The Dialectics of (in)Competence

Abstract

The study of interpersonal communication competence, like many other constructs in social science, has been unduly biased by an ideology of positivity. This article attempts to redress this emphasis by examining a variety of dialectical and problematic tensions in human relations. These tensions reflect potential dilemmas for social actors who face potentially incompatible objectives in their lines of action. In addition, several dialectical tensions reflect dilemmas in the attribution of competence in the stream of interaction. The intent of this analysis is to direct conceptual and empirical efforts toward a richer and more complex understanding of interpersonal competence.

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