Authored by renowned communication and relationship scholar Steve Duck, Rethinking Relationships Through Rhetoric: Coordinating Interpersonal Approaches invites readers to reconsider their assumptions and understanding of relationships. The second edition of the text features a fresh emphasis on rhetoric and its insights into the ways in which individuals use discourse to promote vantage points and opinions or to make arguments or representations that are intended to influence others. The book posits that everyday communication is largely argumentative, propositional, sermonic, and intentionally influential in nature. Readers learn how even mundane communication subtly pitches the views of the speaker towards the listener and invites approval or objection. The text reconsiders the implications of seeing acquaintance as an ongoing, unfinished, and largely communicatively-based activity that is not captured in laboratory snapshots, and so challenges readers to better understand how relationships are formed through series of everyday interactions and active inquiry by listeners rather than "self-disclosure" by speakers. It also explores how cultural influence, the assessment of behaviors, and moral judgements affect everyday interactions and consequently, our relationships. Providing readers with a deep examination of the ways in which individuals practice their relationships and embody them in social spaces, Rethinking Relationships Through Rhetoric is an ideal textbook for advanced courses and graduate programs in interpersonal communication and interpersonal relationships.

Originally published in 1986, this book is a result of the first International Conference on Personal Relationships held in 1982. The conference itself was a significant event in publicly bringing together major figures whose work was starting to define the new area of personal relationships. The chapters are arranged to follow the structure of the conference program, with major opening and closing discussions covering the whole field and the rest of the chapters grouped under the headings of Depiction and Taxonomy of Relationships; Development and Growth of Relationships and Disorder and Repair of Relationships. The result is by no means a comprehensive treatment of the field, but the editors hoped that the book highlighted significant issues in personal relationship research as well as some excellent examples of the ways in which issues and problems were being tackled at the time. They also hoped that it would have an effect on the future development of the field of personal relationships by indicating its value and potential.

Originally published in 1986, this book is a result of the first International Conference on Personal Relationships held in 1982. The conference itself was a significant event in publicly bringing together major figures whose work was starting to define the new area of personal relationships. The chapters are arranged to follow the structure of the conference program, with major opening and closing discussions covering the whole field and the rest of the chapters grouped under the headings of Depiction and Taxonomy of Relationships; Development and Growth of Relationships and Disorder and Repair of Relationships. The result is by no means a comprehensive treatment of the field, but the editors hoped that the book highlighted significant issues in personal relationship research as well as some excellent examples of the ways in which issues and problems were being tackled at the time. They also hoped that it would have an effect on the future development of the field of personal relationships by indicating its value and potential.

with Graham Allan, Irwin Altman, Leslie A. Baxter, Niall Bolger, Barbara B. Brown, Joseph Ginat, Shannon Kelleher, Renate Klein, Robert M. Milardo, Catherine H. Stein, Carol M. Werner & Julia T. Wood Social Context and Relationships moves beyond exploring the personal factors involved in relationships and reveals the impact of outside forces--culture, society, values, economics, and more--on the conduct of relationships. Confronting practical realities, this compelling volume focuses on how such issues as limited opportunity, restraints on freedom, compulsions of coercive family norms, responsibilities, poverty, bigotry, gender, physical separation, and limited geographic mobility influence personal relationships. Because the contributors successfully argue for the redirection of research--from the over-application of an individual perspective to the inclusion of contextual features--students and scholars in social psychology, communication studies, family studies, sociology, and gender studies will discover much of value in this fascinating volume.

