When reading for this learning unit, I kind of forgot about this until I came across, static- dynamic dialectic. Finally a name for what life is all about. Static-Dynamic dialectic by definition means - relationships are constantly in flux, responding to various personal and contextual dynamics. The example given was of two friends who when they first met had many things in common and then over the course of around five years they had changed. Now they are still friends but their relationship has changed, because now they can't connect or respond in the way they used to but now have to respond to the way they are now. This is just an example of what will happen for the rest of our lives, but it seems more evident now that we are in college. Friends of ours are getting married, having kids, graduating college and starting their careers, and some of us seem like we are stuck exactly where we are.
Now the Static- Dynamic dialect seems a bit contradicting. The definition of static is - lacking in movement, change or type of action, in a way that is undesirable or uninteresting. The in definition of dynamic in contrast is - constant change, progress or activity. The book also states however that changes may be slow so it is important to keep in mind or to remind ourselves and others that relationships can be both.
While thinking about his dialectic a little more a few movies came to mind, the first being 27 Dresses, in which Jane has always been the bridesmaid but never the bride. She is then forced to watch the man she is in love with marry her sister, once again being a bridesmaid. As the plot unfolds she meets Kevin whom throughout the story helps her through the experience of being her sister's maid of honor, and planning a wedding for the man she hoped to marry. Obstacles, troubles and trails threaten her but finally in the end she finds happiness and becomes the bride and participates in her last wedding. Here in the trailer we see Jane's relationship change either statically or dynamically throughout the movie.
27 Dresses (2008) Trailer
How I Met Your Mother is probably though the perfect example. It follows friends from their first encounters to all their adventurous as life long friends. We see many example of static-dyanmic relationships; friendships, relationships, marriages, engagements, family relationships, career changes, neighbors, college roommates, workers etc. We see these things unfold on screen every week and see the course of the changes in either an episode, a season or the entire series of the show. For example, Marshall and Lily's relationship is followed from their college days and shows all their changes from getting engages, living together, married, children, arguments and their growth of their relationship from episode to episode.
Cast of HIMYM
Lily and Marshall through the seasons
Now there are many more Tv series, movies, videos and other things I could use as example but I believe the best example for this specific dialectic is just living life. It's hard to see some of the changes when you're watching your favorite TV characters or watching a movie because you're almost expecting changes to happen, like "happy endings" in all of the old Disney classics like Cinderella, Snow White, Tangled to name a few. But we all know that life gets in the way, things happen, changes happen that prevent these things from working out sometimes. Life is full of static-dynamic dialectics, it will happen.
You'll make new friends, and unfortunately loose old ones. You'll find "the one" to only maybe lose it. You'll have new, exciting relationships and maybe you'll rekindle old ones. You'll have a new job and have new co-workers, probably not even thinking about your old job once you do. You'll have new neighbors, new acquaintances, new members of your family. Your relationships will constantly be changing, they are always in flux. Enjoy it, embrace it. Static- Dynamic dialectic like stated in our textbook says that changes may take time, or not. So enjoy the time you have now with the lack of changes and embrace the time when your changes are in flux.
Works Cited
"27 Dresses." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
Martin, Judith N., and Thomas K. Nakayama. Intercultural Communication in Contexts. Boston, Mass: McGraw-Hill, 2007. Print.
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