ABSTRACT
FRIENDSHIPS are sources of social contact and intimacy, two integral elements of human survival in any culture. Friendships, however, are not the same as friendly relations. Kurth (1970) argues that friendly relations are an outgrowth of role relationships, while friendships are intimate relationships involving two people as individuals. Cultural norms specify the form and content of friendly relations. In contrast, “the development of friendship is based on private negotiations and is not imposed through cultural values or norms” (Bell, 1981, p. 10). Similarly, Suttles (1970) points out that friendships are the least “programmed” type of relationship that people form.
