Intimate Relationships across Cultures
A Comparative Study

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

Charles T. Hill (Author)

9781107196629, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 20 June 2019

280 pages, 12 b/w illus.
23.4 x 15.4 x 1.9 cm, 0.53 kg

'This book is a remarkable historical achievement in the study of close relationships, representing the culmination of 38 years of research into the factors that keep couples in romantic relationships together … the book achieves a powerful melding of theory, data, and deep insight into what makes romantic relationships crucial sources of satisfaction, no matter where they happen to be.' R. R. Cornelius, Choice

Intimate relationships exist in social domains, in which there are cultural rules regarding appropriate behaviors. But they also inhabit psychological domains of thoughts, feelings, and desires. How are intimate relationships experienced by people living in various types of romantic or sexual relationships and in various cultural regions around the world? In what ways are they similar, and in what ways are they different? This book presents a cross-cultural extension of the findings originating from the classic Boston Couples Study. Amassing a wealth of new data from almost 9,000 participants worldwide, Hill explores the factors that predict having a current partner, relationship satisfaction, and relationship commitment. These predictions are compared across eight relationship types and nine cultural regions, then uniquely combined in a Comprehensive Partner Model and a Comprehensive Commitment Model. The findings test the generalizability of previous theories about intimate relationships, with implications for self-reflection, couples counseling, and well-being.

Foreword Daniel Perlman
Introduction: why was this book written?
1. How do we know what matters in intimate relationships?
2. Why do people seek intimate relationships?
3. How are intimate partners selected?
4. What is love and how is intimacy expressed?
5. How do sexual attitudes and behaviors matter?
6. What are the dynamics of exchange and power?
7. How do couples cope with conflict?
8. How do external factors matter in intimate relationships?
9. How do intimate relationships relate to well-being?
10. How do the predictions combine in comprehensive models?
11. How much do the levels of factors vary?
12. What are the implications of the study?
13. How might the findings apply to other social relationships?
Epilogue: what future research is needed?

Subject Areas: Dating, relationships, living together & marriage [VFVG], Social, group or collective psychology [JMH], Sociology: sexual relations [JHBK5], Sociology: family & relationships [JHBK], Society & culture: general [JF]