Abstract
“It's Just a Part of Life” focuses on career and personal challenges as two couples (Maria and Brad; Sara and Alejandro) deal with anticipated and unexpected disruptions in their lives. These couples experience events and opportunities including returns-to-work after laborforce gaps, job changes, geographical relocations, infertility, unplanned business trips and workloads, and sleep deprivation during early child rearing years. As they devise strategies for managing these stressful situations both individually and collectively, they adapt to and transform their new normals by enacting communication resilience processes. Throughout the case, there are episodes in which they, and the children (Eden and Lucy), perform the five processes: crafting normalcy; using, maintaining, and creating new networks; backgrounding negative feelings while foregrounding productive action; utilizing alternative logics; and anchoring identities. They enact resilience for themselves and others, for the present and the future, and by reflecting upon their pasts.
TopCase Study: It’S Just A Part Of Life
Maria heard the front doorbell and rushed to get her capris on. If she hadn’t gained those 10 pounds, she might have an easier time with the zipper. As she was holding in her breath, she heard the doorbell ring again.
“Augh”, Maria exhaled as she finally fully stuffed herself into her pants. She realized that she was still able to breathe and gave thanks for small blessings. She looked out the glass panel set in the front door to see the brown delivery truck. She opened the front door to the usual UPS delivery person in her neighborhood.
Maria smiled, “Hi Chris!! It’s good to see you and to get the package I’ve been waiting for. These items have been out of stock for ages!!”
Chris replied with a laugh, “I’m grateful to you, Maria, for keeping UPS in business.” Maria agreed as she signed the required form. As Chris walked down the sidewalk to the truck, Chris yelled, “Have a great weekend!” Maria watched as Chris hopped into the truck and took off.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Communication Theory of Resilience (CTR): Process of reintegration after loss or disruptions (known as triggers) to communicatively construct new normalcies.
Work-Life Balance: Popular and academic term that implies that there are two domains in people’s lives (paid labor and personal life activities) that are supposed to be equally present, valued, and performed.