ABSTRACT
The premise of this chapter is that interpersonal relationships are developing systems of communication, systems that generate meaning in the form of emotion, commitment, and memories. Relationships construct their own life histories and move through developmental phases, such as getting acquainted, establishing trust and intimacy, maintenance, decline, and rejuvenation or termination. We take a dialectical perspective on relationship continuity and change, focusing on the everyday communication processes that constitute the direct contacts between participants.
