Showing papers on "Interpersonal relationship published in 1981"

The health-related functions of social support.

Abstract: Social support research has been hampered by a lack of clarity both in the definitions of social support and in the conceptualization of its effects on health outcomes. The present study compared social network size and three types of perceived social support—tangible, emotional, and informational —in relation to stressful life events, psychological symptoms and morale, and physical health status in a sample of 100 persons 45–64 years old. Social network size was empirically separable from, though correlated with, perceived social support and had a weaker overall relationship to outcomes than did support. Low tangible support and emotional support, in addition to certain life events, were independently related to depression and negative morale; informational support was associated with positive morale. Neither social support nor stressful life events were associated with physical health. It was concluded that social support research would benefit from attention to the multidimensionality of support and greater specificity in hypotheses about the relationship between types of support and adaptational outcomes.

The Family as the Locus of Gender, Class, and Political Struggle: The Example of Housework

Abstract: Although the last decade of research on families has contributed enormously to our understanding of diversity in family structures and the relationship of family units to various other aspects of social life, it has, it seems to me, generally failed to identify and address sources of conflict within family life. Thus, the usefulness of this research for understanding women's situation has been particularly limited. The persistence and resilience of family forms in the midst of general social change, often forcefully documented in this research, have certainly helped to goad us, as feminists, to consider what women's interests may be in the mainte-

Assessing Intimacy: The Pair Inventory†

Abstract: PAIR, acronym for Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships, was developed as a tool for educators, researchers and therapists. PAIR provides systematic information on five types of intimacy: emotional, social, sexual, intellectual and recreational. Individuals, married or unmarried, describe their relationship in terms of how they currently perceive it (perceived) and how they would like it to be (expected). PAIR can be used with couples in marital therapy and enrichment groups.

The socio-cultural context of rape: A cross-cultural study.

Abstract: A cross-cultural study on the sociocultural context of rape was undertaken to examine the incidence meaning and function of rape in tribal societies. The study utilized a cross-cultural sample of 156 tribal societies. The research described in this paper departs from the assumption that although sexual behavior of human beings was based on a biological need it was rather an expression of a sociological and cultural force than merely a bodily relation between two persons. Analysis of available information suggested that rape in tribal societies was part of a cultural configuration which includes interpersonal violence male dominance and sexual separation. There was considerable evidence to support the notion that rape was an expression of a social ideology of male dominance. First female power and authority was lower in rape prone societies. Second women in these societies do not participate in decision making. The correlates of rape strongly suggested that rape was the playing out of a sociocultural script in which the personhood of males was expressed through interpersonal violence and an ideology of toughness.

Student-Student Interaction: The Neglected Variable In Education

Abstract: Like all social systems, the school (and the classroom) is made up of a network of interpersonal relationships structured to facilitate the achievement of educational goals (Johnson, 1970, 1979). Broadly, the educational goals consist of transferring knowledge and skills; socializing children and adolescents into the perspectives, values, and attitudes they need to function effectively within our society; and facilitating the cognitive, social, and physical development of each individual student. While there are a variety of relationships within the school structured to achieve these goals, the primary educational relationships are between teachers and students and among students themselves. Educational psychology has traditionally focused on teacher-student interaction. It has been assumed by some that students' learning, socialization, and development are primarily dependent on their interaction with teachers; that peer relationships have little impact on the student and, therefore, could be ignored; and that the infrequent and minor peer influences that do exist in. the classroom are an unhealthy and bothersome influence, discouraging academic achievement and encouraging off-task, disruptive behavior in the classroom. The adult centrism in our

Dialectic Conceptions In Social Psychology: An Application To Social Penetration And Privacy Regulation

Abstract: Publisher Summary The long-term development of social bonds, including their growth and deterioration, their interaction processes that occur over the history of social relationships, and their holistic systems like qualities, are examined in the chapter. The chapter integrates and extends the social penetration theory and the privacy regulation theory. It introduces the study of interpersonal relationships. The chapter compares social penetration and privacy regulation frameworks in terms of their similarities and differences and their strengths and weaknesses. It examines the concept of dialectics from a historical and philosophical perspective and describes a particular dialectic approach. The idea of opposition, the unity of opposites, and the concept of change are discussed under the concept of dialectics. Then the chapter explores assumptions about social relationships, wherein it discusses about general philosophical assumptions, homeostasis and the maintenance of stability, and specific assumptions about openness-closeness and stability-change. The chapter discusses research conducted on openness-closeness and stability-change processes in reference to (1) relationship development, (2) crises in social relationships, (3) intimacy of exchange, (4) personal characteristics of interaction style, and (5) the interpersonal unit-matching and timing of interaction.

