Master of Public Health / Department of Kinesiology / Katie M. Heinrich / Background and Purpose: Trails can help increase community physical activity levels but little is known about the role that collaborations play in building a trail. Social network analysis may be a useful tool to examine collaborations among various stakeholders, such as municipal public works, parks and recreation, community organizations, hospitals, local businesses, universities, and schools. The purpose of this project is threefold: a) to identify the number and type of organizations involved in trail building, b) to examine the centrality and density of social networks in the trail building process and c) to determine whether collaborations differ between the three phases of trail building (generation, grant funding and construction). Methods: Thirty-four successful trail project builders funded by the Sunflower Foundation of Kansas participated in an online survey designed to explore collaborations throughout the trail building process. Social network analysis adapted from procedures developed by Wickizer and colleagues (1993) was used to identify key organizations in building trails, to estimate the overall density and centrality of connections between the organizations, and to determine differences in collaborations by project phase. Results: Fifteen different groups (e.g. non-profit community organizations, city parks and recreation department, city public works, schools) were identified as part of the trail building process. Non-profit community organizations were most central to trail building during all three phases (generation (.36) grant writing (.38), and construction (.41)). All three phases of trail building were only weakly connected as indicated by density of social network scores measured during the generation (5.7%), grant writing (6.2%) and construction phases (7.5%). Centrality of social networks was high for all three phases of the trail building process, the generation phase (0.32) the grant writing phase (0.27) and the construction phase (0.36). Conclusions: This exploratory analysis suggests Social Network Analysis may be a useful tool to study organizations that collaborate to build trails for physical activity. During the distinct phases of trail-building, the role of collaborations changed. Some organizations were more important in the planning phase, grant writing or construction, while others (e.g. non-profit community organizations) were important throughout the entire process. Additionally, the density of social network increased as the trail projects progressed. The relationships between organizations were often weak but provided a flow of necessary information and skills to successfully build a trail. Future research should attempt to understand these time-dependent collaborations and encourage them in future trail and other built environment projects that support physical activity.

Thesis advisor: Michael Malec / This study explores the resettlement experiences of twenty-one Bhutanese refugees in Laconia, New Hampshire and Chelsea and Lynn, Massachusetts. Its purpose is to determine if place significantly affects a refugee’s success and satisfaction, and to assess the differences between those effects in urban and rural locations. In addition, this study seeks to determine if one kind of place, urban or rural, is better for resettlement than the other. It draws on the theories of assimilation, social networks, and social capital, as it strives to enter the sociology of immigration discourse. This qualitative study employed a mixed-method approach in attempting to answer its research questions. Semi-structured interviews and brief surveys were conducted with ten respondents in an urban location, Greater Boston, and eleven respondents in a rural location, Laconia, NH. The samples were recruited through snowball sampling methods. This study finds that in the rural location respondents had extensive in-group and out-group network connections, developed social capital, and feelings of safety and security, but they lacked employment and consequently economic stability. In the urban location respondents had a higher rate of employment, developed social capital, and a formal in-group network, however they lacked out-group network connections and felt unsafe in their neighborhoods. Therefore, the study concludes that there are specific characteristics of urban and rural places that affect a refugee’s sense of well-being; however, the positive and negative forces of these characteristics balanced out to have an equal effect on overall satisfaction. Where it is best to resettle each refugee may depend on his or her personal values and cultural background. While resettling refugees in one location or another may not solve resettlement issues, this research suggests that there are many systematic improvements to be made to better help refugees adapt and succeed in the United States. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Sociology Honors Program. / Discipline: Sociology.

Organisation socialisation is the process by which an individual acquires the attitudes, behaviour, and knowledge she or he needs to participate as an organisation member (Van Maanen & Schein, 1979). During socialisation, organisations seek to mould new employees to fit its needs and employees attempt to define acceptable work roles for themselves within the organisation (Fisher, 1986). Several scholars believe that an important way in which socialisation occurs is through social interactions between newcomers and „insiders‟ or more experienced members of their organisation (Feldman, 1981; Louis, 1990; Reichers, 1987). Relationships might be important, but little is known about the types of relationship patterns that are most conducive to effective socialisation (Morrison, 2002). This research will view the socialisation process from the perspective of social network structure and examine the effect of the relationships on socialisation outcomes.

Web 2.0 was a phrase coined in 2004 to describe the characteristics of web sites which survived the original Dot-com crash. Despite the discussion of this phenomenon in a wide variety of both academic and mass media sources, itʼs exact definition remains unclear. The relative contributions of technology and social participation to this phenomenon are particularly confused. The primary aim of this research report is to provide a clear and comprehensive definition of Web 2.0. This definition is determined through a combined social and technological analysis of blogs, wikis and social network sites, through their particular manifestations in Boing Boing, Wikipedia and Facebook respectively. It is the finding of this research that Web 2.0 is primarily the result of a natural evolution from Web 1.0 technologies and attitudes, and that Web 2.0 is essentially a social phenomenon. This research provides separate definitions for Web 2.0 technologies and Web 2.0 platforms. A Web 2.0 technology is any technology that aids and encourages simple intuitive user interaction through an architecture of participation. These technologies enable user feedback, and are thus constantly improved and exist within the ethos of a perpetual beta. Web 2.0 technologies embrace re-mix and mash-up philosophies. A Web 2.0 platform is a read-write Web platform designed to enable and encourage User Generated Content and interaction. These platforms can be built with any set of technologies, and their primary characteristics are social in nature, but the platforms must allow users to interact with the technology at either an open-source, network or appropriation level. These platforms become more powerful and richer the greater the number of people using the platform, and ultimately result in the formation of Web 2.0 communities.

