Communication+Privacy+Management+Theory

Communication Privacy Management Theory toc

=Summary:=

Communication Privacy Management Theory considers the every day decisions we make about how much information about ourselves we disclose to people and how much information we keep private. The information we choose to disclose or keep private can bring about both risks and rewards. CPM is a very recent theory, unlike many of the other theories we have discussed this semester. A woman named Petronio developed it the theory starting in 1991, but it truly came together as a theory in 2002 when she published her book, giving it its title. It is important to note that CPM is not a law theory, but a rule-based theory. Therefore there are no “assumptions” of the theory, but rather “suppositions,” which implies that there is guesswork/a hypothesis involved. The Suppositions of CPM are as follows: people have private information, private boundaries, control and ownership about the information, and we control it with rule based management and privacy management dialectics.



The first supposition of CPM is //private information//, or “information about things that matter deeply to a person,” and affect the way we define who we are. It is, essentially, the revealing of information. Focusing on this allows us to discern the concepts of privacy and intimacy and examine how they are related. The second is // private boundaries //, which are the distinctions of crossing the line between information that is public or private. Boundaries are often set but are not always completely rigid, while also not fully permeable. The supposition of //c// // ontrol and ownership // suggests that we have a sense of possession over our private information, and have the right do decide whether it becomes public or remains hidden. We believe it is our decision because we “own” it in a sense. We believe that we should be in a position to control who else (if anyone) is allowed to gain access to it. The fourth supposition is // rule based management. // This system is the framework for understanding the decisions people make about private information. The rule based management system allows for management on the individual and collective levels and is a complex arrangement consisting of three processes: privacy rule characteristics, boundary coordination, and boundary turbulence. Lastly, we have the supposition of // privacy management dialectics //, which “focuses on the tensions between the forces advocating for revealing private information and those advocating concealing it.” In other words, it is similar to cognitive dissonance theory in that it involves the unsettling feeling of wanting two contradictory things at once.

The processes within the supposition of rule based management are a lesson on their own. Privacy rule characteristics have two main features: development and attributes. Rule development is guided by people's decision criteria for revealing or concealing private information. There are five criteria that are used for developing privacy rules: cultural criteria, gendered criteria, motivational criteria, contextual criteria, and risk-benefit ration criteria. The first criteria depends on the norms for privacy and openness in a given culture. The second refers to the differences that may exist between men and women in drawing their privacy boundaries. The third has to do with the idea that people make decisions about disclosing based on their motivations. The fourth has deals with a person's social and physical environment affecting their decision to disclose. The final criteria means that people evaluate the risks relative to the benefits of disclosing or keeping quiet. Boundary coordination describes how we manage information that is co-owened. It also refers to the rights and privileges accruing to co-owners of private information. Here, there are two types of boundaries: thick and thin. Thick boundaries are closed boundaries that allow little or no information to pass through. Thin boundaries are open, allowing all information to pass through. Then there is the third process of rule based management, which is again, boundary turbulence. This exists when the rules of boundary coordination are unclear or when people's expectations for privacy management come into conflict with one another. Theorists of CPM assert that when individuals experience boundary turbulence, they will try to make adjustments so that they can reduce the turbulence and achieve coordination.

=Key Terms and Definitions:=
 * Intimacy-** The feeling state of knowing someone deeply in all ways because that person is significant in one's life.
 * Private Disclosures-** The process of communicating private information to another**.**
 * Private Boundaries-** The demarcation between private information and public information.
 * Collective Boundary-** A boundary around private information that includes more than one person.
 * Personal Boundary-** A boundary around private information that includes just one person**.**
 * Privacy Rule Characteristics-** Describes the nature of privacy rules.
 * Boundary Coordination-** Describes how we manage private information that is co-owned.
 * Boundary Turbulence-** Conflicts about boundary expectations and regulation.

Works Cited: West, Richard L., and Lynn H. Turner. // Introducing Communication Theory: Analysis and // // Application //. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2007. Print.

=**Outside Research:**= //Outside// //Research//: “‘Feeling Caught’ in Stepfamilies: Managing Boundary Turbulence through Appropriate Communication Privacy Rules” by Tamara D. Afifi -- **Gallina, Adriana**


 * The study focused on 3 main questions: **

1. What communication patterns contribute to stepfamily members‘ feelings of being caught between other family members?

2. What does it mean for stepfamily members to “feel caught?”

3. Which communicative patterns reflect attempts by stepfamily members to adjust their privacy boundaries to minimize their feelings of being caught?

**General Ideas:**

This study takes an interpretive approach to understanding how “enmeshed communication boundaries” cause step-family members (children and adults like) to be caught in the middle of relationships.

For example: children can feel caught between their custodial and non-custodial parents, and parents/step-parents can feel caught between the children in the stepfamily.

These difficulties can also be a result of **triangulation:** uniting of family members against a third party. This causes the feeling of “being caught” in the middle, often these feelings are a result of too much personal information disclosure.

For example: Children sometimes attempt to form an alliance with their original parent against the step-parent forcing the original parent to be a mediator between child and step-parent. This alliance could be a result of the original parent relying to heavily on the child for support, treating them as an equal and establishing a relationship that becomes threatened when a third party, the step-parent, tries to get involved.

