Contrasts a group of informal kinship care providers in Philadelphia (KIDS'n'KIN Program) with two "formal" kinship care groups in Baltimore and California, examining similarities and differences in child and caregiver demographies and service needs. Presents the program's response to the needs of informal kinship care providers.…

Investigated interactional properties and developmental functions of the following four types of aggressive behaviors in adolescents: social aggression, direct relational aggression, physical aggression, and verbal aggression. Found that the majority of conflict interactions involved more than a dyad, and that social aggression was an initiating…

Recommends sharing of ideas among the church and mental health systems when confronting the problem of education about teenage pregnancy in the African-American community. Specifies three decision steps in initiating dialogue between mental health educators and African-American pastors: acknowledging, networking, and developing relationships.…

Women and minorities are still underrepresented in the superintendency. Search consultants can tackle discrimination by helping a school board consider desirable administrator competencies and personality traits and by advancing outstanding "nontraditional" candidates. Candidates should take consultants' advice about networking, resume…

Contends that what a society does publicly to entertain itself reveals shared values. Maintains that public entertainment in Worcester (Massachusetts) prior to the War of 1812 was limited largely to Sundays, court days, and the Fourth of July. Describes changes in entertainment and social values after the War of 1812. (CFR)

Study sought to describe the very old living in rural areas and make predictions of survival rates of rural elders to very old age. Among the findings, very old rural adults were found most likely to live with others. Demographic and early life achievement influenced survival to very old age. (RJM)

A study of 88 female and minority college faculty revealed that faculty who do not adapt well experience early career turning points, usually in the first semesters. Mentoring and social networks are found to be significant in adaptation. The simple nature of the turning points suggests strategies for avoiding such marginalization. (Author/MSE)

Analysis of data on approximately 14,000 individuals in 43 Mexican villages examined how gender relations and expectations differentiate male and female patterns of Mexico-to-U.S. migration. Education and migration were related positively for women but negatively for men. Age, marital status, and social networks also had differential effects on…

Observes that interracial contact is a primary goal of school desegregation policies. Demonstrates that reallocation of students among schools may reduce opportunities for interracial contact by focusing on weak social ties as one important type of contact. Considers policy implications for schools and theoretical implication for understanding…

Presents a network-assessment technique and examples showing how group experiences affect children's behavior. Compares classical sociometry and the use of composite social maps. Discusses quantifying peer-network information, using peer-network profiles as context descriptors, and identifying change in children and networks. Shows that peer-group…

Supporting a "structural relational" view of small business success, data from 423 small business owners in Iowa suggest that links between owner characteristics, social relational processes, business structure, and success operate differently depending on urban-rural location and owner sex. Female owners had more professional training…

I examine the concept of the community field to identify the structures, elements, and processes that generate improved capacity for community action. I conduct analysis of interlocking leadership among local organizations and recent community action in three Midwestern communities to determine the structure and attributes of the community field.…

Disability carries negative social meaning, and little is known about when (or if), in the process of health decline, persons identify themselves as "disabled." We examine the social and health criteria that older adults use to subjectively rate their own disability status. Using a panel study of older adults (ages 72+), we estimate…

Among the great scientific discoveries of the 20th century, attachment theory provides an explanation for the intense and enduring bonds which are formed in infancy and extended and developed through childhood and adult life. Those early attachments, formed within families, provide people with a framework for understanding themselves and others…

The purpose for conducting this study was to examine the differences among African American, Hispanic, and white female public school administrators with respect to their perceptions of successful strategies that led to career advancement. Female public school administrators continue to experience barriers to career advancement. The data revealed…