This study is based on fieldwork carried out between October 1995 and December 1996 and has two dimensions. The first dimension reflects the study of social relationships between children with and without disabilities in the regular school setting. The second dimension reflects the process involved when moving from quantitative to qualitative research methodology. This research is presented as three case studies. The first is a behaviourist case study that utilised a peer-training intervention to improve social interactions and social relationships between a six year old boy labelled 'severely disabled' and his regular classroom peers. An increase in the number and length of interactions raised some important questions about the context of social relationships. Two qualitative observational case studies then followed, with the focus on social relationships, especially the structures and people that shape and influence them in the school setting. In the first of the qualitative case studies, the first and over-riding theme was the influence of the school structure. The second theme was the opportunities to interact available to the children in the classroom and the playground. The characteristics of the social interactions and relationships that I observed between a seven year old girl with a disability and her peers were the third theme. In the second qualitative case study three themes also emerged. The first was the role the school played in children's social relationships, the second was the opportunities available to the children to interact and the third theme was the characteristics of the social interactions and relationships that I observed between an eight year old girl with a disability and her peers.

The primary objective of this study is to explore the social functions of drumming and singing based on the perspectives of three Northwest First Nations teachers named James (ʔUu-Kwa-Qum) [pronounced: OO-Kwa-Koom] Swan of the Ahousaht Nuu-chah-nulth Nation, Ax7wil [ACKh-wheel] of the Secwepemc [She-KWE-pem] and St̓át̓imc [Stat-lee-um-c] Nations, and Spuska7 [SPU-skah] of the St̓át̓imc Nations. It further aims to determine whether the author’s etic, or outsider, perspective on function can contribute new and useful insights into how drumming and singing function in diverse First Nations cultural contexts. Community involvement prior to the initiation of this study constituted a fundamental methodological step. Such involvement resulted in the acquaintances of James (ʔUu-Kwa-Qum) Swan, Ax7wil, and Spuska7, and facilitated participation in certain drumming and singing practices. Following processes of request for teachings and ethical and informed consent, interviews were conducted with James, Ax7wil, and Spuska7, which were transcribed and used as primary resources for this largely biographical study. The method of collaborative ethnography was applied, with each chapter being provided to the respective teacher for editing three weeks prior to a follow-up editing meeting. The combination of interview data and participatory research through community involvement resulted in a unique merging of observation, experience, and interpretation from three distinct perspectives: an intercultural perspective, between Nuu-chah-nulth, Secwepemc, and St̓át̓imc First Nations; an interpersonal perspective, between James, Ax7wil, and Spuska7; and an etic perspective, from the author’s analysis of data observed, experienced, and collected. Two main conclusions were drawn from this multivalent approach: firstly, while purpose and function, as defined from emic, or insider, perspectives were often analogous, the author’s etic analysis frequently defined functions distinct from purposes emically described. This difference was tentatively attributed to the fact that function, that is, what drumming and singing effectively do for those involved, may not be fully experienced by those lacking cultural background and understanding, and thus analysed and defined according to broader criteria. Secondly, it was suggested that from the author’s etic perspective, though the purpose of diverse drumming and singing practices according to the teachings of James (ʔUu-Kwa-Qum) Swan, Ax7wil, and Spuska7 were multifarious, a general overriding function was found to be the strengthening and affirmation of specific social relationships. / Graduate

Det övergripande syftet med denna studie är att ta en närmare titt på hur personer diagnostiserade med Aspergers syndrom upplever att ens sociala relationer fungerar i vardagen utifrån deras eget perspektiv. Studien utgår ifrån material som hämtats in ifrån diverse bloggar respektive forum ute på internet. Som teoretisk bakgrund till forskningen används stämplingsteori samt Erving Goffmans stigma-teori. Analysmetoden som används är Grounded Theory, där det insamlade internet-materialet kodas för att sedan delas upp i olika kategorier. Utmärkande kategorier i studien är bland annat:Känslan av att vara missförstådd, frustration över att missuppfattas samt även depression. Studien diskuterar även olika strategier som skapats för att, ifrån samhällets sida, förebygga eventuella sociala problem innan dessa uppstår. Jag kommer även ta en titt på de positiva aspekterna av diagnosen.

