Varieties of friendship

English summary: Close relationships that go beyond family ties and kinships have become an interdisciplinary research subject that has received a lot of attention. Variations of social ties such as friendship, patronage and social networks ensue from different historical and cultural contexts and, hence, constitute a significant yet under-represented subject of interdisciplinary research. Questions such as the changing semantics of friendship, historical, intercultural and political practices of friendship, patronage and loyalty were the focus of an international conference for a critical discussion and re-assessment of values and norms that constitute such relationships in different cultures and epochs, as well as the social circumstances that determine them. Aspects of interest included the constitution and representation of the body and gender and the growth of trust and deceit, as well as the culturally and historically different practices and semantics of friendship and patronage and the way they are perceived according to social status and social and historical contexts. The results of the conference are presented in this volume.