Focuses on the linkage between social support and social networks and health educational programs that involve interventions at the network and community level. Addresses programs enhancing entire networks through natural helpers; and programs strengthening overlapping networks/communities through key opinion and informal leaders who are engaged…

Reports findings of a study which revealed that selected school principal interactions, aspirations, and nonverbal behaviors are predictors of school administrator potential for promotion in an urban school district. Describes the administrator subculture as clanlike and guildlike and asserts that this pattern plays a crucial role in determining…

Examined the extent to which the presence of a confidant, social network involvement, marital status, self-efficacy, religiosity, self-esteem, occupational status, and income served as coping resources for older adults (N=299). Results suggested that variables other than income were not significantly related to life changes. (NRB)

Describes the development and implementation of a group on "Responding to Loneliness" for the elderly. Focuses on building positive self-esteem; learning social and personal skills; managing stress and anxiety; developing problem-solving strategies; and building a social network. (Author/JAC)

Assessed the effect of a new baby on social-network contact and family support in 72 families studied longitudinally. Analyses revealed that contact with parents' families of origin increased with time. The proximity of family of origin predicted quantity of family contact but not emotional and material support. (JAC)

We've all heard the familiar phrase, It's not what you know, but who you know that matters. Not surprisingly, studies have found that most people find jobs through informal networks. This is no less true for low-income job seekers, who may be at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to connections to people who can help them get good jobs.…

This guide to whole life planning for people with disabilities describes whole life planning as a person-centered way of assisting people with disabilities to plan for their future. Whole life planning relies on the involvement of a small group of committed people who are willing to act as advocates and resources to the focal person. The manual…

There is a growing concern about the well-being of children in America and the circumstances that surround their growth and development. One explanation for the social problems that confront young people is a decline in the effectiveness of the social institutions that children rely on for support. The decline in effectiveness leads to a decrease…

Studied the role of kin in elderly amenity migration based upon interviews with recent migrants (N=92) to Sun City, Arizona. Migrants who maintained long-term ties to the community before moving usually relied upon relatives for migration information, but relatives were not an essential reason for choosing the community. (Author/JAC)

Presents a response to Gifford-Smith and Brownell's "Childhood Peer Relationships: Social Acceptance, Friendships, and Peer Networks" (this issue). A focus on enhancing social competence within the context of classrooms designed to accommodate the needs of all students is presented as an integrated framework for applying research concerning…

This paper reports results of a longitudinal, ethnographic study of the psychosocial adaptation of parents of children with autism. Most parents reported improvements in their psychological well being, the social experiences of their immediate family, and their relations with their extended family. They also reported changes in stressful…

A project to encourage disadvantaged parents and child caregivers to participate in education incorporated a community development approach focused on the realities of women's lives in order to foster learning identities. Participants were encouraged to develop their own knowledge and skills in the process of identity formation, which enabled them…

Thematic interviews of teachers and students in web-based courses described social interaction in terms of stage analysis and dramaturgy: role, stage, audience, script, and episode. Lack of nonverbal communication affects these elements. Even in the web medium, participants tend to continue roles from the face-to-face classroom. (Contains 20…

Differentiated roles of kin and formal assistance in instrumental care and decision making using interviews with 193 White and 51 Black family caregivers. Results revealed few differences in size of support networks. White elders were twice as likely to participate centrally in decision regarding their care as were Blacks. Found notable absence of…

The development and continuing functioning of a hospital-based parent support group are described, illustrating the dynamics of parents sharing their experiences with having hospitalized children. The paper discusses the group's focus on the family rather than the disease, commonalities shared by families, and this approach's contribution to…