The phenomenon of friendship in the social well-being study

Abstract

The article is a review of the book by L. Denworth Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental Bond (Moscow: CORPUS, 2022. 364 p.). The book presents an attempt to combine and analyze various approaches (from biological to sociological) to the study of friendship. Certainly, friendship is a complex phenomenon in the sociological perspective, which has not yet received proper scientific attention. Despite the fact that Denworth declares friendship the focus of the research, the book examines social relations in general and their impact on the personal well-being and health. In addition to friendship, Denworth considers issues of loneliness, bullying in schools, and the influence of social networks on relationships. Denworth pays special attention to the research of primatologists in order to find an answer to the question about the evolutionary origins of human friendship. The review identifies both the strengths of the book and those aspects that require a more thorough analysis. To contextualize the book, the review also examines sociological studies of friendship and works on similar issues.