Chapter 7

Click on the following links - please note these will open in a new window

Article 1: Kellas, J. K., Bean, D., & Cunningham, C. (2008). The ex-files: Trajectories, turning points, and adjustment in the development of post-dissolutional relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 25(1), 23–50. doi:10.1177/0265407507086804

Questions that apply to this article:

1. Begin by reading the abstract for this article. What were your thoughts about communication between ex-partners prior to reading this abstract? Do you assume that former romantic partners still communicated, or did you think that communication stopped, for the most part, after a break-up?
2. Identify where the authors suggest that "current models of relationship development, however, rarely include the existence of relationships after the formal termination of an inter-personal relationship, and thus they do not account for the intricacies and complexities associated potentially with post-dissolutional relationship (PDR) development and the larger relationship life cycle.” Why do you think this might be the case?
3. Find where the authors state that “studies of post-dissolutional communication (PDC), such as the processes of redefining a relationship, are therefore consequential to a complete picture of the relationship life cycle.” Do you see these studies as being applicable to enough cases that the information should be added to the study of relationship break-ups, or do you think that the numbers of ex-partners are so low that including such information would be meaningless?
4. As you read about “turning points” in the article, what are your thoughts on them? There seem to be so many. Do you think that additional research should be conducted on these turning points in an attempt to slow down or stop the dissolution of relationships?

Article 2:  Herrmann, A. F. (2007). How Did We Get This Far Apart? Disengagement, Relational Dialectics, and Narrative Control. Qualitative Inquiry, 13(7), 989–1007. doi:10.1177/1077800407304468

Questions that apply to this article:

1. Find where the author discusses what relational dialectics are and are not. Do you feel that this explanation is on track with what Duck and McMahan say in the textbook chapter?
2. Read the section titled “How Did We Get This Far Apart?” Compare and contrast what is written with what you read in Duck and McMahan.
3. Read “Nothing Left but Faith” in the article. The narrative veers away from theoretical applications regarding relationships. Does the narrative help you to “see” over and above what you had thought about relationships before reading it, or does it just reinforce what you already knew?
4. This article has not “Conclusion” section like many do. How would you write a conclusion to this article knowing what you know about relationships and what was written in the article?