The Psychology of Friendship and Enmity: Relationships in Love, Work, Politics, and War [2 Volumes]

This two-volume exploration of what might be termed "interpersonal war and peace" reveals why individuals and groups coalesce or collide, and how more positive relationships can be achieved.

In this two-volume set, the most comprehensive treatment of its subject to date, eminent social scientists explore the processes involved in becoming friends—or enemies. Volume 1, Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Insights, focuses on friendship and enmity between individuals, examining situations that arise in romances, at school, at work, and between races, genders, and sexual identities. The text is enriched by a discussion of individual interactions in classic books and movies, what those stories reflect, and what they teach about human nature. Volume 2, Group and Intergroup Understanding, focuses on group dynamics across time and around the globe. Topics range from group interactions before and after the American Civil War to friendship and enmity between Afghans and Americans today. The work's ultimate concern, however, is to present ways in which individuals, groups, and nations can learn to be friends.

• Covers friendship and enmity between individuals and groups as it applies to adults, as well as to children
• Takes the unique approach of studying friendship in relation to enmity, showing them as fluid relationships that can be altered
• Addresses potentially contentious issues such as ethnicity/racism, sexism, and heterosexism, as well as current and historical conflicts involving Afghanis and Americans, Pakistanis and Indians, and the Irish and English
• Uses case studies of how groups become enemies to instruct readers on ways to better manage conflict and achieve peace