The purpose of this research is to consider the importance of social relationships and networks within the structures of Information Systems projects. A grounded theory research was conducted making use of project documentation to identify core categories which were supplemented with a survey directed at all levels of project team members. Interpretive patterns from grounded theory enabled inferences to be drawn on the role of social relationships and networks within IS projects. The social and political nature of IS projects requires that social relationships and networks are considered when project teams are created and monitored throughout the project lifecycle since project management philosophies and methodologies are not enough to achieve project success. Social relationships and networks were found to have three impact types on IS projects being a) influence, b) friendships and c) advice. Social relationships and networks were found to impact IS projects in areas of leadership, project culture, social relationships within project teams, the use of external social networks and the managing of external influences. The choice of limiting the research to a single large corporate organisation requires that further research is needed to corroborate the findings in order to make generalisations. The research findings provide practical considerations and highlights potential problems areas in the project lifecycle that need to be taken cognisance of irrespective of the chosen project management methodology. Copyright / Dissertation (MComm (Informatics))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Informatics / unrestricted

<p>Frailty, generally characterized as a clinical state of increased vulnerability resulting from age-related decline in reserve and function across multiple physiologic systems, has been gaining attention in recent years due to its high correlates with a number of poor health outcomes including falls, hospitalization, and mortality. Although policy makers, health practitioners, and researchers have acknowledged that frailty is a major public health issue, few have investigated the life course predictors of this devastating and costly syndrome. The purpose of this dissertation is (1) to identify the early and later-life predictors of initial frailty and frailty growth over time among older US adults, (2) to examine if childhood exposures influence frailty directly and/or indirectly through adult risks and resources, and (3) to examine the role that social relationships play in frailty trajectories among older adults. Drawing from cumulative inequality theory, this dissertation uses longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the effects of childhood exposures, adult risks/resources, and social relationships on frailty trajectories among adults 65 and older. The empirical investigation is presented in two main chapters.</p> <p>The first study investigates the life course predictors of frailty prevalence and further examines how childhood exposures may be directly and indirectly associated with frailty through adult risks and resources. The second study builds on the findings of the first by examining the predictors of frailty growth over time and investigating how social relationships in later life may shape that growth. Findings reveal each childhood exposure domain influences frailty either directly or indirectly through adult factors and experiences. Specifically, analyses reveal that childhood chronic disease, impairments, and risky adolescent behaviors directly influence frailty in later life. Additionally, results reveal that poor childhood SES was one of the most consistent predictors of adult frailty—but much of the effect was due to its influence on adult risks and resources. Few adult risk factors influence frailty trajectories over time. Among adult resources, socioeconomic status (particularly education) slows frailty growth over time. Finally, findings reveal that both social support and more social roles mediate the relationship between childhood exposures and frailty, and that the effect of more social roles continues over time. </p> <p>This dissertation highlights a number of life course predictors of frailty and identifies areas for potential interventions—particularly those aimed at providing equal access to higher education and quality social relationships over the life course. Most importantly, this dissertation demonstrates that frailty prevention should not be a task delegated exclusively to older adults. Effective prevention of this often devastating and costly syndrome should begin early in life.</p>

This problem developed in a class dealing with sociometry. The class created a new sociometric scale and gave it to several groups of children. The need for statistical information on the reliability and the validity of the scale became apparent, but was beyond the scope of the course. In order that future classes, or other groups, could feel free to use this scale, and could rely on the results obtained from it, this study was made.

Unemployed people consistently report worse health than employed people do. However, different support measures can potentially buffer the impact of unemployment on health. The aim of this study is to assess to what extent two such measures –unemployment insurance (UI) and individual social relationships – relates to self-rated ill health among unemployed people in Europe, and if unemployment insurance is a more important health resource for those with weak social relationships. The study uses cross-sectional individual-level data from European Social Survey (round 6-9) in 26 European countries combined with measures of different aspects of unemployment insurance policy from the SPIN database. The sample was restricted to unemployed individuals in the ages 18-65 years. Multilevel linear probability models were used to assess the probability of having poor health. The results showed that having weak social relationships was related to a slightly higher probability of having poor health but did not find unemployment insurance to be related to health, regardless of the type of unemployment insurance measure studied. However, when excluding one outlier country, unemployment insurance generosity was associated with a small decreased probability of having poor health in the least generous countries. Furthermore, UI coverage moderated the relation between social relationships and ill health – increasing UI coverage was more important for the health of those with weak social relationships compared to those with more comprehensive relationships. However, because the results were sensitive to the variable operationalization of social relationships as well as the included countries, the main takeaway is that the present study found very limited evidence of unemployment insurance generosity being related to ill health among the unemployed in Europe.

