Ordinary People
Ordinary people 1. What is dialectic? Dialectic is like treat people with borderline personality disorder. It explains relational life as full of pus-pull tensions resulting from the desire for polar opposites. Autonomy and Connection It desire to be independent or dependence while simultaneously wanting to feel connection with the partner EX: Beth and Calvin have the connection dialectic when they decide to go on a vacation together. Conrad has autonomy dialectic after he argued with his mom down stair and went to his room, he want to be alone.
Novelty and Predictability They manifest in our simultaneous desires for excitement or stability in our relationship,—- Novelty is excitement, new. Predictability is stable, same routine. EX: in the film, Conrad has Novelty dialectic when he met his friend, Jen. The mother, Beth, has Predictability dialectic because she always keeps thinking about Buck’s dead was not happened; she always thought nothing was happened. Public and Private It is the tension between how much of a friendship is demonstrated in public and private.
EX: in the movie, when Conrad when to the restaurant with Jen, he has the public dialectic, he is openness at the beginning at the restaurant. But when Jeannie’s friends came in the restaurant, Conrad changed his dialectic into Private and does not like to talk at all. 2. System theory Wholeness: a principle that states that we can not understand a system by simply picking it apart. An undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting Interdependence: dependence between two or more people, groups, or things
EX: Conrad’s dependence between his parents, friends. Hierarchy: the organization of people at different ranks in an administrative body * In the film, it does not show any rank in the family, every one look like in the same rank. Boundaries or Openness: a line determining the limits of an area, creating a boundary around each separate system. EX: in the movie, Conrad tell Dr. Berger how he feel about his family and his sadness. Calibration or feedback: the process of system setting their parameters, checking on themselves and self-correcting. Conrad quit his swimming team because he can not handle his stress while swimming. Equifinality: the ability to achieve the same goals by variety of means. 3. Mark knapp’s model of relationship. a). Conrad and Jeannie Pratts’ relationship in the Initiating Stage, they notice each other when they just meet in school. They are also in Experimenting Stage, Conrad called her and want to date her, she accepted it. This mean they understand what they want. b)
