Showing papers on "Social network published in 1989"

Nuts and bolts for the social sciences

Abstract: This 1989 book is intended as an introductory survey of the philosophy of the social sciences. It is essentially a work of exposition which offers a toolbox of mechanisms - nuts and bolts, cogs and wheels - that can be used to explain complex social phenomena. Within a brief compass, Jon Elster covers a vast range of topics. His point of departure is the conflict we all face between our desires and our opportunities. How can rational choice theory help us understand our motivation and behaviour? More significantly, what happens when the theory breaks down but we still cleave to a belief in the power of the rational? Elster describes the fascinating range of forms of irrationality - wishful thinking, the phenomenon of sour grapes, discounting the future in noncooperative behaviour. This is a remarkably lucid and comprehensive introduction to the social sciences for students of political science, philosophy, sociology and economics.

Social support and the outcome of major depression.

Abstract: One hundred and fifty middle-aged and elderly adults with a diagnosis of major depression were assessed initially as in-patients, and were reinterviewed 6-32 months later Both size of social network and subjective social support were significant predictors of depressive symptoms at follow-up, with baseline depression scores and other predictors of outcome status statistically controlled Subjective social support was most strongly associated with major depression; this effect was significantly stronger for middle-aged than older adults, and for men than women Differences in the effects of marital status, size of social network, and subjective social support also suggest the importance of distinguishing between involvement in and quality of interpersonal relationships

Social network and social support influence mortality in elderly men. The prospective population study of "Men born in 1914," Malmö, Sweden.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine whether there is an association of all-cause mortality with different aspects of social network, social support, and social influence. The study sample (n = 621) was a random half of all male residents of Malmo, Sweden, born in 1914, of whom 500 (80.5%) were interviewed and examined in 1982-1983. On the basis of a model with carefully defined and well-differentiated concepts integrated in a theoretic framework of social resources, an instrument was developed to measure different aspects of social network, social support, and social influence. During the follow-up period from September 1982 to November 1987, 67 (13.4%) of the 500 participants died. In univariate analysis, a higher mortality risk was found among men with low availability of emotional support and low adequacy of social participation and among men living alone (crude relative risk = 2.3, 2.3, and 1.7, respectively). These relative mortality risks changed little after adjustments for social class, health status at baseline, cardiovascular risk factors, alcohol intake, physical activity, and body mass index in the multivariate analysis (adjusted relative mortality risk = 2.5, 2.2, and 2.0 for men with low availability of social support and low adequacy of social participation and for men living alone, respectively). These findings are consistent with the existence of a general effect of social network and social support on mortality among elderly men.

The Caring Relationship: Elderly People and their Families

Abstract: At the heart of current debates about the development of modern society and the future of the welfare state is the issue of providing for the growing number of elderly people in every population. Contending that dependency is a social construction, Qureshi and Walker interviewed some 300 elderly people, along with family members who regularly provide some form of assistance, to determine the nature and extent of the "caring relationship" and its ramifications on the formation of public policy. The study, conducted in Sheffield, England, argues that British public policy regarding the aged is misdirected because it misconstrues their needs and regards calls for assistance as a sign that families are shirking their responsibilities of caring for elderly relatives. The authors evaluate different kinds of physical care needed to aid older citizens and examine the social foundations of the caring relationship. Despite the governments prediction that society will soon be overtaxed by the special needs of a dependent elderly population, they found that more people aged seventy-five and older choose independent living situations because of a continued preference for autonomy, that disability and dysfunction are not inevitable burdens of aging people, and that families - especially the women members-continue to provide a great deal of care for their elderly relatives. Still, they observed that for various reasons there exists a "care gap" between the needs of some elderly people and the provision of informal care. Qureshi and Walker conclude that public assistance is not a replacement of family or social network responsibilities and that the level and form of need varies greatly within the elderly population. They recommend that the policy goal should be a more varied menu rather than larger portions of current offerings. Author note: Hazel Qureshi is Research Fellow in the Hester Adrian Research Center, University of Manchester. Alan Walker is Professor of Social Policy and Chair of the Department of Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield.

Getting Beyond the Facts: Teaching Social Studies/Social Sciences in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract: In this second edition of Getting Beyond the Facts, Kincheloe presents a comprehensive view of complex-democratic social studies in the 21st century He argues that the reform of social studies education requires a corps of rigorous social science scholars who understand the historical origins of the social studies, the conceptual foundations of the field, its strengths and weaknesses, and modes of social theoretical analysis and takes students through numerous intellectual encounters in social studies and the contexts that inform it Focusing on the importance of knowledge production and interpretation, Kincheloe calls for the education of social studies teachers as researchers who can critique and reconstruct curriculum as they expose the covert, ideological functions of contemporary educational reforms and top-down standards-driven social studies subject matter In an era of depoliticization and induced political illiteracy, Kincheloe calls for a new form of social studies/social sciences scholarship to counter such alarming trends