In recent years, social networking sites have become a prevailing communication technology in the evolution of the digital era for today’s Internet users (Ipsos Insight 2007). As more and more marketers attempt to harness the power of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites (Williamson 2006), rigorous investigation of determinants that lead to consumers’ engagement in eWOM via the social networks is becoming critical. A central question to answer is what factors influence eWOM behavior in social networking sites and what are the underlying processes of eWOM communications in this new social medium. This study focuses on five social relationship variables: social capital, tie strength, homophily, trust, and consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence that are all related to eWOM behavior in social networking sites. An online survey with a sample drawn from a large southwestern university was conducted to examine predictors of eWOM in social networking sites. Results from a series of multiple regression analyses indicate that certain social relationship variables are significant predictors that relate to social networking site users’ eWOM behavior. Out of the five relationship variables, social capital, homophily, trust, and interpersonal influence were found to significantly relate to users’ engagement in eWOM communications, whereas no effect was found with regard to tie strength. My dissertation research provides a theoretical understanding of consumers’ use of social networking sites as a vehicle for eWOM and contributes to the literature on computer-mediated communication with specific emphasis on online social media. Managerially, findings from this research could provide marketers with valuable information to establish their long-term relationships with consumers and use beneficial eWOM to promote selected brands. In conclusion, examining social relationships in social networking sites could contribute to our understanding of the determinants of consumer engagement in eWOM, which in turn influences the extent and pattern of eWOM and enables companies to deliberate their product diffusion strategies. / text

Es wurde wiederholt gezeigt, dass enge, affiliative soziale Beziehungen (im Folgenden “soziale Beziehungen”) äußerst wichtig für die Gesundheit und das Wohlbefinden des Menschen sind. Eine steigende Zahl von Befunden deutet darauf hin, dass nicht-menschliche Arten Sozialbeziehungen führen, die wichtige Eigenschaften menschlicher sozialer Beziehungen teilen, insbesondere Differenzierung in Stärke, Stabilität und Gleichwertigkeit, und dass diese Beziehungen eine wichtige Rolle für die Fitness und das Wohlbefinden dieser Arten spielen. Allerdings wurden diese Arbeiten von einigen stark kritisiert und es wird argumentiert, die scheinbaren Gemeinsamkeiten zwischen menschlichen und nicht-menschlichen sozialen Beziehungen könnten Begleiterscheinungen anderer, einfacherer Prozesse sein. Zudem wurden nicht alle Aspekte der vorgeschlagenen, gemeinsamen Eigenschaften vollständig mit den menschlichen Entsprechungen verglichen. Untersuchungen nicht-menschlicher sozialer Beziehungen werden außerdem grundsätzlich durch einen Mangel an Übereinstimmung darüber, wie nicht-menschliche soziale Beziehungen am besten quantitativ zu bewerten sind, erschwert. Das allgemeine Ziel dieser Doktorarbeit war, die Eigenschaften sozialer Beziehungen zwischen frei lebenden weiblichen Assam-Makaken zu ermitteln und sorgfältig zu prüfen, inwiefern diese den Eigenschaften enger sozialer Beziehungen zwischen Menschen und anderen nichtmenschlichen Arten gleichen. Ich habe mich im Speziellen mit den Kritiken und den Wissenslücken hinsichtlich nicht-menschlicher sozialer Beziehungen befasst. Des Weiteren habe ich die neuen Möglichkeiten, die die soziale Netzwerkanalyse bietet, um soziales Verhalten zu messen, beurteilt und genutzt, sowie geprüft, ob diese Messmethoden unsere Bewertung nichtmenschlicher Beziehungen verbessern können. Die Daten dieser Arbeit stammen von einer einzelnen Gruppe Assam-Makaken, die in ihrem natürlichen Lebensraum im Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary (16°5′–35′N, 101°20′–55′O) in der Provinz Chaiyaphum im Nordosten Thailands leben. Das Schutzgebiet umfasst 1573km² und ist Teil des ca. 6500 km² umfassenden, zusammenhängenden Western Forest Complex. Die Daten wurden in zwei einjährigen Beobachtungszeiträumen erhoben (Zeitraum 1: Oktober 2007 – September 2008; Zeitraum 2: Mai 2010 – April 2011). Während dieser Zeit bestand die Gruppe aus insgesamt 49-53 Individuen, davon 12 adulten Weibchen im ersten und 15 adulten Weibchen im zweiten Beobachtungszeitraum. Alle adulten Weibchen wurden regelmäßig mittels der Fokustiermethode beobachtet, währenddessen alle sozialen Interaktionen kontinuierlich und allgemeine Aktivitäten nach einer zeitabhängigen Regel aufgezeichnet wurden. Insgesamt wurden über 2100 Stunden an Verhaltensbeobachtungen gesammelt. Die Analyse dieser Daten zeigte, dass die sozialen Beziehungen weiblicher Assam- Makaken wesentliche Charakteristika enger sozialer Beziehungen von Menschen teilen. Wie beim Menschen unterschieden sich die Sozialbeziehungen weiblicher Assammakaken deutlich in ihrer Stärke, wobei Weibchen dazu neigen nur wenige überdurchschnittlich enge soziale Beziehungen zu bilden. Außerdem blieben soziale Beziehungen über ein ganzes Jahr stabil, trotz signifikanter Veränderungen in der Zeit, die Weibchen für andere Verhaltensweisen, wie z.B. Fressen und Ruhen, aufwandten, wie sie mit Veränderungen im weiblichen Reproduktionszyklus einhergehen. Weiterhin konnte gezeigt werden, dass die sozialen Beziehungen über mehrere Jahre stabil bestehen bleiben. Ich konnte nachweisen, dass Weibchen Leistungen balanciert austauschen, allerdings wurden die Art und der Zeitrahmen, über den Leistungen ausgetauscht wurden, im Gegensatz zu sozialen Beziehungen beim Menschen nicht durch die Stärke sozialer Beziehungen beeinflusst. Der Einsatz der sozialen Netzwerkanalyse in meiner Arbeit zeigte, dass diese nicht nur nützliche Messwerte liefert, um die Struktur der sozialen Beziehungen weiblicher Assam-Makaken zu quantifizieren, sondern auch andere, potentiell nützliche Messwerte für zukünftige Studien nicht-menschlicher sozialer Beziehungen. Diese Ergebnisse liefern einen wertvollen Beitrag für unser Verständnis sowohl nichtmenschlicher als auch menschlicher Sozialbeziehungen. Sie geben uns einen tieferen Einblick in das Sozialleben von Assam-Makaken im Allgemeinen, in dem gezeigt wird, dass feste soziale Beziehungen eine wichtige Größe des weiblichen Soziallebens dieser Art sind, während die Rangordnung eine untergeordnete Rolle im weiblichen Verhalten spielt. Sie unterstützen den “Ansatz der wertvollen Beziehungen”, der genutzt wird, um nicht-menschliche soziale Beziehungen zu verstehen, und nicht den Ansatz der, von einigen vorgeschlagenen, biologischen Markttheorie. Schließlich haben diese Ergebnisse Auswirkungen auf unser Verständnis des evolutionären Ursprungs menschlicher sozialer Beziehungen, insbesondere für ihren ursprünglichen funktionalen Nutzen, da sie Hinweise darauf geben, dass soziale Beziehungen nicht-menschlicher Arten wichtige Eigenschaften mit engen zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen gemeinsam haben. In Zukunft können wir unser Verständnis nicht-menschlicher Sozialbeziehungen vertiefen, indem weiter untersucht wird, in welchen Eigenschaften sich diese sozialen Beziehungen ähneln. Zeitgleich sollten wir versuchen, Eigenschaften, die insbesondere für nicht-menschliche Arten von größerer Bedeutung sein könnten, zu ermitteln und zu untersuchen. Schließlich sollten wir beginnen, unsere Aufmerksamkeit auf die vielen schwachen und dynamischen sozialen Beziehungen zurichten, die in Gruppen nicht-menschlicher Arten existieren, und ihren potentiellen Nutzen zu erforschen.

