Physical Environment and Relationships

Proximity

Proximity is a well-known prerequisite to many relationships. Relationships are more likely to form among people who come into contact and have opportunities to interact, such as people [Page 1249]whose houses or apartments are close together. People whose apartments are centrally located (e.g., close to mailboxes) are likely to know more fellow residents. Residents of retirement housing are more likely to report socially supportive relationships when they live near the central activity building or near well-used paths in the facility.

Location and Possessions

Locations and objects are integral to relationships. In individualistic societies, partners meet independently of their families. Many couples meet at school, church, neighborhood events, or workplaces. If the courtship progresses, couples often seek out more private places to nurture their relationship. After a wedding, the young couple is expected to live independently, rather than reside with extended family.

Other societies are more communal, and marriage is often viewed as a union of families, rather than a marriage between two individuals. In these cultures, parents exercise more influence over where, how, and when couples meet, including provision of supervised settings where young people can observe or interact with prospective partners. After the marriage, the couple is expected to stay close to either the groom's or the bride's family, even moving in with the extended family. Wedding practices often symbolize the unity of families, such as when both the bride's and groom's families participate in building and furnishing the new dwelling.

Material objects often symbolize the unity of the new relationship, such as wedding gifts that can be enjoyed or used by the couple. In one study, couples were asked to identify objects in their home they liked the most and whether the objects had been acquired by one partner or by the couple. Individuals who were most satisfied with their marriage were more likely to select jointly owned objects as their favorites. A study of polygamous families found that some families provided a separate home for each wife and her children, whereas other families lived communally. Common to both arrangements was the wife's control over the décor. When sharing a home, the wives cooperated in decorating public areas, symbolizing family unity, but each wife had a uniquely decorated bedroom, reflecting her unique dyadic bond with her husband. Thus, objects and places reflect couple bonding, links to family and friends, and are tangible and visible manifestations of the relationship and their links to larger family and cultural networks.

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