Close Relationship Loss

Social scientists from various disciplines have been increasingly concerned with the nature, structure, and function of close relationships. Although most of the early work on the topic of close relationships drew attention to the development of close relationships, since the mid-1970s researchers have begun to investigate the many different aspects connected to the loss of close relationships. Despite the change to a more comprehensive conceptual framework, close relationship research is often criticized for being atheoretical; the research is criticized for being purely descriptive in nature and thus lacking a more theoretical framework. Contrary to this belief, I wish to argue that researchers in the area of close relationship loss employ several critical and prominent theoretical perspectives to describe, explain, and understand the endings of relationships-thus, the fruition of this book. The major aim of this edited book is to present and illuminate, within one volume, some of these major theoretical perspectives. The volume as a whole has several unique qualities. First, within each chapter, the authors provide a general overview of the theoretical per spective or approach within which they examine close relationship loss.

Autorentext
Neben ihrer Aufgabe als Projektleiterin der Langzeitstudie Early Years of Marriage Project lehrt und forscht Terri L. Orbuch auch als Professorin an der University of Michigan (Institute for Social Research) und an der Oakland University. Die Gastgeberin der wöchentlich auf VoiceAmerica.com ausgestrahlten The Love Doctor®-Radiosendung arbeitet seit mehr als 20 Jahren als Ehetherapeutin. Dr. Orbuch lebt zusammen mit ihrem Ehemann in Michigan.

Klappentext

This book maps out current and future theories ofrelationship loss effectively and concisely. It bringstogether social psychologists, sociologists, clinicalpsychologists and researchers in communication and familystudies, who closely examine the questions induced by theloss ofrelationships and help refine our understanding ofthe nature of close relationship loss.

Inhalt
I: Introduction.- 1. The Role of Theory in the Examination of Relationship Loss.- 2. Integration of Methodology, Theory, and Therapy.- II: Determinants of Relationship Loss.- 3. Social Exchange Perspectives on the Dissolution of Close Relationships.- 4. Disruption of Marital and Cohabitation Relationships: A Social Demographic Perspective.- 5. Broken Attachments: Relationship Loss From the Perspective of Attachment Theory.- III: Process of Relationship Loss.- 6. The Language of Disengagement: A Face-Management Perspective.- 7. Dialectical Processes in the Disengagement of Interpersonal Relationships.- 8. Developmental Perspectives on Relationship Loss.- IV: Consequences of Relationship Loss.- 9. Marital Dissolution and Family Adjustment: An Attributional Analysis.- 10. The Account-Making Process: A Phenomenological Approach.- 11. A Symbolic Interactionist Approach to the Study of Relationship Loss.- V: Concluding Comments.- 12. Divorce: A Comment About the Future.- 13. Close Relationship Loss As a Set of Inkblots.- Author Index.