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Semiotic silence: Its use as a conflictmanagement strategy in intimate relationships

  • Joseph Oduro-Frimpong

    His research interests include communicology of African media (Nollywood), human sexuality, and interpersonal relationships.

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Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 4. Dezember 2007
Semiotica
Aus der Zeitschrift Band 2007 Heft 167

Abstract

Communication scholars' early interest in the function of silence in human interactions produces different theorizations about the phenomenon. Contemporary interest is evidenced in a plethora of research exploring different domains of how silence is utilized in human interaction. Despite the sustained interest in the function of silence in human communication, there is a paucity of research examining how intimate partners use silence as a conflict-management strategy. Consequently, there is an impoverished understanding on how such couples manage their marital conflicts using silence. This study thus investigates how married couples use silence as a conflict management strategy in their relationships. Using a qualitative paradigm — specifically the semiotic phenomenological perspective — and analyzing the research data through Lanigan's three-step methodology, I discover participants' experiences with silence in conflict situations with their spouses. The analysis reveals four themes that describe the experiences of married couples using silence as conflict-management tactic. Discussion of the themes reveals important findings as to how participants use silence in three ways to manage the inevitable conflicts that arise within their relationships.

About the author

Joseph Oduro-Frimpong

His research interests include communicology of African media (Nollywood), human sexuality, and interpersonal relationships.

Published Online: 2007-12-04
Published in Print: 2007-11-20

© Walter de Gruyter

Heruntergeladen am 19.11.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/SEM.2007.080/pdf
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