The Primary Relations of Middle-Class Couples: A Study in Male Dominance

This study explores aspects of the close friendships of middle-class couples. Particular attention is given to the relative influence of husband and wife in forming and maintaining close friendships of the pair (seen as a unit). The evidence shows that husbands have the greater influence in initiating friendships and in determining who the best friends of the couple will be. The data also present a picture of the number of close friendships in the urban middle class, and the extent of agreement between spouses in naming their close friends.