Relational Dialectics deals with human relationships. The major assumption that this theory operates under is that people always have three dialectical tensions in their relationships.
The first of these dialectic tensions is the "Integration-Separation" dialectic. Internally, this refers to the conflict between the people in the relationship between connectedness and separation. Externally, it refers to the conflict over how the people in the relationship will relate to others outside the relationship; will they be more inclusive of others, or will they keep themselves more secluded in their relationship?
The second dialectic is "Stability-Change". Internally, this refers to the levels of certainty and uncertainty between the two people in the relationship. Externally, it refers to what the relationship is like in relation to other peoples' relationships, i.e. its level of conventionality versus its level of uniqueness.
The third dialectic is "Expression-Nonexpression". Internally, this refers to how open or closed the people in the relationship are to each other. Externally, it refers to how much information the people in the relationship reveal to people outside the relationship.
I once overheard a girl on her cell phone talking to one of her friends about her boyfriend's apparent lack of openness. She also seemed concerned that he didn't feel as close to her as she did to him. This girl's concerns illustrated the Expression-Nonexpression and Integration-Separation dialectics, respectively.
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