SAGE Series on Close Relationships – serie

Lust is a powerful feeling that often influences our lives and relationships. Pamela C. Regan and Ellen Berscheid have written an accessible, interdisciplinary book that reviews theory and research on the characteristics of sexual desire, the individual physical and mental factors of the sexual desire, the various partner characteristics that incite sexual desire, and the association between sexual desire and interpersonal, relational events and experiences. The book concludes with an examination of the personal, interpersonal, and societal implications of sexual desire. Throughout, the authors draw on findings from their own body of research on sexual desire and romantic attraction, as well as on an extensive review of the relevant social, behavioral, and medical science literatures.

Do you have a best friend? If so, you probably share the same race and social status. Why is this so? Does social structure determine your choice of friends? Or do other factors cause you to choose friends? Co-authors Blieszner and Adams explore these issues and offer a theoretical framework which incorporates both sociological and psychological perspectives on friendship. They use this model to synthesize the research theoretically, identify gaps in the literature, scrutinize the methods used, and produce a map for future research. Adult Friendship also covers historical conceptions of friendship, the internal structure of friendship, and the phases of friendship. Clearly written yet scholarly, Adult Friendship is perfect for students, researchers and professionals in psychology, sociology, communication, gerontology, family studies and social work. "The analysis is ably argued, identifying the contributions to and gaps in the field and challenging others to give attention to the theoretical and methodological issues in the emerging research on adult friendship." --Contemporary Sociology "Adult Friendship is a noteworthy publication in the emerging area of the study of personal relationships. . . . A useful synthesis of theory and research on close relationships over the life cycle. . . . suitable for students and others wanting an introduction to the topic, yet also gives professionals more knowledgeable with this literature a fresh, distinctive perspective on it. . . .Blieszner and Adams' chapters are concise and internally well organized. . . . a worthwhile read for researchers, students, practitioners, and laypersons concerned with the study of friendship across the life span." --Journal of Marriage & The Family "This volume is an important addition to the useful Sage Series on Close Relationships. It treats a topic that has been too frequently ignored in the area of close relationship research. . . . The coverage of the literature in this volume is especially good due to the tight organizational scheme that facilitates summaries of many different findings. . . . In sum, there is no doubt that both researchers and students will find this volume to be extremely useful. This is a well-organized and comprehensive book that provides a concise summary of research on adult friendship, both from sociological and psychological perspectives. Significant gaps in the literature are identified and methodological criticisms are raised. Finally, the authors provide clear guideposts for future research on a topic that has often received too little attention in the area of close relationships." --ISSPR Bulletin

Dating. Courtship. These words evoke great interest in nearly every reader. In Courtship, the authors explore courtship research, paying particular attention to differences between relationship development and deterioration and courtship development and deterioration. They describe factors that affect the later course of marriage, trace the historical roots of courtship in America, discuss various models of courtship that have guided research in this area for the past 40 years, examine circumstantial factors that discriminate between stable and unstable premarital relationships, explore the "dark side" of courtship--violence between dating partners--and reveal the processes involved in the dissolution phase of premarital relationships. The volume concludes with a look at the future of courtship as an institution and suggestions for further research. Provocative and thoughtfully presented, Courtship is directed to advanced undergraduate students, graduate students and professionals in psychology, communication, sociology, family studies, and social work. "This volume should have broad appeal for both students and professionals. It is clearly and carefully written, and draws on scholarship from several relevant disciplines. The authors do an outstanding job of summarizing extant research in a fashion that is digestible to undergraduate students, yet useful to the interested researcher. Cate and Lloyd have painted a coherent and provocative picture of a broad and difficult phenomenon. Their synthesis should be useful in helping to establish a sound agenda for future research on mating and dating." --ISSPR Bulletin "This volume of the Sage Series on Close Relationships provides a cogent, concise, and highly readable overview of courtship. Given the book's brevity, one is favorably surprised by the amount and depth of material covered. . . . Many insights are offered. . . . The inclusion of the darker side of dating relationships is a welcome addition. . . . Chapters . . . weave a scholarly narrative with such expertise that the reader may come away with the feeling of having read a well-written and well-documented historical novel. . . . The authors are to be commended for their articulate and insightful coverage of this aspect of relational life. Regardless of discipline, students of personal relationships would benefit greatly from this review." --Journal of Marriage & The Family

