How is communicating in a family different then any other relationship?

For most of us, our first relationship is with our parents. It provides us with a sense of belonging and unconditional love that no one else can provide. Although we have many different kinds of relationships with a lot of different people, family is the most important because they will always be there for you no matter what. Friends come and go, but family will always be there.

A lot of times communication isn't always good or clear in families due to busy schedules. Teenagers think that their parents know nothing at all and so they talk to their friends and avoid being open with family members. Friends are good to talk to sometimes, but your family is the best means to help you through a rough time or just to give out advice because they have your best interests in mind.

I suffer from anxiety and depression and although I talk to my friends about it, my family is my greatest suppport system. I come from a huge family and although we have our disagreements, we are always there for eachother. We have a big get together at Thanksgiving with 60 or more people at my Great Aunts house in Missouri. It is a time for us to all catch up and talk about what some of us may be going through. There is always a lot of laughing and memories being made.

Although all of our relationships are important, family is of the upmost important. Being with your family introduces us to friendship and intimate relationships for when we are older. We learn from our parents and other family members about what to do and what not to do with our future realtionships, weather that be friendship, boyfriend/girlfriend, or husband/wife.

How and why do we choose our friends?

Most people choose their friends based on things like sports teams, music, clothes, studying the same things in school, etc. We all want to feel close to others who have similar interests in things that we do.

We sometimes meet friends through other friends, or maybe we see someone just walking down the street with our favorite band shirt on and form a friendship that way. Either way...we become attracted to those who share common interests.

I have come to know a lot of people from school and work. I have met a lot of different people with different interests and a lot with similar interests. Even though I like and get along with the people who have different interests, I prefer to hang out with those who like the same things that I do. Some people get along with everyone and some people don't. Most people choose to be with others who have simimlar interests.

A good example, would be my two best friends Nicole and Jeremy. Nicole and I have a lot in common. We dress alike, like the same music,  and have a lot of the same interests as far as what we want to do in life. Jeremy and I have a few things in common. We both like the Chicage Bears and to watch tv and movies. But there are a lot of things that he likes that I don't and there are a lot of things that I like that he doesn't. We still get along great, but if I wanted to hangout with someone who likes country music, I would hangout with Nicole and if I wanted to have a movie marathon, I would hangout with Jeremy.

We are all different, and that's not a bad thing at all. if everyone was the same, life would be really boring. I like to be around people who are different because I get to experience different things then what I like and am used to. I also like to be around those who I have things in common with, to enjoy what I like doing.

Lie To Me

In the hit tv series "Lie to Me, Dr. Cal Lightman can tell when people are lying to him just by studying their body language. By blinking and swallowing to much, he can tell you're nervous. By looking to the right, he can tell you're lying. By looking to the left, he can tell that you are thinking.

Just because you say one thing, your body language may say another. There are reseachers just like Dr. Lightman who study real criminal cases and other things to see if your body language matches up to what you are saying.

In one case, a lady was claiming her sons were kidnapped. They could tell she was lying because her voice was sincere but her face wasn't. When you are truely upset and or worried you get wrinkles in your forehead. She had no wrinkles what so ever. She later admitted to murdering her sons.

When Princess Diana died, Tony Blair gave a speech about what happend and how sorry he was. When a professional watched to see if he was really sincere about what he was saying, he wasn't. His voice was changing pitches and his facial expressions didn't match up to what he was saying at all. He kept just a real straight face most of the time and his tone of voice and how it changed were indications that he was lying. Although there were some true expressions of saddness, there was alot that he was lying about.

A lot of times, people can't tell that you are lying by what you are saying, but by your body language. If you are truely smiling, you get wrinkles next to your eyes, if you aren't truely smiling, you don't. Just little things like this can make the world of difference in a criminal case or just in your everyday life to see if people are telling the truth. A lot of times you can't hide your body language, it's a part of us.

Reba

The show "Reba" is a comedy about a dysfunctional family just trying to get through the stresses of everyday life. Communication is something that they all need to work on...especially the adults.

Reba is a mother of 3, Cheyenne, Kira, and Jake. She is a very caring person who only wants the best for her kids. Brock is Reba's ex husband. He is a caring person but also a big goofball. He had an affair with his dental assistant Barbara Jean. Barabra Jean, is a fun loving and a dumb blonde, who is always bothering Reba. Cheyenne is a 17 year old, with a lot on her plate. She is pregnant with her boyfriend Van's baby. She is a very caring person who loves Van with all her heart. Van is the highschool football star. He is a complete goofball who loves Cheyenne very much and is always there for her no matter what. Kira is a sarcastic tween who is trying to grow up and deal with all the craziness that is going on around her. Jake is a carefree kid who loves to pesture Kira.

They all need to work on their communication skills. Reba is always slapping Van upside his head and making wise cracks to and about Barbara Jean. Brock doesn't like to talk about much of anything expcept football and golf. Kira and Jake are always doing something to eachother. Cheyenne and Van are usually fighting about silly and petty things that aren't even worth fighting about.

Communication is very important for everyday life. The reason so many people yell and fight all the time is because they don't know how to properly communicate with one another. People are selfish a lot of times, so when they hear what they don't want to, it causes an arguement or fight. The show "Reba" is a good example of bad communication skills. It is a problem that most people in society need to work on.

What is the difference between cultures and co-cultures?

Culture- the way of life of a particular society or group of people, including patterns of thoughts, beliefs, behavior, customs, traditions, rituals, dress, and language, as well as art, music, etc. A shared pattern of belief, feeling and adaption, which people carry in their minds. An organized group of ideas, habits and conditioned responding shared by members of a society. A blueprint for living.

Co-culture- a group whos beliefs or behaviors distinguish it from the larger culture of which it is part of and with which it shares numerous similarities.

The difference between a culture and a co-culture is that co-cultures are broken down into small groups of people with whom they already share common beliefs with. In other words they are a group inside of a group in which they have more in common with then with everyone else in their culture. Cultures are large groups in which everyone associates with almost everyone.

For example: I am a huge cow girl, I love country music and to wear cow girl boots. I have friends who are just like me and friends who aren't so much like me. I like to be around friends with whom I have more in common with and can listen to country music and wear my boots with rather then the people who think country music is just ok and are big city people. In other words the people that are like me would be considered part of my co-culture and the people who I have things in common with but not as much would be in my culture.

This plays a big part in our lives today. We are attracted to people with whom we have similar interests, weather that be a sports team, food, clothes, music, studying the same things in school. We all want to be part of a group and alot of times that is how we make friends and grow as people is by being around other people with similar interests.