Classwork Series and Exercises { Civic Education – SS2}: Inter-personal Relationship

Civic SS2 Week 5

Topic: Inter-Personal Relationship

Contents:

• Relationship
• Meaning of Inter-personal Relationship
• Importance of Inter-personal Relationship
• Types of Inter-personal Relationship
• Stages of Inter-personal Relationship
• Basic Skills that Promotes Inter-personal Relationship
• Obstacles to Inter-personal Relationship

1. Meaning of Inter-personal Relationship

Interpersonal Relationship has been explained to be the social association, connection or affiliation between two or more people. An interpersonal relationship is a strong, deep, or close association or acquaintance between two or more people that may range in duration from brief to enduring.

2. Importance of Inter-personal Relationship

i. Common goals : The main essence of inter-personal relationship and necessary tools for building it is to share common goals, interests, views and objectives.

ii. Respect/Regard

iii. Inter-dependence

iv. Transparency

3. Types of Inter-personal Relationship

i. Platonic Relationships: This is the type of relationship that exists between people of the same or different genders without any intention of marriage or intimate affairs. This kind of relationship exists between same sexes or opposite sexes e.g. a boy and a girl, man and woman, woman and girl, woman and boy, woman and woman, man and man. This kind of relationship can be friendship between two people who share similar interests such as social interest, economic interest, religious interest, cultural interest e.t.c

ii. Relationship between opposite sex: This is the kind of relationship between unmarried man and woman (singles). Most times, this type of relationship leads both partners to marriage if well formalized.

iii. Relationship between man and GOD: This relationship exists between the creator and his creatures.

iv. Family Relationship: This exists between members of the same family (biological relationship) who are related by blood.

v. Peer Relationship: This is the friendship among people of same age bracket, political or social groups, classmates, sports e.t.c. E.g. fans of same football club, star artist, political club, clubs. e.t.c. may end up rearing peer relationship.

vi. Relationship between Individual and Government: This exists between the people of a country and the ruling government.

4. Stages of Inter-personal Relationship

i. Acquaintance Stage: This starts from the point when two people meet each other newly. People can meet in school, church, club e.t.c

ii. The Building-up Stage: This is the stage where relationship extends beyond just knowing each other. At this stage, people develop strong, deep and genuine confidence, hope, trust e.t.c in each other.

iii. Continuation Stage: This is the stage where relationship deepens. Here, there exists deep down level of closeness, joy, passion, intimacy and feelings for each other.

iv. Deterioration: This is the stage where all the flakes of the relationship begin to wane.

v. Termination Stage: At this stage, relationship ends either by the event of death of one partner, separation or divorce.

5. Basic Skills that Promote Inter-personal Relationship

Some positive skills that can help build and grow long-lasting inter-personal relationship are:

i. Tolerance: People should tolerate their partners for such long

ii. Kindness/Charity: Both partners must always be there for each other at the point of need.

iii. Patience/Endurance: Both partners in any kind of inter-personal relationship are supposed to treat each other patiently even at the point of pleasures or difficulties of any kind.

iv. Honesty: Truthfulness, meekness, firmness are the essential skills to help promote inter-personal relationship.

v. Forgiveness: Counting offenses, mistakes, weaknesses e.t.c does not help a relationship, they are relationship killers. Partners should learn or imbibe the habit of forgiving each other’s mistakes whenever it happens.

vi. Appreciation and Contentment: Be satisfied with whatever your partner can afford. Never ask for too much. Learn to appreciate and say “Thank You” whenever you receive a gift from your matter not considering whether it is large or small.

6. Obstacles to Inter-personal Relationship

The following are some of the factors that can hinder inter-personal relationship:

a. Deceit

b. Sadness

c. Malice and Unforgiveness

d. Lack of Good Communication

e. Compatibility: Character is the main subject of relationships. Those whose characters do not match should either work hard to build such or stop the relationship if they can’t cope. Partners or Friends without common goals and values may always have issues of arguments.

Exercise

1. One of the following options is a relationship killer. a) Cheerfulness b) Endurance c) Intolerance d) tolerance
2. When there are no common values, goals and objectives in a relationship, there may always be cases of ….. a) agreements b) arguments c) augments d) commitments
   
3. ……. is the stage where inter-personal relation deepens. a) Building-up stage b) Deterioration stage c) Continuation Stage d) Acquaintance Stage
4. Family relationship is a ………… related relationship. a) bond b) blood c) water d) water and blood
5. Inter-dependence is a/an …………. of inter-personal relationship. a) Stage b) Importance c) Skill d) Obstacle

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