ABSTRACT
Social relations exist in a large variety. Criminal contacts are kept secret, whereas presidential encounters are conspicuously shown on television for millions to watch. Friendships are mostly between (approximate) equals, whereas employment relations are authoritarian, and in some places involve force, at an opposite extreme from equality. Lovers have mutual trust, emotional involvement, and frequent interactions, whereas “arms length” market transactions are brief and emotionally shallow. Although many relations are reciprocated, they are not necessarily so, like fleeting glances in a subway. The last example shows that some relations are not even noticed by all participants but can still be influential: someone saw somebody with an appealing product and now wants to have it too. In strength, relations vary as well, often associated with the kind of relation. Strength varies as a function of (1) emotional intensity, (2) trust, (3) time spent, and (4) reciprocity (Granovetter 1973). 1 The more two people are emotionally involved with each other, trust each other, spend time on or with each other, and reciprocate each other’s actions, the stronger their relationship will be. However, the stronger relationships are, the more ambivalent people tend to feel about each other (Smelser 1998), which can sometimes result in conflict.
