Date of Award

12-1-2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Carolyn Cunningham

Abstract

Technologically addicted teenagers are facing challenges not even imagined by those accepting the challenge of parenthood. Using Deborah Tannen’s Genderlect theory and the phenomenological approach of data gathering, teens and parents were asked about their experiences in communicating with each other. With regards to Gerry Philispen’s Theory of Speech Codes, the patterns of communication with teens and parents were considered. Communication technologies will continue to change at a lightning quick speeds; the importance of collaborative communication patterns continues to remain crucial to open and honest sharing of information between parents and teens. The desire to discover how to create open lines of honest communication, mutual trust, and reliable shared meanings are the main purpose of this research. Using 150 high school students, and 50 parents and community members in an urban high school in Texas, focus groups and self-directed journals were used to gather information about the issues and attitudes deemed important to teens and parents.

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