Although self-disclosure is not equivalent to and does not define the level of intimacy in a relationship, it is a major factor in the relationship's development, maintenance, and deterioration. Conversely, the level of closeness between relationship partners (whether the individuals are acquaintances, friends, lovers, or relatives) affects the meaning and impact of disclosure. Compelling and informative, Self-Disclosure focuses on the role of self-disclosure in close relationships and illustrates how individuals negotiate with their relationship partners--what, when, where, and how they communicate personal feelings and thoughts. The authors examine how close relationships and self-disclosure are mutually transformative; where self-disclosure and relationships mutually interact to affect one another; how subcultural differences between males and females influence self-disclosure in relationships; how the vulnerability and risk associated with disclosing personal information leads relationship partners to be concerned about privacy regulation; and how stress-reducing disclosure, associated with the willingness to talk about stressful events, provides both a means of coping with unpleasant life events and access to social support. With sensitive coverage of the major themes of self-disclosure, this volume is ideally suited for students, researchers, and practitioners interested in close relationships, interpersonal communication, social psychology, gender studies, family studies, counseling and clinical psychology, social work, and sociology. "For someone looking for a good review of the literature on self-disclosure and close relationships, this book fits the bill, providing a quick and easy way to sort through theory....for the researcher, the authors provide questionnaire materials in most chapters to illustrate how data might be collected." --Families in Society

Culling the vast literature on sexuality, this comprehensive volume offers a timely, readable, and multidisciplinary portrait of sexuality in close relationships. Sprecher and McKinney take an extensive look at current theory and research in sexually-based primary relationships, paying close attention to sexual attitudes, sexual behaviors, sexual satisfaction, and sexual coercion. They discuss sexual patterns in several types of sexual relationships--dating, cohabitating, marital, and homosexual--and show how sexual aspects of these relationships are related to other characteristics, like love and communication. The authors also explore sexual standards, predictors of sexual attraction, sexual scripts, the initiation of sex, negotiating safe-sex behaviors, and which types of couples are most sexually satisfied--and why. "This volume is a rich source of information about ways that sexuality is interrelated to relationship phenomenon. It provides a valuable historical perspective on selected issues by reviewing older, significant pieces of research. At the same time, recent and important studies on current topics, are included; thus, the book is solidly based on research findings. In addition, a number of important methodological issues are presented in a clear understandable manner throughout the chapters. This makes the book ideal for instructors who want to emphasize to students that how research is conducted is an important influence on what we know about sexuality. Moreover, the tone and the high quality of the writing make it ideal for use in upper division undergraduate courses and graduate seminars, or for scholars who want to familiarize themselves with this area of investigation. Finally, the authors are to be complimented on their inclusion of different types of relationships." --Journal of Marriage and the Family

In this marvelous book, Beverly Fehr presents a comprehensive and richly detailed examination of what scholars have learned about the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of friendships. . . . Overall, a model of careful scholarship, clear writing, and good sense. For anyone studying friendships, there is no better place to start. This is perhaps the best book of its kind. --Choice Friends are an integral part of our lives--they sometimes replace family relationships and often form the basis for romantic relationships. Friendship Processes, new in the Sage Series on Close Relationships, examines exactly how friends give meaning to our lives and why we rely so heavily on them. Broad in its coverage, the book is process oriented and research based with each phase of the friendship process documented by empirical research. The result is a conceptual framework that illuminates the fascinating components of how we make friends, how we become close, how we maintain friends, and how friendships deteriorate and dissolve. Author Beverley Fehr equips the reader with valuable knowledge about the formations and continuations of the intriguing personal relationship called friendship. Friendship Processes also illustrates well the fact that, as a field of study, close relationships is maturing rapidly. Promising to be the definitive study of the subject for many years to come, this book will be of particular interest to professionals, academics, and students of social psychology, sociology, communication, family studies, and social work as well as any interested reader who is anxious to deepen his or her understanding and appreciation of a very engaging topic.

This book . . . offers a critical review of literature on relationships and chronic illness. . . . This is a carefully constructed integration of a complex, multidisciplinary literature on the dynamic processes of relationships during long-term illness. It is essentially a scholarly work that builds a conceptual model. The authors' use of case illustrations serves to ground and clarify the discussion. It is logical and clear. Both beginning and established scholars will find the book a highly useful resource. 5 stars! --Sara J. Knight in Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Home Page "A recommended book for counselors and medical and academic libraries." --AIDS Book Review Journal How do relationships with friends, family, and couples change with the presence of chronic illness or disability? Adults face new relationship challenges when acquired health problems and disabilities begin to dominate their lives. Relationships in Chronic Illness and Disability explores the interpersonal issues that arise when relationships evolve under the challenges of chronic illness and disability. The authors provide a sensitive yet practical examination of three interactive relationship-illness processes: relationship change, supports and stressors, and relationship-focused coping. Interventions for nurturing close relationships under these difficult circumstances as well as issues of theory and method round out this much-needed volume. This volume from the Sage Series on Close Relationships adds to our understanding of illness-relationship processes and provides new information useful to professionals as well as researchers, students, and interns in social work, rehabilitation and occupational therapy, leisure studies and recreation, gerontology, psychology, nursing, and family studies.