“What we need is communication”: “Communication” as a cultural category in some American speech

Abstract: "Communication” is examined as a cultural term whose meaning is problematic in selected instances of American speech about interpersonal life. An ethnographic study, focusing on analysis of several cultural “texts,” reveals that in the discourse examined here, “communication” refers, to close, supportive, flexible speech, which functions as the “work” necessary to self‐definition and interpersonal bonding. “Communication,” thus defined, is shown to find its place in a “communication” ritual, the structure of which is delineated. The use of the definition formulated, and of the ideational context which surrounds it, is illustrated in an analysis of a recurring public drama, the “communication” theme shows on the Phil Donahue television program. Implications of the study are drawn for ethnography as a form of communication inquiry.

The Assessment of Social Adjustment: An Update

Abstract: • Since a review of 15 social adjustment scales appeared six years ago in the Archives, a number of new scales have been developed and tested. Twelve new scales, three written self-administered and nine interviewer-administered scales, are considered to be useful in clinical and epidemiologic research in psychiatry. Future research in this area should include development of scales for use with children, adolescents, and the elderly; revision of scales to reflect changes in traditional roles, especially among women; clarification of the concepts underlying social functioning; and systematic explication and measurement of these concepts.

Loneliness in the Swedish Aged.

Abstract: Feelings of loneliness in relation to disease, handicaps, social network and social background were studied in a representative sample of 1,007 70-year-old people living in Goteborg, Sweden. The results showed that loneliness was a problem to 24% of the women and 12% of the men. The study allowed a detailed analysis of the association between feelings of loneliness and health, disabilities due to other than medical reasons, consumption of social and medical service, social contacts, cognitive functioning and personality traits. The most important factors related to the feeling of loneliness were the loss of spouse, depression of mood and lack of friends. The lonely had a negative self-assessment of health and consumed more out-patient care, social welfare help and sedatives. The higher consumption of medical service and/or social care was, however, not associated with a higher prevalence of definable somatic disease or handicaps.

Network Structure, Social Support, and Psychological Well-Being in the Single-Parent Family.

Abstract: This research examines the relationships among network structure, social support, and psychological well-being in the single-parent family. Three network types are identified: the family of origin network, the extended network, and the conjugal network. Findings indicate that network structure is associated with type of support, and that effects ofstructure and support on psychological well-being are mediated by a third variable, role orientation of the mother. Theoretical and methodological implications for research on stress and psychological distress as well as practical implications fbr community mental health services are suggested.

Natural history of male psychological health, X: Work as a predictor of positive mental health.

Abstract: A sample of 456 inner city men was prospectively followed from age 14 until age 47. Rates blind to adult outcome assessed the men's childhood success at tasks reflecting Erikson's fourth developmental stage, industry versus inferiority. Childhood assessments were made on the parenting the men received and other psychosocial variables, including social class and IQ, and were compared with independent judgments of these men's mental health and career success at age 47. Capacity to work in childhood predicted the success of these underprivileged men at work in adult life and surpassed social class, multiproblem-family membership, and all other childhood variables in predicting adult mental health and capacity for interpersonal relationships.

Family Decision-Making: A Developmental Sex Role Model

Abstract: The authors present a new model of the process of family decision-making that takes into account the importance of sex roles. They use a series of couples as examples that illustrate the model at various stages of the life cycle. They also consider how decision-making is changing. A major contribution to the study of sexual politics and bargaining within relationships. 'The authors are to be commended for their attempt to bring order to the complexities of family decisioning, and their work should stimulate further research in the area. Their focussing upon couples and families rather than individuals and their extension of the concept of "family" to nontraditional arrangements also are commendable.' -- Journal of Marriage and the Family, November 1981 'This book...is an important contribution to family sociology...(It) deserves the serious attention of family sociologists. Moreover, its extensive bibliography and use of case studies makes it well-suited for classroom use.' -- Social Forces, Vol 60 No 4, June 1982 'This very useful contribution to the subject of family decision making ought to find ready acceptance by a wide range of readers.Written in non-jargon style, teachers of family courses will find the model easy to use and the students will enjoy the "familiar" scenarios. Practitioners should especially note Part II for many illustrations of very familiar situations that show the model "in action". Indeed for anyone interested in the topic of decision making and influence in the family, this work should not be missed.' -- Sociology, July/Aug 1982 'Family Decision-Making is a well-written, conceptually solid contribution to the family sociology literature. It is one of the best attempts to renew the emphases of sociological theory and research upon the social processes that the founding fathers of sociology focused upon in their classic treatises.' -- Contemporary Sociology, Vol 12 No2, March 1983

Social Support Scales: A Methodological Note

Abstract: The relationship between social support and depression has implications for researchers studying schizophrenia. In this article, the authors attempt to conceptualize social support and assess the reliability and validity of its various measures. They then evaluate the ability of social support, along with stressors, to explain psychiatric symptoms. Representative data from a community survey of adults, ages 17-70, suggest that social support measures show strong relationships to depression and other psychiatric symptoms. The implications of these and other findings for the study of schizophrenia are discussed.

