Social relation

As a social relationship (also Interpersonal relationship) referred to in sociology a relationship of two people or groups in which their thinking, acting or feeling is mutual respect to each other.

Social relationships are a fundamental requirement of people to live socially successful. He learned in his first few years, not, they respond (see basic trust ), it is his life harmed.

Social relationships can have positive or negative qualities. Relationships that have positive effects, also be considered as resources of the individual.

Social psychology deals with two common social relationships such as friendship and romantic relationships, but also with the relations between the individual and the group.

Term development of Max Weber and Leopold von Wiese

The term " social relationship " goes back to Max Weber. It defines:

Social relationship is more of a hot its meaning after successive mutually adjusted and thereby oriented relation of oneself. The social relationship thus consists entirely and exclusively all: the chance that in a ( meaningfully ) specifiable type is traded socially, no matter first: what this opportunity is based. (In: Economy and Society, Chapter 1, § 3).

From this definition it follows that a relationship is not complete until no more chance that is traded in her mind. A marriage is thus sociologically considered valid until not even the slightest chance that is traded in her mind. A social relationship always consists of two or more persons.

A social relationship is a chain of interaction. There are different types of social relationship. Examples thereof include acquaintances, intimate relationships, friendships or relationships. The acquaintance is a weak form of social relationship. It consists, when (at least) be able to identify and recognize two people against each other. The couple's relationship, however, stands by their exclusivity out: it is socially closed and carries obligations.

In the period of the Weimar Republic Leopold von Wiese developed its own, then quite influential " relationship sociology ", but which is no longer used as so well today.

In the 1950s, Paul Watzlawick developed his systemic thinking. One of his famous ' five axioms ' is about ' content and relationship '.

His systemic approach outlined Watzlawick in an interview as follows:

" The systemic approach is based on the situation in the here and now. That is on the way in which people communicate with each other and communicate can then get into trouble. So we try to understand how the human frame of reference works, in which the so-called patient stands with both indoor and participates ... Our question is: Why? What is the function of the so-called symptom? This goes so far for me is that if I, for example, pursuing marriage therapy, the patient is no longer the man or woman but the relationship between these two people. This is my patient. On the relationship I want to work. "