Introduction

Summary

People interweave in a multitude of relationships. Adults are addressed daily as a romantic partner, as a child or a parent, as a colleague or a friend, as a neighbor or a housewife, or in their occupational role. This list could easily be extended. It indicates that people's everyday lives are not only shaped by “major” relationships, such as romantic or parent–child relationships, but that they are often filled with a variety of actions and expectations from other relationships. Changes in the traditional “normal biography,” increasing employment among women, high divorce rates, and the many different forms of communal living arrangements (phenomena described as “pluralization in the forms of living”) have led to the development of relationships other than “classic” relationships with partners, children, and parents, and these have gained significance in the lives of a great many people. Consequently, one major aim of this book is to broaden vision beyond the types of relationship generally favored by research so far, and to encompass the whole range of relationships experienced in everyday life. In so doing, this book complements in-depth examinations of particular relationship types or studies that classify human relationships according to perspectives, dimensions, or particular variables.

This volume is also designed to give insights into current theories, empirical findings, and new ideas on the diverse interpersonal relationships in everyday life. Each contribution focuses on a particular type of relationship and presents its essential characteristics.