Friendship is usually seen as a vital part of most people's lives in the West. From our friends, we hope to derive emotional support, advice and material help in times of need. In this pioneering book, basic assumptions about friendship are examined from a cross-cultural point of view.

Sandra Bell University of Durham Simon Coleman University of Durham

The Anthropology of Friendship: Enduring Themes and Future , Possibilities, People Who Can Be Friends: Selves and Social Relationships, Friendship : The Hazards of an Ideal Relationship, The Importance of Friendship in the Absence of States, According to the Icelandic Sagas, Building Affinity through Friendship, The 'Bones' of Friendship: Playing Dominoes with Arthur of an Evening in the Eagle Pub, Expressions of Interest: Friendship and guanxi in Chinese Societies, Friendship, Kinship and the Life Course in Rural Auvergne, Friends and Networks as Survival Strategies in North-East Europe, Localized Kin and Globalized Friends: Religious Modernity and the 'Educated Self' in East Africa