Interpersonal Relation

Subject: Civic Education

Class: SS2

Topic: Inter-Personal Relation

Meaning of Interpersonal Relationship

Interpersonal Relationship is a close association or acquaintance between two or more people. Interpersonal relationship can also be defined as the social association, connection or affiliation between two or more people.

An interpersonal relationship is the nature of interaction that occurs between two or more people. People in an interpersonal relationship may interact overtly, covertly, face-to-face or even anonymously.

Types of Inter-personal Relationship

The different types of Inter-personal Relationship are:

1. Peer Relationship: Is a relationship that exists among people within the same age bracket, political or social group, classmates, etc.
2. Platonic Relationship: This is the type of relationship that exists between people of the same or different genders without any intention of marriage or intimate affairs. It can exist between a man and a woman, boy and girl, etc.
3. Relationship between man and God: This is the relationship between a creator and His creatures
4. Family Relationship: This exists between members of the same family. It is known as biological relationship
5. Relationship between man and man: It is a friendship between two people of the same gender who agreed to become friends. They share similar interests. It can also exist between woman and woman , girl and girl or boy and boy
6. Opposite gender relationship: Most times, this exists between unmarried man and unmarried woman.

Importance of Inter-personal Relationship

Importance of Inter-personal Relationships include:

• Inter-personal relationships enhance Respect and Regards
• Inter-personal relationships ensure common goal
• Inter-personal relationships ensure Inter-dependence
• Inter-personal relationships ensure Transparency

Stages of Inter-personal Relationship

There are 5 stages of Inter-personal Relationship - according to a Psychologist, George Levinger. They are:

• Acquaintance stage: Inter-personal relationship starts from the point when two people meet each other.
• The building up stage: This is the stage where relationship extends beyond knowing each other. At this stage people develop strong and deep trust for each other.
• Continuation stage: It is the deepening stage of a relationship. Here, there exist deep down level of closeness , joy and passion for each other.
• Deterioration stage: This is the stage where all the flakes of the relationship begin to wane i.e a stage when you begin to get tired of your relationship
• Termination stage: This is the stage where the relationship ends either by event of death of one partner, separation or divorce.

Skills that can promote Inter-personal Relationship

The various skills that can promote inter-personal relationship include:

1. Respect /cheerfulness: for any relationship to work out well, the people involved must learn to respect one another and be cheerful at all times.
2. Tolerance: For any relationship to last, people must learn to tolerate one another
3. Patience/ Endurance: Anybody involved in any kind of inter-personal relationship should learn to be patient and endure in any situation.
4. Honesty: Honesty is a key to a successful relationship; Partners of any form of inter-personal relationship should learn to be truthful and honest to each other for a lasting relationship.
5. Appreciation and contentment: Friends should learn to appreciate one another for any little assistance rendered and should learn to be contented with the little things that they have.
6. Forgiveness: To avoid hatred, friends in inter-personal relationship should forgive one another for any offence or else such relationship will not last. Counting and recording mistakes will not help any type of relationship.

Obstacles to Inter-personal relationship

1. Lack of communication
2. Inability to forgive
3. Deceit
4. Malice and gossip
5. Bad character and behaviours

Reference: https://www.schoolmattazz.com