Organisations are continually confronting challenges to remain competitive and successful, which compels organisations to regularly re-evaluate their strategies, structures, policies, operations, processes and culture. Managing change effectively is however a main challenge in the change management domain because of massive human involvement. Thus, managers and change agents are eager to know how to encourage and effectively prepare employees for change situation. The aim of this doctoral study was to examine the determinant of employee readiness for organisational change. The objectives were to investigate employee commitment to the organisation and career and social relationships factors in public sector higher educational institutions of Pakistan where various change reforms has been introduced recently. This empirical study proceeded by a systematic review of literature that led to development of a conceptual model. The data was collected from a sample of teaching employees by using a survey questionnaire. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis run on statistical package for social sciences and confirmatory factor analysis on the structural equation modelling as well as on applied analysis of moment structure to assess the model fit of the study and hypotheses testing. Results showed that independent variables (emotional attachment, feeling of pride, pay/wages/rewards, promotion, job satisfaction, job involvement and social relationships in the workplace) were positively and significantly correlated to the dependent variable (readiness for organisational change). However, two variables i.e. supervisor and peer relations, and training and skills development were not found positive and significant to the readiness for organisational change. This study has methodological limitations, as it is a cross sectional study that used a survey questionnaire only in public sector higher education sector. This study provides empirical evidence for employee readiness predictor variables for organisational change. This study may contribute to the literature on change management, particularly for Pakistan, and may assist the management, change agents and practitioners of human resources management and development, and organisational behaviour in assessing, designing and evaluating new or existing programmes for organisational change.