The concept of relationships: friendship, dating, courtship and marriage in Nigerian sociocultural context

The objective of this article is to clarify the concept, relationship. However, the specific objectives are to differentiate between romantic and non-romantic relationships, to argue that friendship, dating, courtship and marriage are subsumed under relationship and to point out the similarities and differences that exist between them.

What is a relationship?
The term relationship is polysemous. However, according to English 2.4 (whose text is extracted from http://wiktionary.org), a relationship means “connection or association; the condition of being related”. Merriam-Webster (2019) outlines three meanings associated with relationship.
They are:
1. the way in which two or more people, groups, countries, etc., talk to, behave toward, and deal with each other
2. a romantic or sexual friendship between two people
3. the way in which two or more people or things are connected.

Factors that give birth to a relationship
There are several factors that can spring up relationship. Below are some of the factors.
1. Blood: You have a relationship with anyone you are linked to through blood. This covers all members of your family both extended or nuclear.
2. Good Neighborhood: Traditionally, in Nigerian society, your neighbour is like part of your family. You can eat together, discuss issues and solve problems together when you aren’t around, they can take care of your children this practice is an extraction of communalism (see Morphy 2018). Nevertheless, this has changed in modern times, not all neighbours are in a relationship. For example, in compounds where everybody goes to work at 5 am, returns at 8 pm. And when they return, they cook, eat, bath, and sleep. Such neighbourhood has no time to discuss the subject of their interest. They don’t have time for one another.
3. Occupation or profession: People you work together with are in a relationship with you because you have common interest, common goal and you share ideas together.
4. Marriage: Marriage is the highest level of relationship. It covers both romantic and non-romantic activities.
5. Association or group: Members of the same association have a common goal. They fight for the interest of there members.

Classification of Relationship
A relationship is classified into two, viz: non-romantic and romantic relationship.

Hierarchies of Romantic Relationship
Friendship
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Dating
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Courtship
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Marriage

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Good writeup