Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Friendships between males and females, hereafter referred to as cross-sex friendships, are non-romantic (but not necessarily non-sexual), voluntary, non-familial relationships in which both individuals label their association as a friendship. The distinguishing characteristic of a cross-sex friendship is that the friends are of different biological sexes. Similar to other kinds of friendships, such as same-sex friendships, interracial friendships, and friendships of sexual minorities, cross-sex friendships are characterized by generic benefits in the form of mutual trust, loyalty, fun, enjoyment, and social support which manifests itself as aid, affect, and affirmation. From a symbolic interactionist perspective, however, cross-sex friends also offer one another the unique benefit of providing an insider's perspective on how members of the other sex think, feel, and behave. The bestowing of insider perspectives between cross-sex friends enables males and females of all ages to take the role of the other sex, thereby increasing their understanding of their friend and the gender their friend represents. Cross-sex friendships have a protean nature, meaning that their form and function change as they appear in different stages of the life cycle. Consequently, a thorough understanding of cross-sex friendships requires taking a life cycle approach to those relationships. A life cycle ... log in or subscribe to read full text