Drawing on interviews conducted with Black couples in the US, this book explores relational resilience and identifies unique adaptation strategies that enable couples to overcome the multigenerational effects of violence and sexual mass trauma from slavery and activates compassionate love in flourishing relationships. By applying Appreciative Inquiry (AI) methodology and family systems theory, the book captures the spiritual, emotional, and sexual dimensions in black couple systems that gives meaning to their resilient relationships in the context of contemporary America. Within the framework of compassionate love, the book highlights the need for researchers and clinicians to include the broader cultural contexts in their sexual trauma-informed studies and interventions. Using genetic studies and empirical evidence, the volume contributes significantly to discussion around Black relationships and historical trauma, and to the broader challenges within race relations in the United States. This book will benefit researchers, academicians, and clinicians with an interest in sexual trauma, marriage and family therapy, and couples counseling more broadly. Readers will also find this book useful when designing research in Black studies, intergenerational issues, or sexual intimacy.

'The authors ...extend the reach of their comprehensive reviews into theoretically driven and innovating explorations. The scope of coverage across and within chapters is striking. The developmentalist, the methodologist, the feminist, the contextualist, and the cross-culturalist alike will find satisfaction in reading the chapters' - Catherine A Surra, University of Texas, Austin The science of close relationships is relatively new and complex. This volume has 26 chapters organized into four thematic areas: relationship methods, forms, processes, and threats, as well as a foreword and an epilogue.

This book provides an in-depth and comprehensive summary of the psychology of close relationships, and showcases classic and contemporary theories, models, and empirical research that have been conducted in the field.

Following the lifecycle of romantic relationships, this textbook offers a fresh, diversity-infused introduction to relationship science.

This is a much-needed update on the latest theory and research on love supplied by leading scientific experts. It is suitable for psychologists, neuroscientists, anthropologists, sociologists, and anyone with an interest in love and what has been learned from scientific studies of it.

In the World Library of Psychologists series, international experts themselves present career-long collections of what they judge to be their finest pieces - extracts from books, key articles, salient research findings, and their major practical theoretical contributions. In this fascinating volume, Harry Reis reflects on a career that has earned him an international reputation as an eminent scholar and pioneer in the field of relationship science, through a selection of papers that illustrate the foundational theme of his research career: the importance of relationships for human well-being. The book charts the development of research in social psychology and relationship science through three key themes; from the relationship context of human behaviour, through to the value of studying behaviour in its natural context, and finally intimacy and responsiveness in close relationships. Also featuring a newly written introduction by the author contextualizing the selections and offering an intimate overview of his career, this collection of key publications offers a unique and compelling insight into decades of groundbreaking work, making it an essential resource for all those engaged or interested in the psychology of relationships and well-being.

The Science of Compassionate Love is an interdisciplinaryvolume that presents cutting-edge scholarship on the topics ofaltruism and compassionate love. The book Adopts a social science approach to understanding compassionatelove Emphasizes positive features of social interaction Encourages the appropriate expression of compassionate loveboth to those in intimate relationships and to strangers Includes articles by distinguished contributors from the fieldsof Psychology, Sociology, Communication Studies, Family Studies,Epidemiology, Medicine and Nursing Is ideal for workshops on compassionate love, PositivePsychology, and creating constructive interactions between healthprofessionals and patients

Positive Psychology of Love brings together the latest research and theory in the field of close relationships from positive psychology, suggesting ways individuals can have more fulfilling close and intimate relationships, and how these relationships may enhance our lives.

This multidisciplinary volume provides a unique and truly global collection of research on the nature of dating, mating, and coupling, as they occur across a variety of cultures in dynamically shifting societies.

This handbook includes state-of-the-art research on love in classical, modern and postmodern perspectives. It expands on previous literature and explores topics around love from new cultural, intercultural and transcultural approaches and across disciplines. It provides insights into various love concepts, like romantic love, agape, and eros in their cultural embeddedness, and their changes and developments in specific cultural contexts. It also includes discussions on postmodern aspects with regard to love and love relationships, such as digitalisation, globalisation and the fourth industrial revolution. The handbook covers a vast range of topics in relation to love: aging, health, special needs, sexual preferences, spiritual practice, subcultures, family and other relationships, and so on. The chapters look at love not only in terms of the universal concept and in private, intimate relationships, but apply a broad concept of love which can also, for example, be referred to in postmodern workplaces. This volume is of interest to a wide readership, including researchers, practitioners and students of the social sciences, humanities and behavioural sciences. In the 1970s through the 90s, I was told that globalization was homogenizing cultures into a worldwide monoculture. This volume, as risky and profound as the many adventures of love across our multiplying cultures are, proves otherwise. The authors’ revolutionary and courageous work will challenge our sensibilities and expand the boundaries of what we understand what love is. But that’s what love does: It communicates what is; offers what can be; and pleads for what must be. I know you’ll enjoy this wonderful book as much as I do! Jeffrey Ady, Associate Professor (retired), Public Administration Program, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Founding Fellow, International Academy for Intercultural Research The International Handbook of Love is far more than a traditional compendium. It is a breath-taking attempt to synthesize our anthropological and sociological knowledge on love. It illuminates topics as diverse as Chinese love, one-night stands, teen romance or love of leaders and many more. This is a definitive reference in the field of love studies. Eva Illouz, author of The End of Love: A sociology of Negative relationships. Oxford University Press. “This is not a volume to be read in a single sitting (though I almost did, due to a protracted hospital stay), nor is it romantic or inspirational reading (though, in some cases, I had hoped for more narrative examples and case studies. Rather it is a highly diverse scholarly effort, a massive resource collection of research papers on love in a variety of contexts, personal and professional settings, and cultures. The work is well referenced providing a large number of resources for deeper exploration. .... We owe our thanks to the authors and editors of this “handbook” for work well done, though that word in the title should not lead readers to suspect that, enlightening as it is, this book is a vade mecum or practical tour guide that provides ready solutions to the vicissitudes and challenges of our love lives!” Reviewed by Dr. George F. Simons on amazon.com ******* Please see Claude-Hélène Mayer’s interview related to the handbook in LeanHealth Talks published by Bernadette Bruckner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVNXA9sWuWo ******* Please see Claude-Hélène Mayer’s interview related to the handbook published In Iran News Daily: https://newspaper.irandaily.ir/?nid=6941&pid=6&type=0