While the importance of having self-esteem is widely recognized and has been studied extensively, another core component of the self-concept has been relatively neglected--a sense of mattering to other people. In the current article, it is argued that mattering is an entirely unique and complex psychological construct with great public appeal and…

Positive social relationships have been variously linked to mental well-being, and it is therefore important to more fully understand the factors that may impede positive relationship development. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between elementary school-age children's emotion regulation, relationship problems, adaptive…

The ability to recognize facial expressions of emotion is integral in social interaction. Although the importance of facial expression recognition is reflected in increased research interest as well as in popular culture, clinicians may know little about this topic. The purpose of this article is to discuss facial expression recognition literature…

"Mental Health and Social Problems" is a textbook for social work students and practitioners. It explores the complicated relationship between mental conditions and societal issues as well as examining risk and protective factors for the prevalence, course, adaptation to and recovery from mental illness. The introductory chapter presents…

Background: Several recent studies have indicated that children with language impairment experience difficulty with various aspects of emotion understanding. Because emotion understanding skills are critical to successful social interaction, it is possible that these deficits play a role in the social problems frequently experienced by children…

This paper discusses research on frustration, oppression, stigma, and cognitive dissonance as they are related to the lives of women. The anger resulting from these processes is discussed, and ways are suggested for recognizing anger, working through it, and using it constructively. (Author)

Contemplating the root of the word "idiocy" leads the author to explore the challenge that democratic societies face of developing public-minded citizens. The schools, he argues, are the most likely institutions to succeed in that task. Schools in societies that are trying in various ways to be democracies, such as the United States,…

Discusses the social science research literature on black males in the following four areas: demographic and statistical issues, psychosocial issues, political/economic issues, and educational issues. The article concludes that most black males are in more serious trouble than any other subpopulation in the United States, with the possible…