with Linda K. Acitelli, Peter A. Andersen, Charles R. Berger, Marcia Dixson, Beverly Fehr, Julie Fitness, Garth J. O. Fletcher & James M. Honeycutt What special knowledge must a person have to participate in a relationship? What special language structures do persons typically use in entering or conducting relationships? Individuals in Relationships provides answers to these questions and offers an interdisciplinary look at the individual processes necessary to, and presumed in, relationships. It deals with the cognitive--the mental processes individuals bring to relationships, ranging from their thought patterns and attributional styles to the ways in which they recall relationship events and treat or manipulate shared knowledge. Further, it covers such topics as mutual understanding in relationships, cognitive schemata in personal relationships, and memory structures for the beginning and end of relationships. Using the theme of cognition as a starting point, this comprehensive volume lays the groundwork for further exploration of individuals in relationships, specifically, the broader social contextual factors of such relationships. A volume featuring the latest scholarship that examines cognitive relationship processes, Individuals in Relationships is particularly useful for a wide range of scholars and professionals interested in personal relationships, social psychology, communication studies, family studies, sociology, and gender studies. "The volume does a fine job of describing the mental representations and cognitive processes people bring to their close relationships. . . . Clearly, one of the strengths of this volume is its coherence. The emphasis on cognition is defined at the outset, and is successfully developed throughout. . . . Taken together, the chapters that compose this volume accomplish two important tasks. First, they provide an excellent review of the literature on social cognition in close relationships. This, by itself, is a good reason for those interested in personal relationships to have the book on their shelf. Second, the chapters supply a preliminary blueprint for future research on cognitive processes in relationships. By discussing controversial issues, describing methodological dilemmas, and positing interesting research questions and hypotheses, the authors point readers toward a number of gaps in the current literature. It is the author's ability to analyze past work and look toward future work that makes Individuals in Relationships a particularly stimulating volume." --Journal of Marriage and the Family

Also with Melanie K. Barnes, Sheryl Perlmutter Bowen, Heather R. Carlson, Marilyn Coleman, Lawrence H. Ganong, Jeffrey Haig, John H. Harvey, Renee F. Lyons, Darlene Meade, Paula Michal-Johnson, Suzanne M. Retzinger, James T. West, Jacqueline P. Wiseman, Katherine D. Wright & Paul H. Wright "Highly recommended." --Mark Waldman in Contemporary Psychology "Each chapter of Confronting Relationship Challenges has something new to say. . . . The chapters offer rich opportunities for researchers to expand their investigations and their conceptualizations. . . . This book will challenge the reader to enhanced understanding and increased commitment to appropriate intervening when others (and ourselves) are overwhelmed by the 'dark side' of relationships." --Judith L. Fischer in Journal of Marriage and the Family Addressing the difficult side of relationships, Confronting Relationship Challenges moves forward in the Understanding Relationship Processes Series by taking an honest look at what can go wrong with relationships and highlighting some of the challenges partners might face while struggling to comprehend their connectedness to one another. Edited by Steve Duck and Julia Wood, discussion in this volume moves away from any implication that relationships are only good and delightful. Even in the very closest of relationships, pain and suffering are inevitable and the contributing scholars examine the management and tolerance skills required of participants in order to construct meaningful interpretations of themselves, each other, and the relationship as all components evolve and interact in continually changing contexts. Relationship challenges examined in this book include conflict, enemies, the reconfiguring "family" after a divorce, codependency, interpersonal violence, HIV/AIDS, chronic illness, and managing grief over a partner's death. Students and scholars in interpersonal communication, social psychology, clinical/counseling psychology, family studies, psychology and sociology will find this volume to be a valuable resource.

`The main strengths of the book are its uniqueness... its mix of emphasis on methods, statistics, and ideas, its commentaries by the authors, and the well-chosen journal articles' - John Harvey, University of Iowa Understanding Research in Personal Relationships is a comprehensive introduction to the key readings on human and close relationships. Organized into twelve thematic chapters with editorial commentary throughout, the Editors offer a critical reading of the major research articles in the field of relationship studies published in the last few years. Scholarly papers, two per chapter, are presented in an abridged form and critiqued in a carefully structured way that instructs students on the way to read research, and to critically evaluate research in this field. The book, therefore, has a thoroughly didactic focus as the student is given historical, theoretical and methodological contexts to each article as well as an explanation of key terms and ideas. Key features about this book: - Cross-Disciplinary use - an excellent book for all students taking human relationship modules in psychology, communication studies, sociology, social work, family studies and other subjects across the social sciences. - Maps onto course teaching - ideal for 12 week semester term course, covering major themes such as love, attraction, conflict and social networks. - Pedagogical - `How to use this book' section at the start; chapter introductions and summaries throughout; glossary of key terms highlighted throughout the book at the end of the text. This text is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students wanting a straightforward, didiactic guide to understanding research on human relationships.

