Semiotic silence: Its use as a conflictmanagement strategy in intimate relationships

Abstract

Communication scholars' early interest in the function of silence in human interactions produces different theorizations about the phenomenon. Contemporary interest is evidenced in a plethora of research exploring different domains of how silence is utilized in human interaction. Despite the sustained interest in the function of silence in human communication, there is a paucity of research examining how intimate partners use silence as a conflict-management strategy. Consequently, there is an impoverished understanding on how such couples manage their marital conflicts using silence. This study thus investigates how married couples use silence as a conflict management strategy in their relationships. Using a qualitative paradigm — specifically the semiotic phenomenological perspective — and analyzing the research data through Lanigan's three-step methodology, I discover participants' experiences with silence in conflict situations with their spouses. The analysis reveals four themes that describe the experiences of married couples using silence as conflict-management tactic. Discussion of the themes reveals important findings as to how participants use silence in three ways to manage the inevitable conflicts that arise within their relationships.