A ground breaking study of the ways that intimate relationships are similar around the world, and the ways they are different.

Is falling in love the same the world over? What makes a 'happy marriage' in different cultures? How does our society influence us in the way we raise our children? Is modern life incompatible with intimacy? In this innovative new text, Robin Goodwin challenges many of the established views on relationships by considering how different cultures view different relationships (love, marriage, friendship, the family, sexual relations). By discussing fundamental differences in values between cultures, alongside other key influences such as social class and education, he explores why these differences occur, and how different political and historical events have challenged existing patterns of relationships. Finally, drawing on research from all parts of the world, he considers how we can use this knowledge to help different communities across the globe cope with their most pressing relational challenges. Dr Robin Goodwin is Reader in Psychology in the Department of Human Sciences at Brunel University, London. He publishes widely on relationships and culture, and lectures about his work across the world.

Robin Goodwin draws together research from across the world to explore how fundamental differences in cultural values influence the ways in which we form romantic relationships, raise our children, and communicate with our wider social networks.

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.

Culture, Ethnicity and Personal Relationship Processes reviews new theory and research on personal relationships among African, Latina/o and Asian Americans as well as personal relationships among different ethnic groups. The collection focuses on the give and take of affection and respect in personal relationships as influenced by specific cultural values. Using diverse strands of research from psychology, psychiatry, sociology and other disciplines, the contributors take both a retrospective and a prospective look at ethnicity and the reciprocity of affectionate and respectful behavior. Throughout the book, the reader will be challenged to take stock of common misperceptions currently blocking the way to a greater understanding of relational dynamics as a function of ethnicity. Contributors: Raymond Buriel, James Liu, and Diana Rios.

This volume focuses explicitly on close relationships as a reliable source for individual happiness and well-being across cultures. The work in this volume addresses theoretical issues and presents new cross-cultural data in the study of close relationships and happiness. Experts from different parts of the world provide in-depth, authoritative reviews and new findings on the relationship between various types of close bonds (e.g., intimate, marital, friendship, grandparent) and happiness in a variety of cultures. An ideal resource for researchers and students of relationship science and positive psychology, this rich, clear, and up-to-date book serves as an important reference for academicians in related fields of psychology such as cross-cultural, social, and developmental.