F. G. Bonser, a psychologist working at the beginning of the twentieth century, called intimate friendships “the most potent in the development of man as a member of society.” William Bukowski, a developmental psychologist working at the end of the twentieth century, refers to close friendships as the “most enduring form of relationship across the life span.(Way 2011)

I liked that this article (The Hidden Landscapes of Boy’s Friendships) challenged the notion that all male friendships are simplistic and unemotional. Our culture views male friendships from a superficial, uncritical lens that does these kinds of relationships a disservice. It contributes to negative stereotypes about men as unfeeling, etc.

On the other hand, I was disappointed in Aptor’s discussion on female friendships, which seems to paint many female friendships in a negative light, falling in line with the current stereotyping of female behavior. Aptor’s article doesn’t give much of an idea of the positives of female friendships, and instead focuses on the negative, gendered behaviors that we come to expect from females, culturally. Even though I’m trying to appreciate the article for what it is, I would have liked Apter to have written a more nuanced analysis of female friendships, that goes beyond what we are taught by our society’s gender roles. This article felt like a check list of gendered stereotypes; I feel like I would have benefitted more from it, if the author took an approach similar to that of the article by Way and discussed some hidden landscapes of female friendship.