Suggests that the social position and value of old age are normally of little importance in the personal lives of older people, partly because of the limited salience of age within their informal networks. Factors that heighten the salience of being old may reduce well being. (JAC)

Examined impact of employment on health of retirees (n=175). Results indicated that employment in retirement years was related to larger social networks and indirectly to better perceived health. Of three social network factors identified (family, friends, confidants), employment was significantly related only to friendship component. (Author/NB)

A qualitative study of 27 low-literate people who relied on readers for help found satisfying and unsatisfying exchange patterns ranging from balanced to imbalanced to nonexistent reciprocity. The existence of trust and respect affected satisfaction with relationship. (SK)

Indigenous social networks of Ethiopian farmers participate in seed exchange based on mutual interdependence and trust. A government-imposed extension program must validate the role of local seed systems in developing a national seed industry. (SK)

Introduces articles in this journal volume on bilingual borrowing. Each paper carries out two methodological imperatives: (1) All are focused on well-defined speech communities using a standard social network; (2) most authors were members of the communities and data was collected from interactions with their own close contacts. (Author/VWL)

Relational spirituality suggests that strengthening one's relatedness to other people and to sources of meaning beyond self-interest produces joy and vitality, which sustain the capacity to care. This perspective informs a qualitative study of 50 female services providers and social reformers. The interviews revealed that the women's caregiving…

The Internet was designed as an open system that promoted the two-way flow of information. In other words, everything that is sent has a return address called an IP or Internet Protocol address of the form: 000.11.222.33. Whenever you connect to a website, the site learns your IP address. It also learns the type of computer you are using, the…

Aims: To investigate UK university student drinking in terms of social and motivational factors. Design: Quantitative and qualitative studies. Participants: Undergraduate students at a UK university: 50 "heavy drinkers" and 49 "light drinkers", equally distributed in terms of sex and year of study. Data: Questionnaire measures…

Substantial proportions of people enter into new partner relationships after bereavement or divorce. Nowadays in Europe, unmarried cohabitation and living-apart-together relationships are frequently opted for at repartnering. Drawing on the Netherlands Living Arrangements and Social Networks survey of men and women aged 55 to 89 years (N=4,494),…

Offers a textual map of ways that two Church Missionary Society women, Marianne Coldham Williams and Jane Nelson Williams, established networks predominantly with their evangelical sisters in England that simultaneously supported, justified, and reinforced their work as missionary educators in Aotearoa, New Zealand from 1823 to 1840. (KDR)

Previous studies in business organizations have shown that mentoring provides numerous benefits for both individuals and organizations. Most of this mentoring research has been based on traditional, hierarchical mentor-protege relationships in non-academic settings. We discuss why there is little empirical research on faculty mentoring and review…

Sixteen years ago, the author was the sole librarian at a suburban Chicago elementary school, teaching 24 classes a week to 450 students. She was overwhelmed and alone, and there was nobody in the building who really understood what she was going through. Although she regularly met with 15 fellow district librarians to review broad topics such as…

"Third places" or public and informal gathering places have declined over the years. Third places, which are "neutral ground" where people gather to discuss, interact, and enjoy the company of those they know, are important for the health of communities. It's a known fact that teens have a strong need to socialize, and their third-space options…

Theories of radical or critical pedagogy have emphasized the importance of relating educational work to broader social movements although this has not been developed in detail. The recent history of community publishing and worker writing workshops in Britain helps to illuminate how these ideas have been adapted in a number of informal settings.…

Background: As a sequel to a report by the Health Council of the Netherlands on contraception in persons with intellectual disabilities (IDs), a fierce debate about parenthood by such persons occurred, in which a lack of knowledge about parenting competences became clear. Therefore, the Ministry of Health commissioned a study investigating…