Mean Girls (HCA # 6)
1. What did the movie teach you about the culture of high school?
How has the culture of high school changed? (Consider how you
defined the culture of your high school or more recent media
portrayals. You can also discussed how the culture of the fictional
high school in the film changed)
2. “The Plastics” exist as their own culture (within a larger culture); tell
me about their culture.
3. Tell me about Cady’s personal identity. What impacted her identity?
(for example, consider the role of different factors discussed in the
chapter such as self-disclosure, reflected appraisals, social
comparisons, direct definition)
Relationships in Mean
Girls (Q#4)
Personal vs. Social
Relationships
Dialectics
Autonomy vs. Connection
Role relationships (COMM 1500)
Features
Uniqueness, commitment,
investment
Novelty vs. Predictability
Openness vs. Closedness
And attempts to mediate:
Neutralization
Relationship Rules (spoken vs.
unspoken)
Separation
Relationship Culture
Reframing
Role of context
Turning Points
Segmentation
Evolution of Relationships
Role of Communication
Agree or Disagree?
Conflict in relationships is necessary
Conflict, context, healthy vs. unhealthy
Opposites attract
Matching Hypothesis
Attractiveness doesn’t play a role
Types of attractiveness
A relationship is an investment
Investment and Commitment (features of relationships)
Agree or Disagree?
A relationship needs rules
Relationship rules and culture
Friendships and romantic relationships should
overlap
Defining relationships
Friends can be defined as family
Defining relationships
Agree or Disagree?
Relationships are a part of a person’s identity
Personal identity, separation (connection vs. autonomy),
culture
Separation is necessary for healthy relationships
Dialectic  connection vs. autonomy
Costs should always outweigh rewards in a
relationship
Equity theory, Social Exchange theory, investments and
commitment
Agree or Disagree?
The structure, duration, and culture of relationships
differs from generation to generation
Evolution of relationships, features, type, culture
Technology positively impacts relationships
Evolution of relationships, features, context
Relationship partners should have similar
communication habits
Role of Communication
HCA #7 (will post)
Find a short video clip (1 to 2 minutes) that serves as a good example of a
healthy or unhealthy relationship.
You will use the clip to show an example of relationship
culture/rules/uniqueness In a short write up (half a page to a page, typed)
and in your explanation to class you will:
Explain why the relationship is healthy or unhealthy
Explain if the relationship is personal or social and why
Explain how their communication (verbal and nonverbal) helped you
understand something about their culture, rules and uniqueness
Example on next slide
Include the video link on your typed assignment AND email it to yourself.
Come prepare to present. We will use the entire class period and will get through
as many as we can.
Example: (will not be posted)
In the clip, I begin to see how Bob and Billy have a unique, personal
relationship. I am familiar with the show, so I do know they are involved
in a friendship. But I also notice, from their exchange, that they have a
bond. If I was to visit Bob, for example, we probably would not have the
same personal exchange as he had with Billy.
At one point Bob calls Billy stupid. However, Billy responds with
laughter and they still continue their conversation. This shows me that
part of their uniqueness and culture is the ability to playfully tease each
other. I would also guess that this is one of their unspoken rules. They
are allowed to playfully call each other names that would be offensive in
a different situation. The context and content of the encounter may have
also played a role since they were discussing a playful topic…..