Cooperating agents: a unified theory of communication and social structure

Abstract: We aim at providing a general theoretical framework for designing agents with a communicative and social competence. Thereby, we develop the foundations for the design of systems of agents that behave as a social unit or group. A unified theory of communication, cooperation, and social structure is presented. First, a theory of the cognitive states, the information and intentional states, of an agent is given. A theory of communication is developed that gives a formal account of how messages affect the intentions or plans of an agent. The theory of intentions is used to define the concepts of social role and social structure. The unified theory of communication, intention, and social structures is used to develop a theory of social cooperation for multiagent systems. This fulfills a necessary condition for the design of complex agents that cooperate as a group. We apply the theories with an analysis of two examples: the contract net protocol and a Wittgensteinian language game.

Social network integration and language change in progress in a rural alpine village

Abstract: The quantification of communication network integration can provide information valuable to the study of language change in very small rural communities. The adaptation of urban and communication network methodology for rural alpine social structures establishes a framework for the study of variation leading to change based on individual usage for the dialect of Grossdorf in Vorarlberg, Austria's western-most province. This approach is particularly relevant when study of aggregate group behavior has failed to yield results due to small sample size or group internal inconsistency. (Field methods, language networks, variation and change)

concepts of the person among the Gurungs of Nepal

Abstract: The Western conception of the person as a bounded, unique, more or less integrated motivational and cognitive universe, a dynamic center of awareness, emotion, judgment, and action organized into a distinctive whole and set contrastively both against other such wholes and against its social and natural background, is, however incorrigible it may seem to us, a rather peculiar idea within the context of the world's cultures [1984:126]. My thesis is that while the concept of person is indeed a socially derived category (see Mauss 1950 [1938]; Fortes 1973) and therefore does vary cross-culturally, the difference between Western and other concepts of person has been overdrawn. It is both valuable and important to acknowledge the fact that other peoples do not conceive of the person in the same terms as we do, and it is instructive to examine concepts of person as they are constructed in particular societies. It seems useful, however, to go beyond a discussion of differences between Us and Them and look at areas of commonality in models of the person that relate to the shared experience of being human. I propose to carry out the project suggested by Geertz and others of examining experience within the native framework, not to underline the essential foreignness of other worlds, but in hope of illuminating both contrasts and parallels with our way of thinking about personhood and relationship. This article illustrates how Gurung concepts about the constituent parts that make up a person reflect a larger set of cultural ideas. It also addresses questions about the ways in which personhood is understood and experienced in particular societies. Gurung concepts of the person provide fertile ground for developing an understanding of such questions for several reasons: they encapsulate central issues in Gurung life, acting as a nexus where a number of important ideas intersect; they are not esoteric but are actively used by people in working out the problems that confront them in everyday life; and they shed light on aspects of belief and experience common to South Asia as a culture area and likely to be present in other societies where belonging and conformity to prescribed social roles are stressed. Anthropologists have suggested that members of some cultures in South Asia lack a notion of individuality. Data from the Gurungs of Nepal show that a high value on interrelationship does not preclude a well-defined concept of the individual. The Gurungs are a people for whom integration in a social network is of paramount importance, yet they conceive of the person as a discrete entity with distinct needs and impulses that may run counter to demands for social cohesion. Gurung concepts of the person reflect the importance placed on social embeddedness and a recognition of an individual being that is embedded. Concepts of individuality and relatedness and the ways in which they are articulated and reconciled express tensions inherent in South Asian social life. [South Asia, person, culture and experience]

Social network structure and prenatal care utilization.

Abstract: The associations between social network structural characteristics, sociodemographic factors, and prenatal care utilization were examined in a sample of 185 low-income, inner-city, maternity patients. It was predicted that the networks of women who underutilized care would be larger and of higher density than those of women who utilized care appropriately. They were also expected to be less disperse, with members living near one another; less diverse, with members drawn mainly from immediate family and extended kin; and composed primarily of strong relational ties between members. Findings indicated that women were more likely to underutilize care if they were embedded in strong-tie, nondisperse networks where most members were immediate family or relatives. Of the sociodemographic variables, only parity was associated with prenatal care utilization. The findings support the underlying assumption that social networks have a significant influence on individuals' utilization of prenatal services. This suggests that providers of services to pregnant women may need to revise their current strategies for bringing women into care and their methods of delivering educational services to women already in care.

Marital Status and Career Stage Influences on Social Networks of Young Adults

Abstract: During young adulthood men and women experience new roles that affect their interactions with social network members. The most common transitions during young adulthood-marriage and career-were examined with respect to descriptors of the social networks, including network size as well as affectionate and instrumental behavior exchanges. In addition, the network sectors of kin and friends were considered. Marital status, career stage, and gender interacted in various ways with each other as influences on network size and affectionate and instrumental behavior exchanges with kin and friends. The role changes associated with career entry and engagement or marriage seemed to be related to partial withdrawal from friends and an increase in kin contact among both men and women. Solidifying of kin relationships through affective involvement appeared for women but not men.

