Past research on diverse friendships has focused on how rare they are while the research presented here focuses on the successes of the few. This monograph traces the process by which friends overcome the social differences between them, starting with an in-depth look at friendship and friendship patterns in our society, how these boundaries shape the friendships themselves, how opportunities to establish such friendships are structured, and the interpersonal techniques for managing social differences.

Past research on diverse friendships has focused on how rare they are while the research presented here focuses on the successes of the few. This monograph traces the process by which friends overcome the social differences between them, starting with an in-depth look at friendship and friendship patterns in our society, how these boundaries shape the friendships themselves, how opportunities to establish such friendships are structured, and the interpersonal techniques for managing social differences.