used

“thee” and “thou." In today’s society, that type of language is not as commonly used. We now

use “the” and “hey” more often. Communication has more meanings and can cause

complications and confusion when used incorrectly, especially in relationships.

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The art of communication is constantly being influenced in many different ways. Some of

which include drug and alcohol abuse. One study by Randy R. Kafka and Perry London

reviewed how parents and friends influence adolescent substance abuse. This study shows how

communication can affect your closest relationships. According to both Kafka and London, “The

results suggest that the degree to which adolescents talk openly with their parents may influence

the extent of their substance abuse" (Kafka and London). The results indicate that the stronger

the communication is between the two parties, the stronger the relationship bond is. They also

analyzed how peer pressure from close relationships can impact substance abuse. (Kafka and

London).

Another article by Heeyeon Son describes an Oncology nurse who studied the

communication challenges in Korea. This writer took a Methodologic Approach to examine the

communication between the families. The article demonstrates, “how emotional communication

affects parent–adolescent relationships and the family’s coping abilities” (Son). There is an

overarching similarity between the sources stating “I cannot share my feelings”.

This article was mostly directed at healthcare providers although patient to patient

communications were addressed through the article. For example, “20 participants (10

adolescents with cancer, aged 13–19 years, and their parents) at a university-affiliated hospital in

Seoul, South Korea” (Son). Individual interviews were conducted between these participants.

Better communication allows for relationships to be more open and trusting. (Heeyeon Son).

A common idea to help improve communication in relationships is stated in an article by

Debbie Shepard - LeMoine. It is shown in this article that strength-based communication helps

build relationships and allows for a better healthcare outcome. “Communication… coming

together, sharing experiences, sharing practices, helping us understand how the nursing role has
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evolved…that’s what keeps our team strong and cohesive initially, was coming together and

talking” (LeMoine).

Perhaps the best way to improve current relationships and form new ones is good, healthy

communication. Another form of communication is between you and yourself. Annett Hill’s

documentary focuses on how we analyze and view ourselves. “Oppenheimer describes The Act

of Killing as a ‘documentary about the imagination. We are documenting the ways we imagine

ourselves, the ways we know ourselves” (Hill). It is important to note the similarity in

communication between yourself and others, both are equally as important and necessary to

build relationships.
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Works Cited

Alcorn, Frederick Douglass. The Omnipotent Presence and Power of Teacher-Student

Transactional Communication Relationships in the Classroom : The so-Called “Post-Race

Era.” Sense Publishers, 2016. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=cat01128a&AN=scc.b1785675&site=eds-live.

Heeyeon Son, et al. “Communication Challenges in Korean Families Coping With Adolescent

Cancer.” Oncology Nursing Forum, vol. 47, no. 6, Nov. 2020, pp. E190–98. EBSCOhost,

https://doi.org/10.1188/20.ONF.E190-E198.

Hill, Annette. “Documentary Imaginary : Production and Audience Research of The Act of

Killing and The Look of Silence.” European Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 24, no. 4,

Sept. 2021, pp. 801–15. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1177/13675494211033291.

Kafka, Randy R., and Perry London. “Communication in Relationships and Adolescent

Substance Use: The Influence of Parents and Friends.” ProQuest, October 1991,

https://www.proquest.com/openview/727dc8b3b784c34d78f687732419fda6/1?pq-

origsite=gscholar&cbl=41539. Accessed 05 March 2022.

Sheppard-LeMoine, Debbie, et al. “Empowering Public Health Nurses and Community Home

Visitors through Effective Communication Relationships.” Nursing Reports, vol. 11, no.

3, Sept. 2021, pp. 652–65. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep11030062.