chapter 8: social relationships

Relationships

• initimate or close relationships include family, roommates, friends, mentor, etc.

• Culture plays a role

Affiliation

Our need to make contact and maintain our relationships with others motivates us to establish a sense of belonging

Universalism

• Certain absolutes apply across the board, regardless of circumstances or situation

• Try to apply the same rules to everyone in like situations

• To be fair is to treat everyone alike and not make expectations

Particularism

• how you behave in a given situation depends on the circumstances

• You treat family, friends, the best you can, let the rest of the world take care of itself

• Everything depends on whom you’re dealing with

• No one expects life to be fair

Concepts of power

• consider how cultures deal with people’s different level of status, access to power

• Manifests especially in workplace relations, particularly in the role and relationship of the manager and subordinates

• Two sides of the continuum: high power distance, low power distance

High power distance

• Inequal in power and status are natural- some have more power and influence others

• Those with power tend to emphasize it, hold it close

• Distinguish themselves from others as much as possible

• Expected to accept the responsibility that goes with power

Low power distance

• people in these cultures see inequality in power and status as largely artificial→ not natural though it may be convenient that some people have power over others

• Those with power tend to demphasize it

• Delegate and share when possible

The source of status

• related to power distance in some respects and to the individualism/collectivism dichotomy in others

• People come by their status, in their organizations, and in society in general

Fiske and fiske

Came up with the relational models theory

4 relationship types

Communal Sharing

People share responsibility

Ex. Parents with child or pets

Authority ranking relationships

Relationships where there are social rankings

Ex. Boss and employee

Equality matching

All parties viewed as equal

Ex. Ppl all in line together at Starbucks

Market pricing

Relationships where we weigh cost/benefits

Ex. Having to pay for others

Proponquity effect

Tendency to be friends w, date and form committed relationships with others we live near of see regularly

Ex. Roommate

Similarity attractions effect

Tendency to gravitate to people who share interests, attitudes, values, believes with us. Also physical attraction

Matching hypothesis

Predicts we will date and form committed relationships who are similar to us with physical attraction

Culture and friendships in childhood (Chen, 2011)

• culture will shape our friendships

• For many young western children, friendships provide play and playmates

• In other cultures, children spend less time at play bc expected to work and contribute to family

Love

• love as emotional component of romantic relationships

• Love → multiple meanings

• Helps facilitate bonding and pairing in both humans and other animals

Sternbergs triangular theory of love

• intimacy

• passion

• Commitment

Intimacy

Level of closeness and connectedness

Passion

Attraction romance and sexual relation

Commitment

Investment one if willing to make in the relationship

Rothbaum

Critiqued sterns work

Challenges to sternbergs triarchic theory of love

• love is incomplete or unfulfilled when commitment is present without passion and intimacy

• This would not do justice to a Japanese couples experience

Romanticism and romantic love in India

• romantic love and intimacy not as important

• Marriages are still arranged

• Rise in self reflection, make selection with parents

Romanticism and romantic love in Turkey

• viewed as a society in transition

• Arranged used to be norm

• Parents from each family introduce individual to one another

Love in the US

• fear of lack of romance within couples

• New, exciting, passion

• If you don’t love me, I’m gone

• Mate selection openly discussed and talked about

Buss

Research worldwide to explore what is universal