According to the interactional view relationships within a family system within are interconnected and very resistant to change. When just one person in a family acts out of ordinary everyone else is affected. Paul Watzlawick , the leading scholar in the interactional studies field, believes that in order to understand the movement of a single member of a family, one has to study the communication patterns of all of its members. Watzlawick's theory of social interaction deals with the dysfunctional patterns within families and how to change their communication for the better. In reading about Watzlawick's theory called the Interactional View, I found what he was talking about was very easy to understand and relate to. Since every family has some form of internal problems and dysfunctional patterns, it is easy to see how this theory can be applied. To apply this theory to a real life situation, I will use my friend Chase and his drinking problem as an example..
             When studying communication patterns of Chase it is important to study the communication patterns of his family. When studying these patterns there are five axioms that must be followed. I will apply axiom #2 to Chases situation. Axiom #2 deals with how Communication equals content(verbal) plus relationship (non-verbal). Content focuses on what is said while relationships focuses on how it is said. I have spent a lot of time with Chase and have seen how he would communicate by using content and relationship with his parents when he would come home drunk on the weekends. Chases parents knew that he had a drinking problem, so they would usually wait up until he came home before they would go to bed because they would always worry about him. When Chase would come home at night he would communicate by raising his voice and slurring his words, his parents could tell that he was drunk from his tone of voice, his emphasis on certain words, and his facial cues. He wo
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