Reconstructs the social networks linking early personal computing pioneers in order to identify the social and political representations and images that defined these social networks. Describes the linkage between technical development and cultural representations, particularly those of the user, in the case of personal computers. (SR)

This study, with 15 individuals having intellectual disabilities, found that each participant's social skills moderately predicted the average social stability achieved by all of his/her social network members, but poorly predicted average social stability achieved by the participant's three most stable social network members. Social network…

Discusses the applicability of three theoretical perspectives to specific relationships differing in self-perceived closeness in three groups of adults: first-year (n=37) and fourth-year (n=42) undergraduates and 42 retired teachers. Older adults had more expectations for long-term reciprocity. In most relationships, exchange was based on need…

Interviewed lesbian, gay, and heterosexual youth regarding their friendship patterns. Homosexual youth lived farther from their friends than heterosexual youth. Gay males and heterosexual females talked more often on the telephone with friends. Gay males were least likely to have friends of the same sex and same sexual orientation. Lesbians were…

While forms of tracking have drawn attention for many years, researchers have more recently turned their attention to the courses students take, the teaching that goes on within them, and the peer friendships formed as factors that affect students' educational experiences and post-high school aspirations. This study examines the phenomenon of…

Recent research on the social support networks of homeless and runaway youth suggest the social networks of runaway youth are made up largely of transient deviant peer relationships. This paper examined social network characteristics of 428 homeless and runaway adolescents from small-to moderate-sized cities in four Midwestern states. We…

It is well understood that one learns much of what one knows through one's network of relationships and through shared discussion and activity. A logical extension of this idea is the growing prominence in the UK where formal school-to-school networking such as Education Action Zones and Excellence in Cities has been established. This article…

The author discusses 3 variables that assess different aspects of social relationships-social support, social integration, and negative interaction. The author argues that all 3 are associated with health outcomes, that these variables each influence health through different mechanisms, and that associations between these variables and health are…

This study builds on research addressing intergenerational ambivalence by considering emotional ambivalence toward the wider social network. Men and women ages 13 to 99 (N=187) completed diagrams of their close and problematic social relationships. Social ties were classified as solely close, solely problematic, or ambivalent, based on network…

Social network intervention aimed at bolstering the informal supports of high risk families is recognized as a common element of community-based, family-focused practice models, such as intensive family preservation services (IFPS), multisystemic therapy (MST), and the wraparound process. The empirical research basis for these practice models is…

Research on the development of social relations has been largely fragmented along role-specific lines and dominated conceptually by attachment theory. The Convoy Model is presented as an alternative to traditional approaches that fail to capture the complexity of social relationships across time and context. Research based on the model converges…

In this paper, we consider how concepts from dynamic systems (such as attractors, repellors, and self-organization) can be applied to the study of young children's peer relationships. We also consider how these concepts can be used to explore basic issues involving early peer processes. We use the dynamical systems approach called state space grid…

Provides an introduction to the articles presented in this theme issue. Explains the focus surrounds the study of the relationship of educational issues from different geographical educational history. Compares similarities and contrasts differences. (KDR)

The phenomenon called "aging out" includes approximately 20,000 young people who enter adulthood directly from foster care each year (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2005). The number of youth and young adults who aged out of care in the U.S. in 2005, the year for which the most current statistics are available, increased 48 percent…

Social inclusion of students with disabilities into the school system is a primary goal for many educators as well as advocates for this population. One program that seeks to increase levels of social inclusion for students with disabilities is the Circle of Friends Program (COFP). Its purpose is to widen the social network of students with…