This book . . . offers a critical review of literature on relationships and chronic illness. . . . This is a carefully constructed integration of a complex, multidisciplinary literature on the dynamic processes of relationships during long-term illness. It is essentially a scholarly work that builds a conceptual model. The authors' use of case illustrations serves to ground and clarify the discussion. It is logical and clear. Both beginning and established scholars will find the book a highly useful resource. 5 stars! --Sara J. Knight in Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Home Page "A recommended book for counselors and medical and academic libraries." --AIDS Book Review Journal How do relationships with friends, family, and couples change with the presence of chronic illness or disability? Adults face new relationship challenges when acquired health problems and disabilities begin to dominate their lives. Relationships in Chronic Illness and Disability explores the interpersonal issues that arise when relationships evolve under the challenges of chronic illness and disability. The authors provide a sensitive yet practical examination of three interactive relationship-illness processes: relationship change, supports and stressors, and relationship-focused coping. Interventions for nurturing close relationships under these difficult circumstances as well as issues of theory and method round out this much-needed volume. This volume from the Sage Series on Close Relationships adds to our understanding of illness-relationship processes and provides new information useful to professionals as well as researchers, students, and interns in social work, rehabilitation and occupational therapy, leisure studies and recreation, gerontology, psychology, nursing, and family studies.

Designed to acquaint readers with the most up-to-date information on close relationship theory and research, Facework provides a thorough examination of the authors' research, as well as that of others, on the self-aspects of communication in intimate relationships. Gaining face, maintaining face, and losing face all have numerous implications in the management of close relationships. Cupach and Metts make a compelling case for facework as basic relationship currency at any stage of a relationship, whether it be formation, maintenance, or disengagement. Written in a clear, humorous style, Facework offers the reader a very pleasurable learning experience and the opportunity to gain deeper insight into the management of problematic situations occurring in close relationships. Professionals and scholars in psychology, sociology, communication, family studies, and social work will find Facework a stimulating, informative, and indispensable volume.

Designed to acquaint readers with the most up-to-date information on close relationship theory and research, Facework provides a thorough examination of the authors' research, as well as that of others, on the self-aspects of communication in intimate relationships. Gaining face, maintaining face, and losing face all have numerous implications in the management of close relationships. Cupach and Metts make a compelling case for facework as basic relationship currency at any stage of a relationship, whether it be formation, maintenance, or disengagement. Written in a clear, humorous style, Facework offers the reader a very pleasurable learning experience and the opportunity to gain deeper insight into the management of problematic situations occurring in close relationships. Professionals and scholars in psychology, sociology, communication, family studies, and social work will find Facework a stimulating, informative, and indispensable volume.

Expressions of support between partners may be more commonplace than heroic, but their cumulative effects on the growth of trust, enduring love, and commitment can be considerable--even lifesaving in the face of otherwise overwhelming tragedy. Skillfully weaving together the latest research with engaging case examples and practical applications, author Carolyn E. Cutrona offers an in-depth analysis of how committed partners can serve as resources for each other in stressful scenarios. Beginning with a fresh overview of definitions and concepts, Social Support in Couples articulates the vital components of intimate support systems. This informative volume explores the phenomenon of marital communication through real-life interactions, focusing on gender-related differences, the interplay between supportive and destructive interactions, and stress experienced during chronic/disabling illness. In a concluding chapter, a research agenda for future study opens the topic up to additional serious consideration. A reader-friendly examination of the power of supportive acts, Social Support in Couples is recommended for a wide readership, including academics, practitioners, and students in family studies, social psychology, social work, and marriage and family counseling.

