Interpersonal Communication- A Mindful Approach to Relationships, 2020a

perspective for communication scholars? Would any of your friendships fall
within this framework? Why?
• Think of a time when you’ve had a cross-group friendship. What made it a
cross-group friendship? How did this friendship differ from your same-group
friendships? How was it similar to your same-group friendships? If you were
explaining the importance of cross-group friendships in your life to another, what
would you tell them?
• Do you think the word “friend” has been devalued through the use of social
media? When you look at Mobinah Ahmad’s six stage theory of friendships, do
you agree with her perspective? Why?
Chapter Wrap-Up
Friendships are a very important part of our interpersonal relationships. As such, we should never
take our friendships for granted. For this reason, it’s important to remember that friendships (like
all relationships) take work. In this chapter, we started by exploring the nature and characteristics of
friendships. We then examined the stages and types of friendships. We ended this chapter by exploring
friendships in several different contexts.
End of Chapter
Real World Case Study
Friendships often blossom between people that surprise those around them. For example, two
U.S. Supreme Court Justices, Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, were known for having a
decade’s long friendship despite being on polar opposite ends of the political spectrum. They served
on the Supreme Court for 22 years together until Scalia’s death in 2016, but their actual friendship
date back to the 1980s when they served on the federal circuit court in Washington, DC.
This unlikely friend pair was known to travel together with their spouses, and they shared an
affinity for the opera. Scalia was Ginsburg’s favorite souvenir shopping buddy when the two went on
trips. There’s even a famous picture of the two of them riding an elephant together during a trip to
India.
So, how did the two handle their friendship when they were at such opposite ends of the political
spectrum? Scalia once noted that if someone cannot agree to disagree with others and remain friends
while on the bench, then they probably needed to get a different job.
1. Do you think these types of friendships are possible, given the deep political divides that are plaguing
the United States?
1. Why do you think Scalia and Ginsberg’s friendship withstood the test of time and politics?
2. How can you analyze this friendship using what you’ve learned in this chapter?
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