**Example of triangulation:** siblings form coalition against Hank, oldest sister’s boyfriend, putting Nora in the middle of her family and Hank. The siblings feel threatened by Nora's relationship with Hank and try to get rid of him. Please enjoy this 1 minute bootleg video example: media type="custom" key="24187440"

**Triangulation can also be caused due to role-reversals:**

Inappropriate disclosure that results in the children becoming their custodial parent’s peer/pseudo parent. This places much responsibility on the child but also gives the child power. When a new stepparent is introduced into this tight of a relationship it causes tension because the stepparent is often perceived as taking that power.

**Lack of communication** between former spouses can often put pressure on the children making them **mediators &/or negotiators**.

-Relaying information back and forth while trying to remain neutral to the situation causes stress for the children. Children who identify as put in the position tend to have higher anxiety and depression than those children of divorcees who have cordial relationships.

**Key terms:**
 * -privacy boundaries: ** represents the mark of borders and claims of info ownership

-**collective privacy boundaries:** access creates co-owned responsibilities for collective boundaries

**Dialectical theory:** communication and relationships are a process that have continuous tension caused by conflicting desires. (openness & protectiveness, novelty & predictability, autonomy & connection)

**Co-Ownership Rule Coordination:** Negotiations or socialization to determine who else knows (linkage), how much they know (permeability) and the parameters of propriety rights (co-ownership) they are granted.

**Triangulation:** the loyalty conflicts that result when a covert coalition is formed uniting one family member with another against a third person

**Boundary turbulence:** disruption in one’s previous rule management system that results when perceptions for appropriate rules are violated.

**Study’s Relation to Communication Privacy Management Theory & Triangulation in Step-Families**

CPM is based on the idea that information sharing is risky and that people experience contradictory needs (autonomy & connection, predictability-novelty)that cause change in relationships.

People use boundary structures to mediate who has access to private information to avoid vulnerability and control risk. **Boundaries** include: control, ownership, levels and permeability.

-Ownership: “people believe that they own their personal information and have the right to dictate people’s access to it”

-Levels: co-owning information between people creates groups or levels

Ex: a remarried couple shares information with each other that they keep private from the children

-Permeability: “cohesiveness of the parent-child bond” that affects other relationships

Ex: A strong bond between original parent and child can make it hard for a step-parent to enter the family and gain information

Boundary coordination is used to monitor, reveal and conceal information from others. People develop standards for people to gain private information.

Healthy stepfamilies have more open communication, directly address conflicts rather than use methods of concealment.

**Procedure:**

Researches interviewed the family members of 30 different step-families. Interviews of the children were done face-to-face, while parents were contacted over the phone.

**Results:**

80% of stepfamilies felt they were caught in the middle at some point.

The two main forms of triangulations were: children between their custodial and noncustodial parents (53%) and parent or stepparent caught between child and stepchild.

For the full study visit this website: [|"Feeling Caught"] For a brief summary visit:[|Summary]
 * More Information:**

=Additional Material:=

Communication Privacy Management Theory reminded me of celebrity interviews on talk shows or the red carpet. Before agreeing to an interview, a celebrity must decide what information he or she wants to keep private and what information he or she is willing to disclose. Keeping certain things private will have both risks and rewards. For example, if a celebrity keeps his or her romantic relationship private, the risks/costs are that they cannot be seen together in public and they need to be much more careful about who they share their relationship with. This can put great stress on both the individuals and the relationship. The rewards are that their relationship is more intimate, they will not encounter rumors and critical or disparaging comments, and if/when the relationship ends, it will not be on the cover of every magazine. In this video of Ellen interviewing Mila Kunis, the actress makes the decision to stay silent about her romantic feelings towards Ashton Kutcher, because this is private information that matters deeply to her. She owns the private information about her relationship with Ashton and controls it by not intentionally disclosing any specific information about it. Ellen responds to Mila's apparent discomfort by saying, "I'm just asking a question, I'm an interviewer." This shows boundary turbulence, or that Ellen and Mila may disagree on the private boundaries of the situation. Ellen believes that it is her duty as an interviewer to ask questions about romantic relationships, whereas Mila thinks that is private, not public, information. This boundary became more permeable over time as Mila and Ashton's relationship became more serious and they decided to disclose their feelings towards each other to the public. Celebrity interviews also stress the fact that Communication Privacy Management Theory is a rule-based theory because celebrities are often given "rules" or coached on what to say and what not to say prior to an interview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcAQCTZ3TuQ

-Christina Cambria

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After learning about Communication Privacy Management theory, the first thing that came to mind was middle school and high school. Most of us have either had a rumor spread about us or spread a rumor about someone else. some of them are true some are not but it makes you wary about disclosing personal information about yourself either online or in person because it can easily be spread. In the movie, Mean Girls, Regina made a "Burn Book" about everyone. some of the information in it was true, some was a rumor but either way the girls at the high school did not want people to know that about them. Their "boundaries" were broken and so was their trust. People think they have control over their private information but not all the times that is true. the girls in this clip certainly didn't have control over their private information. Here their doesn't seem to be any benefits in having people's private information shown to the school. The girls were angry that someone told their information and thus started accusing each other. but no one seemed to be making fun of each other because of the information because they were too focused on who told. Later in the movie when they are all in the gym talking about their feelings, it seems like a reward that they finally got to disclose so information about themselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPYqRaOm1ak

-Isabelle Garreaud