Focusing particularly on communication processes in relationships, this text presents the different theories about personal relationships that have emerged from different traditions in communication studies.

Lynne M. Webb (Ph. D., University of Oregon) is Professor in Communication at the University of Arkansas. She previously served as a tenured faculty member at the Universities of Florida and Memphis. Her research examines young adults' interpersonal communication in romantic and family contexts. Her research appears in over 50 essays published in scholarly journals and edited volumes, including computers in Human Behavior, Communication Education, Health Communication, and Journal of Family Communication. --Book Jacket.

Relational maintenance provides a rallying point for those seeking to discover the behaviors that individuals utilize to sustain their personal relationships. Theoretical models, research programs, and specific studies have examined how people in a variety of close relationships choose to define and maintain those relationships. In addition, relational maintenance turns our attention to communicative processes that help people sustain their close relationships. In this collection, editors Daniel J. Canary and Marianne Dainton focus on the communicative processes critical to the maintenance and enhancement of personal relationships. The volume considers variations in maintaining different types of personal relationships; structural constraints on relationship maintenance; and cultural variations in relational maintenance. Contributions to the volume cover a broad range of relational types, including romantic relationships, family relationships, long-distance relationships, workplace relationships, and Gay and Lesbian relationships, among others. Maintaining Relationships Through Communication: Relational, Contextual, and Cultural Variations synthesizes current research in relationship maintenance, emphasizes the ways that behaviors vary in their maintenance functions across relational contexts, discusses alternative explanations for maintaining relationships, and presents avenues for future research. As such, it is intended for students and scholars studying interpersonal communication and personal relationships.

Communication in Personal Relationships Across Cultures examines the communication practices of non-Western cultures. The international cast of contributors assembled here leaves behind the biases typical of most research and theorizing done in this area of communication and enables the reader to develop a thorough understanding of how people communicate in non-Western societies. Chapters focus on communication practices in China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Brazil, Iran, Africa, and totalitarian societies. Through both emic and etic approaches, this groundbreaking volume explores how members of a culture understand their own communication, and compares the similarities and differences of specific aspects of communication across cultures. --From publisher's description.

Interpersonal relationships are the core of our societal system and have been since before the dawn of civilization. In today's world, friends, lovers, companions, and confidants make valuable contributions to our everyday lives. These are the relationships whose members are not automatically participants as a result of their birth and kin affiliations. The focus is on these relationships that must be forged from the sometimes indifferent, and sometimes hostile world. Yet, there is still much that is not known about how these relationships evolve, how partners communicate in on-going relationships, how people keep their relationships together, and how they cope when they fall apart. Primary to the focus of this book is the underlying theme of evolving interpersonal relationships from the initial encounter to the mature alliance. The contributors to this volume provide a contemporary perspective for the study of interpersonal relationships. Fresh areas of scholarly inquiry are presented and existing approaches are re-examined. Research in the introductory chapters breaks new ground, and appraises the ultimate question of what impact initial interactions have on further relational development. The mid-section of the volume concerns communication issues that confront the members of a relationship in process, focusing on how conflict and jealousy are communicated to a relational partner. This research considers relational development as well as obstacles and barriers to evolving relationships. The concluding chapters probe the question: Ultimately do all good things have to come to an end? Employing innovative techniques to examine maturing and disengaging relationships, the research presented here focuses on how interpersonal relationships become committed and mature.

A relational approach to the study of interpersonal communication Close Encounters: Communication in Relationships, Fifth Edition helps students better understand their relationships with romantic partners, friends, and family members. Bestselling authors Laura K. Guerrero, Peter A. Andersen, and Walid A. Afifi offer research-based insights and content illustrated with engaging scenarios to show how state-of-the-art research and theory can be applied to specific issues within relationships—with a focus on issues that are central to describing and understanding close relationships. While maintaining the spotlight on communication, the authors also emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of the study of personal relationships by including research from such disciplines as social psychology and family studies. The book covers issues relevant to developing, maintaining, repairing, and ending relationships. Both the "bright" and "dark" sides of interpersonal communication within relationships are explored.