Can a woman and a man, both of whom are career-oriented, achieve a loving and enduring relationship with children and also advance in their careers? Why is it that women more often than men push for dual-career marriages? What personal and societal difficulties and obstacles do they face? What special difficulties do men experience as a result of this phenomenon? Taking us to the frontier of close relationships--where traditional gender roles are being reevaluated in light of what is both functional and optimal for persons in dual-career partnerships--Two Careers / One Family describes the current world of women and men trying to negotiate new realities at home and at work. It offers a glimpse of the future and the potential that exists for creative restructuring of our concepts of gender. The first part of this unusual and compelling volume describes the societal context of young adults today; the second addresses, in detail, both expectations for and realities of dual-career family life. In the final section, the author makes predictions about the benefits of increased gender equity for same-sex and heterosexual dual-career couples and identifies continuing obstacles and sources of stress for partners in dual-career families. Stimulating, informative, and insightful, this volume is especially helpful to students and professionals in close relationships, gender studies, family studies, psychology, communication, counseling/clinical psychology, social work, and sociology. "It is Lucia Albino Gilbert's recognition of the complexities of the dual-career situation; the interrelations between family, work, and society; and the influence of theory on the very research questions being framed that make Two Careers/One Family: The Promise of Gender Equality more than a summary of current research data. Although Gilbert's own research focuses on the family and career choices of young adults, the book reaches far beyond that topic to place the dual-career family into historical, philosophical, and societal contexts. . . . This brief but comprehensive book would be of interest to any scholar of gender or family issues, whether in psychology, sociology, communications, or women's studies. Gilbert's readable style and useful chapter summaries also make it suitable as a supplementary text for advanced classes." --Contemporary Psychology "The inclusion of a discussion of what trends in dual-career families may mean for same-sex couples is particularly noteworthy. Family professionals, students, and interested lay people should all find this book valuable. It is both well-written and successful in providing a meaningful summary of what we currently know about dual-career families." --Family Relations "It wasn't until after my neighbor and I (he's a nationally known constitutional lawyer) got into a discussion of which detergents we preferred when doing the families' laundries that I realized how profoundly some parts of society are changing. We had often talked about feminist aspects of civil rights legislation, but it was the laundry detergent discussion that did it. Now Lucia Gilbert chronicles the changes we and our children face. Gilbert's Two Careers/One Family is a dramatic and graceful description of the emergence of the two-career family form. Gilbert covers it all--theory and research, history and future prospects, female and male views, and more. During '93, the media will be preoccupied with the 'Hillary question,' but in the meantime change marches on. Read Two Careers/One Family to understand not just this year's media fuss, but what's in store for close relationships in the coming years." --Milton D. Hakel, Bowling Green State University, Ohio "In this volume, Gilbert describes--and astutely analyzes--the interplay between work and family in the lives of dual career couples. She looks at this in terms of the past, the present, and the future, as well as from the perspective of the individual, the family, the work organization, and society as a whole. I cannot think of anyone better qualified for this task than Lucia Gilbert. Her analysis blends her experiences as a counseling psychologist with her skills as a researcher and scholar. . . . Her experiences as a counseling psychologist give the book a valuable richness and compassion for each individual's situation. Her experience as a scholar, one who has been a leader on this topic since the early '80s, serves as a solid foundation on which Gilbert paints an up-to-date empirical portrait of dual career couples with rigor, breadth, and balance. . . . Gilbert's writing is well-organized, concise, and lucid. Sprinkled throughout the text are well-selected excerpts from other sources, cartoons, and informative figures and tables. Combining sensitivity with rationality, her writing epitomizes an androgynous style." --Daniel Perlman, The University of British Columbia "For psychologists, personal relationships scholars, women's or family studies experts already familiar with this body of knowledge, Gilbert describes the conceptual shift in the focus of sociopsychological inquiry from sex, as a biological difference, to gender, as a socially constructed difference. She casts her analysis in terms of the new 'gender as socially constructed difference' perspective, emphasizing gender as an organizing feature of our lives and as a social process." --Daniel Perlman, The University of British Columbia "This book offers a wealth of information and understanding of gender issues. The implications are mind-boggling in terms of potential for relationship and power shifts between wives and husbands, between women and men--at home, in the workplace, in larger social spheres--, for shifts in child-parent roles and relationships, and for new parental role models. It is rich in detail, appealing in lucidity and compassion, and delightfully entertaining in sprinkles of humor that sparkle and nip." --Earl Koile, Professor Emeritus, University of Texas at Austin "I enjoyed reading this book. By placing the dual-career family literature firmly within a framework of gender dynamics, it goes much further than just chronicling the problems faced by dual-career spouses. It also offers explanations and the vision of a way forward. The tone is optimistic, while in no way underestimating the hurdles to be overcome in the path to gender equality. The book also broadens the scope of the discussion to include same-sex dual-career relationships, who have so long been overlooked by researchers studying work and family. The author demonstrates that they too can benefit from the progress being made by heterosexual couples at home and at work. The lifetime perspective on dual-career relationships, together with the book's accessible style, and some delightful hard-hitting cartoons, should make in invaluable reading for anyone contemplating a dual-career relationship, as well as an academic readership." --Suzan Lewis, Manchester Metropolitan University "Lucia Gilbert's Two Careers/One Family is a thorough and current discussion of today's two-career families. The book is energetic and insightful in its review of social science research on these families, including the author's own research. The gender analysis is sophisticated. This book is important reading for those interested in the psychology of gender or the psychology of work and work/family issues." --Janet Shibley Hyde, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin

