Chapter 6 - Gender of Friendship and Dating

Calling

a courtship practice in which men come to call at the homes of their potential love interest

Collectivistic

societies in which the needs of the group are more important than the needs of individuals

Conjugality

the personal relationship between husband and wife

Face-to-face

in sex difference research, a way of describing women's friendships as characterized by an intimate confidante with whom they can share their feelings

Families of choice

friendship networks constructed to compensate for the lack of supportive family ties

Fictive kin

symbolic family members

Friends with benefits

having sex in a nonromantic friendship

Friendship

a voluntary, informal, and personal relationship

Going steady

a courtship practice in which the ideal was for a boy and girl to pair up and date each other exclusively for a long period of time

Hookups

sexual encounters, usually lasting only one night, between two people who were strangers or brief acquaintances

Implicit racial bias

the unconscious attitudes or stereotypes associated with someone of a different race

Individualistic

societies in which collective needs are generally perceived as less important than the needs of the individual

Kin

people with whom you're related either by actual blood or through symbolic ties

Moral panic

an overheated, short-lived period of intense social concern over an issue

Rating-dating-mating complex

a courtship practice in which girls and boys dated many people at the same time

Residential segregation

separation in terms of where people live

Romantic love

a couple coming together, sharing the excitement of an erotic relationship, and feeling united with each other in such a way that the object of their love is unique and irreplaceable

Sexual convergence

the trend for the norms and ideals of women's sexuality to become increasingly similar to the norms and ideals of men's sexuality.

Side-by-side

in sex difference research, a way of describing men's friendships as characterized by someone with whom they can share activities and interests.

Sociability

mode of social interaction characterized by being social purely for the sake of enjoyment, with no ulterior motive or specific content prescribed.

Social segregation

the separation of some realm of social life into different groups based on some category.