The Social Organization of the Computer Underground

Abstract: : This paper examines the social organization of the "computer underground" (CU) . The CU is composed of actors in three roles, "computer hackers," "phonephreaks," and "software pirates." These roles have frequently been ignored or confused in media and other accounts of CU activity. By utilizing a data set culled from CU channels of communication this paper provides an ethnographic account of computer underground organization. It is concluded that despite the widespread social network of the computer underground, it is organized primarily on the level of colleagues, with only small groups approaching peer relationships.

General and dental health in relation to life-style and social network activity among 67-year-old Danes.

Abstract: Petersen PE, Nortov B. General and dental health in ralation to life-style and Social Network Activity among 67-year-old Danes. Scand J Prim Health Care 1989; 7: 225–30The present study was performed in order to plan and evaluate dental health care for a cohort of 67-year-olds in a Danish municipality. The purpose was to study general and dental health and the effect of life-style and social network relations. A total of 216 persons (71% of the persons selected) were interviewed in 1987; measurement of life-style was based on information about how often the respondents participated in social, cultural, and spare time activities. Family network activity was measured from information on the frequency of contact with family members, while data about relations with friends and neighbours were intended to measure the quality of contact. Moreover, the participants were asked about the presence of various symptoms of ill health, regular use of drugs, and dental symptoms. Additive indices on lifestyle and social ...

On the Social Psychology of Social Mobility Processes

Abstract: For the past twenty years the status attainment model of social mobility has included social psychological measures which are used to help explain the levels individuals come to occupy in the stratification system. The early elaborations of the Blau-Duncan "basic model" of status attainment, proposed by Sewell and others, modeled social psychological factors affecting educational attainment. More recently, two kinds of research have evolved which provide a basis for further clarification of the occupational attainment portions of the mobility model. One of these is the "new structuralism" approach to the world of work which has emphasized the importance of sectors of the economy, the structure of firms, vacancy chains, internal labor markets and career lines. The other is the "work and personality" literature which is concerned with the interrelations between the structure of the work setting and the personal qualities of the worker. Suggestions are made for the integration of these approaches with earlier attempts to explain social mobility. Methodological and conceptual issues are discussed, and the need to recognize the interrelated contributions of structural and social psychological perspectives is emphasized. A life course approach to social mobility processes appears to provide the basis for accomplishing the needed integration of the structural and social psychological perspectives.

The relationship between social network variables and the utilization of mental health services

Abstract: One hundred-fifty participants were interviewed about their social networks. Demographic measures and an index of social desirability were also obtained. A multiple regression of these variables against the number of outpatient psychotherapy sessions attended was computed. A statistically significant model accounting for 14% of the variance emerged. Despite the low proportion of variance accounted for by the model, a canonical coefficient accurately predicted attendance at only one therapy session 74.4% of the time. These data lend credence to the notion that the social network may exert an important influence on the utilization of mental health services. It further appears that specific areas or functions served by the network have differing influences on the individual. Implications for program development and service delivery are discussed.

Preconditions for explanation in social psychology

Abstract: The paper starts by outlining a general perspective in social psychology. It may turnout that social constructivism, the perspective outlined in the early sixties is one of the major contributions of European social psychology to social sciences in general. Whatever its fate, some particular points are made: a)physics is not the only model we have to follow b) the existing ways of explanation can and must be upgraded c) more complex theories are required d) changes in methodological and statistical criteria are expected in order to deal with new and complex phenomena. Nevertheless the main problem today is description and not explanation. That is the discovery and observation of a wider range of new social phenomena. How successful we will be in this endeavour decides if social psychology becomes a major science or not.

The impact of social networks on the occupational status of migrants.

Abstract: This paper postulates that there is a continuous exchange of information and knowledge between those who share the common bond of having migrated to the US. The individual components of this information exchange constitute social networks. The 2 hypotheses tested are 1) immediate social networks and people known in the US facilitate the flow of information both to new migrants and between established migrants thus promoting upward social mobility; and 2) access to broader network ties organization membership extra-ethnic friendships and familiarity with established institutions smooths the transition process resulting in increased social position. The data used comes from a study conducted in 1982-1983 in 4 Mexican sending communities (2 rural 2 urban) for a total of 440 migrants. Results show that migrants in every socioeconomic bracket reported access to some or all social network characteristics. There was contact with either a family member or acquaintances from the migrants town of origin. Over 50% of migrants reported knowing many fellow townspeople. Twice as many migrants belong to a sports club as to a social or religious organization. Very few rural migrants report knowing no townspeople while 32% of urban migrants claim no knowledge of fellow migrants from their town of origin. Urban origin migrants report more contacts with those of other ethnicity than rural migrants. Those employed in agriculture are least acquainted with social information and contacts while those in skilled and service sectors are well acquainted with them. The results of fact and analysis show that 1) access to personal US networks results in an average 4.4 point advantage in occupational prestige scores over no access and 2) utilizing institutional US networks combined with any cumulative US experience gives a migrant a 5 point advantage over a fellow migrant with identical experience level but no institutional network contacts. This is also true for institutional Mexican networks. Thus success or failure in migrating is partly due to migrants societal infrastructure and the fact that available information and social networks are accessed and utilized differently by different migrants.

