Understanding misunderstandings : a practical guide to more successful human interaction / Robert L. Young.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Young, Robert L. (Robert Louis), 1949- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Miscommunication.

Interpersonal communication.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (185 p.)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Austin : University of Texas Press, [1999]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Have you ever meant one thing, but said another? Reacted angrily when no offense was intended? Wished that the earth would open up and swallow you? Understanding Misunderstandings will help you get out and stay out of these difficulties. Robert L. Young explains why many common types of misunderstandings arise and how they can be avoided or corrected. In the first part of the book, he breaks the process of misunderstanding down into stages, showing how it can occur when we misspeak, mishear, misinterpret, or react in inappropriate ways. In the second part, he expertly analyzes the kinds of misunderstandings that can arise from differences in culture, social class, race and ethnicity, and gender. Real-life examples illustrate many of the problems and solutions he describes. Because misunderstanding can destroy friendships and marriages, wreck careers, and lead to clashes between whole segments of society, understanding and diffusing it is of the utmost importance. This reader-friendly book provides the practical guidance to do just that. Educators, business people, psychologists, parents—in fact, everyone who interacts with other people—will benefit from it.

Contents:

""PREFACE""; ""1. Introduction: Interaction and Misunderstanding""; ""Part One. The Process of Misunderstanding""; ""2. Action: The Problem of Being Misunderstood""; ""3. Observing Behavior Perception and Misunderstanding""; ""4. Making Sense of What We Perceive: The Problem of Interpretation""; ""5. Modest Actions, Monumental Misunderstandings""; ""6. The Consummation and the Aftermath: Behavioral Responses and Emotional Reactions""; ""Part Two. Misunderstandings in Cultural and Social Context""; ""7. Culture Clashes""; ""8. Class Acts: Social Class and Misunderstandings""

""9. It's All Black and White: Race and Misunderstandings""""10. She Said, He Heard: Women, Men, and Misunderstanding""; ""References""; ""Index""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-292-75988-6

OCLC:

1280944731