Relationships A. Friendships

Female-Female Friends The importance of female friendships. Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry with your girlfriends. - Laurie Kuslansky Intimacy between friends. –Face to face versus side to side distinction. –Women disclose more to their same sex friends, but this is a small effect. –Women are more likely to be the recipient of disclosure. –Women tend to have smaller circles of friends.

Female-Female Friends (cont.) African American friendships. –Less relational aggression? Lesbian friendships. –“Family of Choice”

Male-Female Friends Have more obstacles. –Attraction. –Misunderstood by others. These friendships don’t tend to be as intimate. Varies as a function of sex role identity.

Relationships B. Romantic Relationships

Attraction Reciprocal liking. Similarity. Physical attractiveness. Familiarity.

Dating Scripts Script is a standard set of expectations for what will happen during an event. Most people continue to have fairly traditional dating scripts. Online scripts. Gay and lesbian scripts. Older singles.

Types of Love (Robert Sternberg) Components. –Intimacy = Feelings that promote closeness & connectedness. –Passion = "State of intense longing for" –Commitment = Dedication to maintaining the relationship. Seven Kinds of love.

Relationships C.Motherhood The phrase "working mother" is redundant. - Jane Sellman

Motherhood The motherhood mystique. 1.Fulfillment as a woman depends on being a mom. 2.All jobs assigned to moms fit logically together. 3.A woman must like being a mom at all times. 4.A mom’s Intense, exclusive devotion to her kids is a good thing.

Motherhood cont… Is pregnancy stigmatizing? –Helping behaviors. –Attitudes toward pregnant women. The “Pregnant Brain” –Henry & Rendell, 2007 –Kinsley, 2008