Homosociality is a term used in sociology, which describes a same-sex relationship which is not romantic or sexual in nature. These relationships might be called friendships, mentorships, or other. Heterosociality is the opposite. It means that one prefers socializing with members of the opposite sex without bringing romance or sex into the relationship. Eve Sedgwick made the term popular in her discussion of male homosocial desire, but Jean Lipman-Blumen had defined homosociality in 1976 as a preference for members of one's own sex.