Relationship Conflict is an excellent contribution in the tradition of Sage's series on close relationships. Like the other books in this series, Relationship Conflict provides a concise and compelling synthesis of research and thinking on a particular aspect of intimate relationships. In this case, Daniel J. Canary, William R. Cupach, and Susan J. Messman provide an accounting of conflict of text. As such, this volume constitutes the perfect companion text to undergraduate courses on interpersonal conflict. The clarification of definitions of conflict and approaches to studying conflict in chapter one is a particularly useful framework for organizing the wealth of research on relationship conflict. Similarly, the review of methods for studying conflict in chapter two is a concise assessment of the pros and cons of different methodologies. The remaining chapters nicely synthesize research illuminating conflict in parent-child, friendship, dating, and marital relationship contexts. The consistent limitation in traditional textbooks for the undergraduate course in interpersonal conflict is a failure to include a review of research on conflict in different relationship contexts; Relationship Conflict fills that gap and quite satisfactorily. --Denise H. Cloven in Personal Relationship Issues "The theories, research, analysis, and conclusions will interest a wide range of readers in communication, family studies, psychology, and sociology. Graduate through professional." --Choice "This is an excellent book which should be read by all those in the business of helping couples in their relationships. I can also see a clear role for parts of this book... as providing the basic reading for training seminars." --Padmal de Silva in Sexual and Marital Therapy "My favorite features of the book are the inclusion of different types of relationships and a developmental perspective on relationship conflict. . . . Relationship Conflict provides an easily readable overview for those newly interested in interpersonal conflict and for those working on conflict in formal or business relationships." --Renate Klein in Journal of Marriage and the Family Conflict is a natural, even inevitable, aspect of most ongoing close relationships--a given. What distinguishes most successful relationships from unsuccessful ones is not the absence of conflict, but how conflict is managed. Relationship Conflict skillfully portrays the different types of conflict that we encounter in our most significant personal relationships: parent-child, friendship, and romantic relationships. The authors capture the essence of current research and theory to shed light on conflict's role in human interaction. Drawing from the findings of multiple disciplines, this volume takes a developmental look at childhood friendships through dating to married relationships. The result is a richer understanding of interpersonal involvement that is accessible to close relationship researchers and professionals and students in many service-based fields. Relationship Conflict provides up-to-date information on interpersonal conflict pertinent to many different disciplines: researchers as well as advanced undergraduate and graduate students in communication, family studies and human development, and sociology and professionals in psychology, social work, and nursing.

Blending qualitative interviews with current research findings, this timely book explores the "dark side" of courtship – the negative interactions that take place between dating and courting partners, most notably physical aggression and sexual exploitation. It emphasizes the importance of understanding how power dynamics, verbal aggression, interaction patterns, issues of control, and relationship dynamics are integrally tied to physical and sexual aggression. The authors also examine the contextual factors that encourage the use of physical and sexual aggression in romantic relationships and allow them to continue without necessarily bringing about the demise of the relationship. These contextual factors include patriarchal structures, the power of romance, and patterns of gender socialization. Personal anecdotes from interviews conducted by the authors are interwoven with the interpersonal and contextual framework, as well as the extant literature on physical and sexual aggression during courtship. It is unique in its emphasis on interpersonal dynamics, as the vast majority of the literature on courtship aggression has focused on the role of personality and other intra-individual factors.

Born into a gendered world, gender affects virtually all of our close relationships. How we interact with one another during each stage of a relationship is influenced by the volatile and sometimes divisive role that gender plays in our lives. Gender and Close Relationships is an exploration into the current world of gendered interaction and the ways in which gender influences how others perceive and treat us. This timely and comprehensive discussion demonstrates, clearly, how societies construct and create gendered relationships, but also suggests how "non-traditional" close relationships may strengthen, or make irrelevant, gender-linked behavior. While framed within a solid scholarship, the authorsÆ presentation style is accessible, engaging, and practical. This book is ideal for students as well as academics, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of psychology, gender studies, interpersonal communication, and family studies. Gender and Close Relationships will also provide the interested lay reader with a deeper understanding of how being gender-identified may influence the quality, quantity, and content of our relationships.