Based on Gestalt theory, the author assumes the existence of a field-force equilibrium to explain how, according to the conciseness principle, mathematically precise gestalts could exist in coauthorship networks. Develops a mathematical function to describe these gestalts in scientific literature and discusses structural characteristics of…

Compares four methods of assessing children's friendships-peer nominations, peer ratings, reciprocal peer nominations, and social networking. Results found that there was high agreement between reciprocal peer nominations, peer ratings, and the social networking procedure. Implications of these results for use by school psychologists are…

A Swedish intergenerational project involving older men in schools illustrates how intergenerational learning fits into a lifelong social capital perspective. The presence of older males reinforced the social network of teachers, children, and other adults, building trust and communication. (Contains 35 references.) (SK)

Wenger's "learning architecture" concept, a support structure for learning communities, was applied to a web-based course for health and social services professionals. Data show the course offered an environment in which a learning community flourished. Course design was fundamental in providing opportunities for engagement, use of…

Reports on the persistence of a two-tiered economic and political system that routinely excludes Mexican immigrants. Focuses on the predominantly female employees of a wholesale nursery in Carpinteria (California), who have adapted the Mexican tradition of "confianza"-based relationships to form networks that facilitate communication and…

Uses library research and international fieldwork to describe local social services for elderly in Hungary stating that supplemental local services are needed to compensate for inadequate universal entitlements. Concludes that current economic and political situation is unfavorable to improving benefit system. (Author/CM)

Describes the organization and efforts of the Young Parent Program. This program, coordinated by a network of representatives of parent support agencies, was designed to enhance services to teenagers who are pregnant. (RJC)

Compared caregiving networks of demented and lucid older adults. Found that demented individuals were cared for mostly by household members while lucid individuals received primarily extra-household assistance. Demented subjects received fewer hours of care from outside the household and from formal providers. Findings suggest that, in cases of…

A survey of dropouts from a workplace General Educational Development class received 37 responses (33%). The highest rated deterrent to participation was time constraints; clique members were more affected by this factor than were isolates. Males had higher dropout rates and they considered the program a lower personal priority than did females.…

A study of 100 elderly people was carried out to determine whether well-being was more affected by having a confidant or by having a confidant and a social network (the Weiss model). The two models were evaluated by comparing the relative influence of the confidant variable with the peer group variable. Both were of equal importance to well-being.…

Presents case study of suicidal woman diagnosed as catatonic schizophrenic in state mental hospital. Account reveals much about woman's life history, suicide career, problems of living, needs for help, and perceptions of relevant systems. Proposed model would use parts of patient's story for preventive intervention regarding suicidal behavior and…

Explored effects of perceived social support from friends, family, and spouses on psychological adjustment of 135 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Initial data analyses revealed moderate correlations between greater psychological distress and lower levels of social support. When personality variable of social desirability was controlled…

This paper organizes concepts used to describe and measure social life of individuals with mental retardation. Social life involves the people (social network) with whom an individual experiences social interactions and the impact (social support) that network members have on the individual, in the context of social interactions, particularly…

Provides a framework encompassing components of the migration experience to aid research on human adaptation. The framework is a response to the argument that social networks, socioeconomic status, and culture should be treated as intertwining transitional experiences and therefore juxtaposed in research to examine their effects. (GLR)

Approximately 230 Louisiana principals and assistant principals were surveyed about social networking behaviors and topics discussed with other administrators. There were no differences by location, except that rural administrators discussed student discipline less often than other administrators. Among rural administrators, there were no…