Close Relationships in their Physical and Social Contexts: A Transactional Perspective

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Abstract
This article calls for more research that embeds dyadic relationships in their physical, social and temporal contexts. We use ethnographic accounts of courtship, wedding and placemaking practices in two different societies and find that: (1) social and environmental rituals often make salient the couple members' relationship to one another and their degree of obligation to their families and society; (2) events almost always involve significant use of the physical environment in terms of the location of events, the exchange of gifts, the use of special clothing and objects, etc.; and (3) activities occurring during these stages often symbolize and forecast future relationships between dyad members and between the dyad and its family and kin. Although network researchers often take into account the dyad's social context, our analysis suggests that physical and temporal qualities are also important.

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