Friendship
Subtitle
Development, Ecology and Evolution of a Social Relationship
Friends — they are generous and cooperative with each other in ways that appear to defy standard evolutionary expectations, frequently sacrificing for one another without concern for past behaviors or future consequences. In this fascinating multidisciplinary study, Daniel J. Hruschka synthesizes an array of cross-cultural, experimental and ethnographic data to understand the broad meaning of friendship, how it develops, how it interfaces with kinship and romantic relationships, and how it differs from place to place. Hruschka argues that friendship is a special form of reciprocal altruism based not on tit-for-tat accounting or forward-looking rationality, but rather on mutual goodwill that is built up along the way in human relationships.
Bio
Daniel Hruschka is a professor in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change. His two main research questions focus on how we stay healthy in diverse social environments and how humans cooperate, which he has been investigating in rural Bangladesh for the past 10 years.
Praise for this book
Hruschka's integrative approach provides a robust, and accessible, view of the complexities of making, having and being friends. This kind of inquiry is at the forefront of modern biocultural anthropology.
Agustin Fuentes Author of "Evolution of Human Behavior"
"Despite its importance to human happiness and well-being, friendship has long been a puzzle ― largely a neglected one ― for evolutionary scholars. Daniel Hruschka's book is a long overdue remedy to this situation. Through a deft combination of rigorous analysis and fine writing, Hruschka provides a thorough examination of friendship across the full range of human societies, past and present. His book will be an essential starting point for future work on this important topic."
Lee Cronk Author of "That Complex Whole: Culture and the Evolution of Human Behavior"
