Moving from traditional research paper to public inquiry project
Family Communication is an upper division, undergraduate course
whose purpose is to explore the 
different definitions of “family” and the communication issues that family members face in today’s rapidly changing socio-cultural contexts. The course uses communication theories and research to examine how dynamics change as families move through and are affected by major societal shifts and life transitions (including education, health, technology, and work). When these changes occur, families often enter a time of conflict and need to explore ways to resolve the dispute amicably and effectively.
The final project of the semester will have students asking, “How might we help families successfully recover from the pandemic?” (This new inquiry project would replace the more traditional research paper that the course has required in the past.) Students will define “family” and determine the meaning of “successful.” Students will then research pandemic-related issues facing families, using academic and mass market sources. Students will further investigate the challenges before families by interviewing 2-3 families or 2-3 agencies serving families.
Students will create and share a public product detailing their findings but will also submit a written research summary. Design guidelines would be provided for the public artifact, such as websites, blogs, brochures, infographics, etc., so it meets professional visual and graphic design standards. Style guidelines will also be provided for the academic writing, so it meets academic writing standards. By adhering to such external guidelines, students will be able to use these artifacts as part of their “professional portfolios” upon graduation.
Resources for the project include:
Textbook: Galvin, K. M., Braithwaite, D. O., & Bylund, C. L. (2019). Family Communication: Cohesion and Change (10th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Academic style guide (print): Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). (2020). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Academic style guide (online): Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) APA Style Guide
Presentation style guide (print): Gallo, C. (2014). Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds. New York, NY: St. Martens Press.
Presentation style guide (online):
* Digital Library Foundation
* Microsoft Support Team
* Stinson Design Firm
Research frames for the project include:
Demographic trends / family forms & functions, according to the Pew Research Center
Interpersonal communication models/theories including:
* Communication Accommodation Theory (Giles)
* Communication Privacy Management Theory (Petronio)
* Dyadic Power Theory (Rollins and Bahr)
* Family Communication Patterns Theory (Koerner & Fitzpatrick)
* Narrative Performance Theory (Langellier)
* Relational Dialectics Theory (Baxter & Montgomery)
* Relational Turbulence Model (Solomon & Knobloch)
* Symbolic Convergence Theory (Bormann)
Other social science theories including:
* Attachment Theory (Bowlby)
* Attribution Theory (Kelley & Weiner)
* Emotional Regulation Theory (Gross)
* Family Stress & Coping Model (Hill)
* Social Exchange Theory (Thibaut & Kelley)
* Social Learning Theory (Bandura)
* Systems Theory (von Bertalanffy)