Convivium (Who Is Friends with Whom?)
First published: 22 September 2017
Abstract
Friendship as a relationship is sociologically interesting because there is no institutional surrounding or embeddedness of friendships: While social institutions certify the start and the end of a marriage, friendships can be started, changed, or broken without notifying any other party. This entry reviews the most important theories and empirical findings on adult friendships and friendship networks.
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