With profound sadness, the International Institute of Love and Relationship Studies and The Diversity of Love Journal share the news of the passing of William (Bill) R. Jankowiak on July 19, 2026. William Jankowiak (1956–2026), a distinguished figure in anthropology, … Continue reading
Category Archives: intimacy
Why Do Loving People Share Beds?
PDF Version. People loving each other often sleep together. Many social animals and humans live in groups and sleep together in groups, families, or in pairs. Why is that? Such co-sleeping could be evolutionarily beneficial in several regards, both physiologically, … Continue reading
Modern Intimate Practices in Online Dating Apps
According to previous research on online dating app practices, there are two groups of users. Some are seeking casual sex, while others are seeking a committed relationship, as an imposed normative framework suggests. Intimate Relationships in Online-Mediated Cultures Sociologists have … Continue reading
How Affectionate Touch Influences Our Romantic Relationships
Men and women express their love for a partner in a relationship in a variety of verbal and nonverbal ways. Affectionate touch of various kinds is among the important nonverbal channels for lovers to express love in the intimate relationships. … Continue reading
How Expressive Is the Culture of Intimacy in a Relationship
The feeling of intimate belonging fulfills people’s needs for intimacy. However, people can satisfy their need to belong in various ways in different cultures, depending on their norms. A distinction between collectivistic (interdependent) and individualistic (independent) values is especially important … Continue reading
Japanese Marital Intimacy
I noted in another article, “The Japanese Dating Culture of “Tsukiau” Relationships“, that men and women enjoy the tsukiau relationship to explore the freedom of intimate emotional and sexual relations. They do not feel any pressure or expectation to marry. … Continue reading
The Japanese Way of Dating
This article explains when and how Japanese dating takes place. Courting, dating, and marital relationships are the periods when men and women expect an intimate relationship and love to evolve. Across cultures, such practices vary in terms of time and … Continue reading
What Is Emotional Intimacy? It Is Culturally Diverse.
The word “intimacy” is widely utilized in modern scholarship and public discourse. Its frequent usage is perhaps comparable to the word “love.” Both are commonly used in diverse and vague senses. Some scholars and laypeople extensively use the word “intimacy” … Continue reading