Long-distance relationships, nonmarital cohabitation, and personal relationships over computer networks--all are examples of relationships that are growing in number but that, to date, have not been adequately researched. In Under-Studied Relationships, a talented team of contributors rectifies existing scholarship's tendency to ignore the diverse and emergent forms of relationships that are increasingly evident in modern society. Contributors to this impressive volume examine such largely overlooked issues as long-lasting marriages, cultural minority relationships, gay/lesbian relationships, friendships at work, nonmarital cohabitation, long-distance relationships, and personal relationships over computer networks. With the dawning of commuter marriages, electronically mediated friendships, and "microwave relationships," this volume cultivates an appreciation of the pluralistic characteristics of relationship life and encourages the expansion of research efforts in this field. Under-Studied Relationships serves as an ideal resource for scholars and students in social psychology, family studies, gender studies, interpersonal communication, clinical and counseling psychology, and sociology.

Also with Melanie K. Barnes, Sheryl Perlmutter Bowen, Heather R. Carlson, Marilyn Coleman, Lawrence H. Ganong, Jeffrey Haig, John H. Harvey, Renee F. Lyons, Darlene Meade, Paula Michal-Johnson, Suzanne M. Retzinger, James T. West, Jacqueline P. Wiseman, Katherine D. Wright & Paul H. Wright "Highly recommended." --Mark Waldman in Contemporary Psychology "Each chapter of Confronting Relationship Challenges has something new to say. . . . The chapters offer rich opportunities for researchers to expand their investigations and their conceptualizations. . . . This book will challenge the reader to enhanced understanding and increased commitment to appropriate intervening when others (and ourselves) are overwhelmed by the 'dark side' of relationships." --Judith L. Fischer in Journal of Marriage and the Family Addressing the difficult side of relationships, Confronting Relationship Challenges moves forward in the Understanding Relationship Processes Series by taking an honest look at what can go wrong with relationships and highlighting some of the challenges partners might face while struggling to comprehend their connectedness to one another. Edited by Steve Duck and Julia Wood, discussion in this volume moves away from any implication that relationships are only good and delightful. Even in the very closest of relationships, pain and suffering are inevitable and the contributing scholars examine the management and tolerance skills required of participants in order to construct meaningful interpretations of themselves, each other, and the relationship as all components evolve and interact in continually changing contexts. Relationship challenges examined in this book include conflict, enemies, the reconfiguring "family" after a divorce, codependency, interpersonal violence, HIV/AIDS, chronic illness, and managing grief over a partner's death. Students and scholars in interpersonal communication, social psychology, clinical/counseling psychology, family studies, psychology and sociology will find this volume to be a valuable resource.

with Graham Allan, Irwin Altman, Leslie A. Baxter, Niall Bolger, Barbara B. Brown, Joseph Ginat, Shannon Kelleher, Renate Klein, Robert M. Milardo, Catherine H. Stein, Carol M. Werner & Julia T. Wood Social Context and Relationships moves beyond exploring the personal factors involved in relationships and reveals the impact of outside forces--culture, society, values, economics, and more--on the conduct of relationships. Confronting practical realities, this compelling volume focuses on how such issues as limited opportunity, restraints on freedom, compulsions of coercive family norms, responsibilities, poverty, bigotry, gender, physical separation, and limited geographic mobility influence personal relationships. Because the contributors successfully argue for the redirection of research--from the over-application of an individual perspective to the inclusion of contextual features--students and scholars in social psychology, communication studies, family studies, sociology, and gender studies will discover much of value in this fascinating volume.