The many meanings of friendship

Editorial Comment by Heather Devere

Devere, H. (2014) The many meanings of friendship, AMITY: The Journal of Friendship Studies, 2:1, pp. 1-3. doi: 10.5518/AMITY/7

Abstract

Friendship is a subject virtually ignored in Political History. Intuitively we know that friendship involves close relationships. There needs to be affection, caring for each other, some sort of commitment and reciprocity. Friendship is associated with attachment, closeness or intimacy, mutuality, esteem and respect. It requires being loving, supportive, and wishing well. It is about tolerance and putting up with the idiosyncrasies of your friends. Friendship can range from close to cordial, from affinity to rapport. It has been associated with gentle liking or passionate emotion. Friendship has been described in kinship terms: brotherhood or fraternity, and sisterhood. It can be applied to sexual, political and/or business partners, or even relationships between nation states.