Are all film stars linked to Kevin Bacon? Why do the stock markets rise and fall sharply on the strength of a vague rumour? How does gossip spread so quickly? Are we all related through six degrees of separation? There is a growing awareness of the complex networks that pervade modern society. We see them in the rapid growth of the internet, the ease of global communication, the swift spread of news and information, and in the way epidemics and financial crises develop with startling speed and intensity. This introductory book on the new science of networks takes an interdisciplinary approach, using economics, sociology, computing, information science and applied mathematics to address fundamental questions about the links that connect us, and the ways that our decisions can have consequences for others.

Friendship is one of our most important social institutions. It is the not only the salve for personal loneliness and isolation; it is the glue that binds society together. Yet for a host of reasons--longer hours at work, the Internet, suburban sprawl--many have argued that friendship is on the decline in contemporary America. In social surveys, researchers have found that Americans on average have fewer friends today than in times past. In Friend v. Friend, Ethan J. Leib takes stock of this most ancient of social institutions and its ongoing transformations, and contends that it could benefit from better and more sensitive public policies. Leib shows that the law has not kept up with changes in our society: it sanctifies traditional family structures but has no thoughtful approach to other aspects of our private lives. Leib contrasts our excessive legal sensitivity to marriage and families with the lack of legal attention to friendship, and shows why more legal attention to friendship could actually improve our public institutions and our civil society. He offers a number of practical proposals that can support new patterns of interpersonal affinity without making friendship an onerous legal burden. An elegantly written and highly original account of the changing nature of friendship, Friend v. Friend upends the conventional wisdom that law and friendship are inimical, and shows how we can strengthen both by seeing them as mutually reinforcing.

This encyclopedia offers a comprehensive look at the roles race and ethnicity play in society and in our daily lives. Over 100 racial and ethnic groups are described, with additional thematic essays offering insight into broad topics that cut across group boundaries and which impact on society.

First published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Do you have a best friend? If so, you probably share the same race and social status. Why is this so? Does social structure determine your choice of friends? Or do other factors cause you to choose friends? Co-authors Blieszner and Adams explore these issues and offer a theoretical framework which incorporates both sociological and psychological perspectives on friendship. They use this model to synthesize the research theoretically, identify gaps in the literature, scrutinize the methods used, and produce a map for future research. Adult Friendship also covers historical conceptions of friendship, the internal structure of friendship, and the phases of friendship. Clearly written yet scholarly, Adult Friendship is perfect for students, researchers and professionals in psychology, sociology, communication, gerontology, family studies and social work. "The analysis is ably argued, identifying the contributions to and gaps in the field and challenging others to give attention to the theoretical and methodological issues in the emerging research on adult friendship." --Contemporary Sociology "Adult Friendship is a noteworthy publication in the emerging area of the study of personal relationships. . . . A useful synthesis of theory and research on close relationships over the life cycle. . . . suitable for students and others wanting an introduction to the topic, yet also gives professionals more knowledgeable with this literature a fresh, distinctive perspective on it. . . .Blieszner and Adams′ chapters are concise and internally well organized. . . . a worthwhile read for researchers, students, practitioners, and laypersons concerned with the study of friendship across the life span." --Journal of Marriage & The Family "This volume is an important addition to the useful Sage Series on Close Relationships. It treats a topic that has been too frequently ignored in the area of close relationship research. . . . The coverage of the literature in this volume is especially good due to the tight organizational scheme that facilitates summaries of many different findings. . . . In sum, there is no doubt that both researchers and students will find this volume to be extremely useful. This is a well-organized and comprehensive book that provides a concise summary of research on adult friendship, both from sociological and psychological perspectives. Significant gaps in the literature are identified and methodological criticisms are raised. Finally, the authors provide clear guideposts for future research on a topic that has often received too little attention in the area of close relationships." --ISSPR Bulletin