Supportive and problematic social interactions: a social network analysis.

Abstract: Assessed the number of sources of supportive and problematic social interactions in the total social network as well as the number who were the sources of consistently supportive or problematic interactions in a sample of 2nd year medical students Number of problematic interaction sources was hypothesized to be more predictive of psychological and physical well-being than number of supportive interaction sources Results showed that total supportive and total problematic interaction sources were equally predictive of life satisfaction The presence of at least one individual who is a consistent source of problematic interactions was most predictive of lower life satisfaction Results indicate the importance of studying both supportive and problematic social interactions They also suggest that interactions with individuals that are consistently problematic may negatively impact upon well-being

Gender differences in the relationship of widowhood and psychological well-being among low income elderly.

Abstract: The present study examined the influence of widowhood on the psychological well-being of low income elderly women and men while controlling for a number of mediating variables. Both widows and widowers were found to have lower sychological well-being than their married counterparts once health and social network differences were controlled. Health status and social networks were the major predictors of psychological well-being. Married women reported many more stress related ailments than any other roup. Among women, friends contributed more to psychological well-being than family contact. Among men, family rather than friends were more highly correlated with psychological wellbeing. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

Introducing network analysis in social work

Abstract: Part 1 General what is a social network? what is analysis? techniques. Part 2 Applications: fieldwork assessments social work in a residential setting people leaving long-stay hospitals and other hospitals day services management and monitoring of services.

The Relationship Between Interpersonal Communication Competence and Social Support Groups in Retirement Communities

Abstract: Self-report measures assessing communication competence, social network size, and social support satisfaction were administered to elders living in senior communities. The results indicated that (a) high-communication-competent individuals were not significantly more satisfied with the social support received than were low-communication-competent individuals, (b) high-communication-competent individuals maintained larger social networks than low-communication-competent individuals, and (c) social support satisfaction was a slightly better discriminator of high communication competence than was the reported number of social network members. These findings suggest that communication competence is an integral part of social support processes.

Social support and life stress: a mental health consumers perspective.

Abstract: This paper presents the results of an exploratory study of the relationship between two conceptualizations of social support and the experience of stress, frustrations and use of leisure time. A correlational study was conducted with over 200 clients of community support services in a large mid-western state. For these mental health consumers, no meaningful relationship was found between social support variables and the criterion variables. The long term mentally ill were found to have small social networks. The authors argue that reducing loneliness by itself is a valuable outcome of service for this population.

Human nature, society and the home

Abstract: ‘The New Psychology’, which combines biology, psychology and the social sciences, is now generating considerable insights and debates. Such work gives special emphasis to ‘the expressive order'; people's own understandings and statements deriving from the innate drives affecting their behaviour as well as the socially‐constructed cultures of which they are part. Housing and urban studies, this paper suggests, should be part of these developments. Involvement in such issues should, for example, help us address questions which have recently been raised in Housing Studies by Saunders and Williams. They underlined the fact that the home is of central significance to the lives of individuals and they suggested that the significance of the home for contemporary social change has been underestimated. The intention of the present paper is to suggest that the new syntheses of ethology, sociobiology, social psychology and sociology might be one means of establishing the home's wider significance and its ce...

Social network advice during pregnancy: myths, misinformation, and sound counsel.

Abstract: One hundred eighty-five low-income, inner-city women were interviewed after they gave birth. They were allowed to report on up to 30 members of their social networks, including household members, relatives, and friends. Questions were asked regarding the types and nature of health advice given to them by these individuals, the relationship of each advisor, and his or her age and sex. Respondents received between 0 and 211 (median 20) pieces of advice related to pregnancy health from 0 to 19 (median 5) members of their social networks. Both folk beliefs and information aligned with accepted medical views of health promotion were communicated to individual women. Most advice rendered was sound, but often the rationale for the recommended health action was poorly understood. Some respondents received advice that, if followed, could be harmful to health. This suggests that for some low-income, inner-city women, social networks serve as important resources for health information. However, the advice they convey may cause unnecessary worry or come into conflict with recommendations of health care providers. Therefore, new educational strategies are required to address the informational needs not just of individual women, but of their social networks as well.