We'll never be that kind of couple

Power is defined as; "an individual's ability to influence others to do what he or she wants, as well as a person's ability to resist the influence attempts of others". Now just by taking this definition I think that we can apply it to case study number 19, "We'll never be that kind of couple". 

Emma and Jason have a constant power struggle between the two of them, as well as the next door neighbors. One of the examples of a power struggle is when they get in a fight about Emma becoming friends with her ex on Facebook. Jason gets very up set, and they continue to "one-up" each other through out the conversation, until Jason ends up storming out of the apartment. 

Another power struggle is when they started to create date nights for the two of them, and Jason forgets about the date night, and wants to go to the game with his friends. Emma becomes very upset about this, and soon she becomes silent with anger, and "holding it in". Jason realizes that what he should have done was think more about Emma than about his friends and the game, so he goes out and buys her flowers, but at that point it is too late. Emma is already getting ready to go out with her friends, and she isn't going to change her mind. Once again in the conversation they continue to "one-up" each other, until someone gets so angry they storm out. 

Agency is defined as; why people often feel the need to "change" their relational partners, so that they fit their conceptions of how a perfect partner should behave." I think within this same case, Emma and Jason's neighbors are also having a power struggle, it seems as though the "he neighbor" as they call him, is trying to change the way the "she neighbor" is acting by violence. 

Dominance refers to the display or expression of power through behavior, which can relate to almost all the cases that we had to read through this particular session involving hard emotions, but especially in this case involving the neighbors, the he and she neighbor. It seems as though the "he neighbor" is constantly trying to dominate the "she neighbor" by telling her what to do, and acting out in violence, as a way to control her, and it is continuing to worsen. 

In conclusion, all the cases that we read in this session involved very difficult situations that occur from peoples different perspectives, and reasons people act the way they do. Although this was probably the hardest, and most emotional section of our class, I think that it was the most beneficial, I really can relate to a lot of these cases, and the emotions involved in these situations. I learned a lot of about myself, and relationships that I have with other people in this particular module.