Bases of Marital Satisfaction among Men and Women.

Abstract: Possible gender differences in bases of marital satisfaction were investigated through male-female variations in (1) overall marital quality; (2) satisfaction with love, interest, friendship, sexual gratification, time spent at home and with children, help at home, spouse's friends, and treatment by in-laws; and (3) correlations between general evaluations of marital quality and satisfaction with specific marital characteristics It was found that marital quality of men and women differs in degree rather than in kind Although men are more satisfied with their marriages than women, the same factors are important in their assessments These aspects are more important to the overall marital quality for women, but their saliency varies by stages of the family life cycle There are indications of differential assessment, with women more sexually fulfilled, while men are more satisfied with spouse's help, time with children, and friendship; results also suggest a greater focus by women on companionship

Social Support and Schizophrenia

Abstract: This essay is an introduction to a review of the literature on measurement of social support in schizophrenia. It proposes a natural history for the development of the career of the schizophrenic in his social network. The dimensions of social support in this illness are shown to be specific to it, and different from what has been described for other illnesses such as depression. Certain qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the clusters which make up the social network are suggested for study.

Love, Denial and Rejection: Responses of Chinese Families to Mental Illness

Abstract: For Chinese people, the importance of the family, the institution which has patterned the entire social matrix, can hardly be overestimated. It is the bastion of their personal and economic security; it provides the frame of reference for personal and social organization; it controls all the behavioral and human relationships of its members through a clearly hierarchical structure and sanctioned code of conduct; it transmits moral, religious and social values from generation to generation through role modeling, coercion and discipline. It also offers a haven for safety, rest and recreation; it maintains the altar for ancestor and religious worship. The influence of the family on the lives of its mentally ill members is no less profound than it is for anyone else. The handling of the mentally ill in Chinese society cannot, therefore, be considered without taking family context into account.

Patterns of Conflict Resolution and Marital Satisfaction

Abstract: an intensive survey of fertility decision-making, both Spouses in 244Northern California marriages responded to questions a bout the kinds of they encounter, their style of conflict resolution, the expected oftheir conflict, and their marital satisfaction. Four main \"tYPes\"0f resolution were found based on the 488 individual partnen' reports: (1) a nonintimaie-aggressivc pattern, (11) a nonintimatc-nonaggressivc one, ('11) an intimate-aggressive pattern, and (1V) an intimate-nonaggressive One. who perceived their marriage in Type 1 were generally least aatisficd. tlnd those in Type I V most satisfied, with Types I1 and 111 intermediate. The meaning of this typology and its correlates, as well as its wider implications. are discussed.

Autistic Children's Responses to Structure and to Interpersonal Demands.

Abstract: Ten autistic children were exposed to four different styles of approach by an adult, in which the common context was the child's involvement in the completion of a model-building task. These styles varied in the extent to which they made interpersonal demands of the child and in the amount of task-directed structure that was imposed. Measures based upon observation of the adult's and the children's behavior indicated that the styles applied were reliably discriminable, and that the children's responses, both social and task-directed, were positively related to the interpersonal and task-oriented demands that were made of them. Within the group of children tested, some individual differences in the responses to the styles were suggested that may be relevant to the diagnosis of autism.

Dimensions of intimacy in marriage.

Abstract: Intimacy as an important aspect of interpersonal relationships has been widely accepted (Erikson 1950, Sullivan 1953). In the broad context, an understanding of the role of intimacy has been discussed as essential to the development of a science of interpersonal relationships (Hinde 1978). More specifically, intimacy has been cited as an important dimension of the marital interpersonal relationship (Berman and Lief 1975). This paper describes a study of intimacy in 30 young married couples, randomly selected from the general population. Personal identity and accurate perception of the spouse were significant correlates of marital intimacy, and a factor analysis revealed four dimensions of marital relationships: compatibility, structure, intimacy, and problem-solving. In this study, marital adjustment was significantly correlated with expressiveness, commitment, organization, expressed affection, and the absence of conflict. These findings are discussed in the context of the role of intimacy in a science of interpersonal behavior.

Strong Ties and Job Information

Abstract: Contrary to Granovetter's hypothesis that salient job information derives from "weak ties" (acquaintances), this study of 299 social and physical scientists at one Canadian and one U.S. university reveals that "strong ties" (intimates) were approximately seven times more prevalent than "weak ties." Furthermore, with only one exception (U.S. graduates who obtained Canadian academic positions), the reliance on "weak ties" for job information declined from 1920 to 1978. Although a greater amount of job information can be obtained through weak ties, the problem is to locate only the few openings for which one would be seriously considered and would consider accepting. Long lists of undesirable unobtainable positions are of little interest. Thus, it is more efficient to rely on a few intimate colleagues (strong ties) in seeking employment.