Adult friendship / Rosemary Blieszner, Rebecca G. Adams.

A topic relevant to everyone - friendship - is explored in this volume, the first in the SAGE Series on Close Relationships. It presents a thoughtful statement about what we know, and have yet to learn, concerning adults' friendships. The authors discuss state-of-the-art research on the interplay between social structure, individual disposition and dynamic processes of friendship, and findings on both similarities and differences across adult lifecourse stages. They provide a theoretical framework, incorporating both sociological and psychological perspectives.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Print version record.

Cover; Contents; Series Editors' Introduction; Preface; Chapter 1 -- An Integrative Model of Friendship; A Model of Friendship; Friendship Patterns; Friendship Structure; Friendship Processes; Friendship Phases; Connections among Elements and Levels of Friendship Patterns; Friendship and Individual Characteristics; Effects of Structure and Disposition on Friendship Patterns; Effects of Gender on Friendship Patterns; Age and Friendship; Effects of Age on Social Structural Opportunities and Constraints and on Disposition; Effects of Age on Friendship; Structural, Cultural, and Historical Context

Effects of Structural and Cultural Context on FriendshipEffects of Subcultural Context on Friendship; Effects of Historical Context on Friendship; A Preview of the Rest of the Volume; Chapter 2 -- History of Friendship and Friendship Research; Historical Conceptions of Friendship; The Emergence and Maturation of Adult Friendship Research; A Lifespan Approach to Friendship; Friendship as a Primary Focus; Multidisciplinary Perspectives; Friendships as Relationships; Quality of Friend Relations; Multiple Research Designs and Methods; Summary; Chapter 3 -- The Internal Structure of Friendship

College Student FriendshipsSize; Homogeneity; Density and Configuration; Solidarity; Adult Friendships; Size; Homogeneity; Density and Configuration; Solidarity; Old Age Friendships; Size; Homogeneity; Density and Configuration; Solidarity; Gender and the Life Course; Size; Homogeneity; Density; Solidarity; Summary and Research Implications; Chapter 4 -- Friendship Processes; College Student Friendships; Cognitive Processes; Affective Processes; Behavioral Processes; Proxy Measures of Process; Adult Friendships; Cognitive Processes; Affective Processes; Behavioral Processes

Proxy Measures of ProcessOld Age Friendships; Cognitive Processes; Affective Processes; Behavioral Processes; Proxy Measures of Process; Gender and the Life Course; Cognitive Processes; Affective Processes; Behavioral Processes; Proxy Measures of Process; Summary and Research Implications; Chapter 5 -- Phases of Friendship; College Student Friendships; Initiation; Maintenance; Dissolution; Adult Friendships; Initiation; Maintenance; Dissolution; Old Age Friendships; Initiation; Maintenance; Dissolution; Gender and the Life Course; Initiation; Maintenance; Summary and Research Implications

Conclusion: The Interface of Structure, Processes, and PhasesChapter 6 -- Adult Friendship Intervention; Outcomes of Friendship Interventions; Levels of Intervention; Improving the Individual's Cognitive and Social Functioning; Enhancing Dyadic Interaction; Altering Social Relationships in Networks; Manipulating Relationships in an Immediate Environment; Designing Communities to Facilitate Social Relationships; Supporting Social Relationships through Social Policies; Implications; Conclusions; References; Index; About the Authors

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