Understanding Research In Personal Relationships

Understanding Research in Personal Relationships is a comprehensive introduction to the key readings on human and close relationships. Organized into twelve thematic chapters with editorial commentary throughout, the editors offer a critical reading of the major research articles in the field of relationship studies published in the last few years. Scholarly papers, two per chapter, are presented in an abridged form and critiqued in a carefully structured way that instructs students on the way to read research, and to critically evaluate research in this field. The book, therefore, has a thoroughly didactic focus as the student is given historical, theoretical and methodological contexts to each article as well as an explanation of key terms and ideas.

`The main strengths of the book are its uniqueness... its mix of emphasis on methods, statistics, and ideas, its commentaries by the authors, and the well-chosen journal articles' - John Harvey, University of Iowa Understanding Research in Personal Relationships is a comprehensive introduction to the key readings on human and close relationships. Organized into twelve thematic chapters with editorial commentary throughout, the Editors offer a critical reading of the major research articles in the field of relationship studies published in the last few years. Scholarly papers, two per chapter, are presented in an abridged form and critiqued in a carefully structured way that instructs students on the way to read research, and to critically evaluate research in this field. The book, therefore, has a thoroughly didactic focus as the student is given historical, theoretical and methodological contexts to each article as well as an explanation of key terms and ideas. Key features about this book: - Cross-Disciplinary use - an excellent book for all students taking human relationship modules in psychology, communication studies, sociology, social work, family studies and other subjects across the social sciences. - Maps onto course teaching - ideal for 12 week semester term course, covering major themes such as love, attraction, conflict and social networks. - Pedagogical - `How to use this book' section at the start; chapter introductions and summaries throughout; glossary of key terms highlighted throughout the book at the end of the text. This text is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students wanting a straightforward, didiactic guide to understanding research on human relationships.

Understanding Personal Relationships introduces readers to the new interdisciplinary field of personal relationships. It does so by integrating central themes from the fields of social psychology, sociology, clinical psychology and family studies. In a comprehensive, bibliographic essay, the editors give an overview of the growth of the field and predict future areas of research and clinical practice. Early chapters deal with some of the theoretical issues in the study of personal relationships, while other contributors discuss the motivational issues in relationships. Five chapters examine specific types of relationships: those which are established (like marriage); those which are in a state of transition; those which are under stress; and those which have broken. Through its breadth of coverage and the presentation of writers from several different disciplines, this volume conveys the spirit of pioneering and practical optimism that characterizes the new interdisciplinary approach to understanding personal relationships.

As the field of social relationships has grown enormously, this edition has been revised to include a new section on family relationships, focusing on the central truth that the dynamics of personal relationships are a key basis of social life.

Originally published in 1986, this book is a result of the first International Conference on Personal Relationships held in 1982. The conference itself was a significant event in publicly bringing together major figures whose work was starting to define the new area of personal relationships. The chapters are arranged to follow the structure of the conference program, with major opening and closing discussions covering the whole field and the rest of the chapters grouped under the headings of Depiction and Taxonomy of Relationships; Development and Growth of Relationships and Disorder and Repair of Relationships. The result is by no means a comprehensive treatment of the field, but the editors hoped that the book highlighted significant issues in personal relationship research as well as some excellent examples of the ways in which issues and problems were being tackled at the time. They also hoped that it would have an effect on the future development of the field of personal relationships by indicating its value and potential.

Here is the first, comprehensive volume in a field that has grown exponentially in the last ten years. The handbook is organized across disciplines to reflect the nature of the field, and has a broad range of appeal to a variety of teachers and researchers.

Communicating Revenge in Interpersonal Relationships explores how and why people take revenge on others in modern social life. Stephen M. Yoshimura and Susan D. Boon draw from research across academic disciplines to show the times and places at which revenge occurs, the types of acts that people engage in, and the psychological and social effects revenge can have on both receivers and avengers in various interpersonal relationship contexts, including romantic relationships, professional relationships, families, and friendships. The authors also review various methods of conducting empirical research on revenge, provide a theoretical account to explain why revenge occurs when it does, and discuss ethical and philosophical issues surrounding its practice.

The effort to understand personal relationships has traditionally focused on the individual characteristics of participants. Personal Relationships and Personal Networks takes this analysis a step further, focusing on research linking participants' feelings and actions within a given personal relationship to the larger social context surrounding it. Author Malcolm R. Parks expands on the idea that the initiation, development, maintenance, and dissolution of relationships are inextricably connected to each participant's social network-a perspective that allows for a better appreciation of our connection to the world, and a greater understanding our significant power as social actors. This book offers a new way to consider basic notions about how relationships form, such as how particular people meet, and how relationships are started. Among many findings, the volume demonstrates that individuals in relationships feel closer and generally more connected when they also have a greater amount of contact with the members of each other's personal networks and when they believe that network members support their relationship. Additional topics discussed include how this social context model is applicable to different types of relationships; how participants interact with network members; how social networks are involved in the deterioration of personal relationships; and what drives change in relationships. Students, researchers, and professionals in a wide variety of disciplines such as communication, psychology, sociology, anthropology, family studies, clinical psychology, public health nursing, education, and social work will find this book useful, as will anyone seeking to better understand their own personal relationships.