ANTH 3120 - Friendship and Social Networks

What makes a good friend? Why do we become friends with some people but not others? Do people in all societies make friends in the same way? Will the Internet change how friendship function? Despite the importance of friendship in human social life (it is equally important as kinship and gender for structuring relationship), the concept has received little attention from anthropologists. This course introduces students to the diversity and similarities of friendship styles found throughout the world.