The relationship between stress and social support systems of Hmong refugees is examined. Hmong communities function in some ways like large extended families; thus, there is not much reliance on outside resources. Homesickness was a stressor for older Hmong. Others were limited because of their lack of English proficiency. (VM)

Detailed study of Detroit-area adolescents provides explanations for the spread of sound change outward from urban areas and upward through the socioeconomic hierarchy. Social network structure, orientation to the urban area, and phonology are contrasted for the two adolescent social categories, "Jocks" (middle class) and…

Data collected from 82 family triads demonstrate that adolescents are more consonant with mothers than fathers, particularly in the area of kinship relations. Fathers' distinctive association with adolescents is in the area of friendship relations and concerns affective aspects of relationships. These patterns are not dependent on gender of…

A test was conducted of a supplemental skills training and social-network-development aftercare program with 130 drug abusers from four residential therapeutic communities. The intervention produced positive effects on subjects' performance at the conclusion of treatment. Performance improved in situations involving avoidance of drug use, coping…

Traces the 17-year development of a national organization which links parents of handicapped or disabled children with other parents of children with similar disabilities. Highlights the instrumental role of the organization in the development of various other national support groups. (DST)

The article asks the following questions about self-identity: (1) how do people derive a unitary sense of self out of membership in many social categories; (2) do people respond differently when the social as opposed to the personal aspects of their identity are evoked; and (3) how do people respond to collective injustice? (PS)

Results of three studies provide considerable support for the importance, existence, and the normative adequacy of the cognitive process of "second guessing." Preliminary data suggest that people are quite good at detaching sources of bias and make reasonable adjustments in their judgments to correct for those biases. (PD)

Discusses the interactive effect of social networks and support systems on parent-child relationships and early childhood development. Suggests that greater attention to family ecology is needed, and raises a number of questions regarding the delivery of comprehensive health services for children and their families. (CJM)

A research project identified the challenges and benefits of collaborative research between extension agents and researchers. Its methodology was a critical review of the collaborative research approach used in a case study examining the usefulness of social capital in promoting rural landscape sustainability in two counties in the Hudson River…

This paper examines the value of religion in developing a school community capable of forming social capital. Research included a multiple case study approach involving a Catholic school, a non-Catholic religious school, and a public school within the same geographic area. Data collection involved: school documents (parent-student handbooks,…

Suggests a cognitive-emotional approach to understanding loneliness, explores some empirical work on the subject, and offers social workers and counselors some possible intervention strategies. Researchers must examine the relationship between loneliness, depression, and negative attitudes. (Author/JAC)

The Community Cadre Network in Virginia is a local support network for helping individuals with spinal cord injuries make the transition from an institutional setting to home and community life. Cadre members are people who have been through the experience of traumatic injury, rehabilitation, and return home. (SEW)

Social networks, social supports, family environment, and adjustment among 36 preadolescent students with and without mild mental retardation (MMR) were examined. Students with MMR were more likely to turn to family and adults for companionship, while those without MMR generally turned to peers. Those who received greater support experienced fewer…

This study of 40 children with learning disabilities or mild cognitive delays and 66 children without disabilities (grades 4-6) examined social networks, social supports, friendships, and adjustment. Results indicated that, compared to nondisabled children, the children with learning problems turned to their family less for problem-solving support…

Interviewed family members about family relationships and observed family members' interactions. Found that, compared to other girls, early maturing girls experienced higher levels of psychological distress; experienced greater psychological distress in grade 10 when they had a mixed-sex friendship network in grades 7 through 9; and were more…