Desde el comienzo de nuestra era, las relaciones entre civilizaciones y culturas de diferentes partes del mundo presentaron diversos contactos lingüísticos entre los hablantes de distintos idiomas. Estos generaron una variación en el uso gramatical y, por ende, un nuevo vocabulario entre las lenguas contactadas, siendo el inglés, uno de los más destacados. Hoy en día, el inglés es el idioma con más influencia en el mundo y su uso en el Perú, sea mediante anglicismos o de forma general, es innegable. También es importante mencionar que la propagación del mismo es cada vez mayor gracias al apoyo de la tecnología y al uso de redes sociales. El presente trabajo busca observar el uso del inglés en la red social Facebook por jóvenes estudiantes de 18 a 25 años de una universidad privada de Lima Metropolitana. Este estudio propone ver de manera cualitativa qué tanto los jóvenes universitarios, de este sector en particular, utilizan el inglés en sus publicaciones. Dentro de los resultados se observó los siguientes tipos de uso: spanglish, memes y -en circunstancias generales- el hashtagging, entre otros factores que podrían complementarse con otros estudios, como el posible aprendizaje e integración del idioma inglés en esta u otras redes sociales y el uso de este idioma en otras ramas de investigación. / Since the beginning of our era, relations between civilizations and cultures from different parts of the world presented diverse linguistic contacts between speakers of different languages. These generated a variation in the grammatical use and, therefore, a new vocabulary among the contacted languages, being English one of the most outstanding ones. Nowadays, English is the most influential language in the world and its use in Peru, whether through anglicisms or in a general way, is undeniable. It is also important to mention that it is spreading and growing thanks to the support of technology and the use of social networks. The present work aims to observe the use of English in the social network of Facebook by young students from 18 to 25 years of a private university in Metropolitan Lima. This study proposes to see - with a qualitative scope - how young university students (in this particular sector) use English in their posts. The following types of use were observed in the results: Spanglish, memes and -in general circumstances- the hashtag; among other factors that could be complemented with other studies, such as the possible learning and integration of the English language in this or other social networks, and the use of this language in other branches of research. / Tesis

Thesis advisor: Thomas M. Crea / The ability of school communities to develop successful integration strategies for youth from immigrant communities is of pressing concern. The goal of this dissertation is to explore how immigrant youth interact with their peers in friendship networks and school communities in order to inform efforts to promote the successful integration of immigrant youth in US schools. Data from the 1994-1995 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) are used in three separate studies to examine processes of integration. First, the integration of immigrant youth is analyzed at dyadic, network, and school institution levels. Second, exponential random graph modeling (ERGM) is used to examine how immigrant generation plays a role in friendship formation in 63 US schools. Third, cross-sectional ERGM and longitudinal stochastic actor-based models (SABM) are developed to examine how race, immigrant generation, spoken language, and social network processes give rise to youth friendship networks in one US school. Key findings are as follows: first, youth from immigrant families overall are successfully integrating into school friendship networks and communities. First-generation youth are located only slightly on the margins while second-generation youth are located in positions of social advantage. Second, school contexts change the nature of friendship decision-making. Immigrant youth in more diverse schools are more likely to integrate through cross-group friendships, providing evidence for contact theory of intergroup relations. Third, while immigrant generation and spoken language emerge as salient predictors of friendship formation, other factors such as grade level, race and ethnicity, as well as social network processes remain the primary drivers of friendship formation. In the final chapter, an applied theory of immigrant integration in school settings grounded in theories of social structure is proposed. Together, the findings of this research will inform efforts to better serve culturally and linguistically diverse youth in American schools and aim to help promote the integration of youth from immigrant communities. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

Thesis advisor: Rebecca J. Lowenhaupt / Background: Examining the underlying social networks of a central office leadership team in a school district focused on accelerated improvement may provide insight into the organizational structures that support or constrain improvement efforts. These networks play a critical role in identifying strategies and practices that will enable district leaders to better support marginalized student populations and strive toward the goal of halving the achievement gap for all students. Purpose and Research Questions: The purpose of this individual research study is to carefully examine and analyze the structure of social relations in a school district under sanction, aiming to answer the following research question: How do social networks between and among district leaders relate to turnaround efforts designed to support marginalized populations? Methods: This study applies social network theory of central office leadership and relationships within a public school district aimed to accelerate improvement and support traditionally marginalized students. The network boundary is limited to central office administrators. In concert with the Dissertation in Practice (DIP), this individual study was designed to be emergent and flexible. Data sources include semi-structured interviews and document review. Findings: This study found that day-to-day, central office administrators in one turnaround district, rely heavily on a high number of external ties. The advice network is highly centralized around two key players which may constrain the exchange of advice or knowledge and ultimately slows or inhibits efforts designed to improve outcomes for marginalized student populations. High personnel turnover and lack of network stability are to be expected in a turnaround district, however, it has a ripple effect on the district’s ability to establish systems and structures that facilitate accelerated improvement for marginalized student populations. Significance. Organizational change is often socially constructed. Understanding which actors have positive influences and positive social relations will ensure that formal and informal network roles are identified and maximized to their full potential. Social network analysis has the potential to provide school districts information regarding the capacity of central office administrators to implement accelerated improvements. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Stephen P. Borgatti / This study was an investigation of the effects of social identity on career progression and career resilience. Particular attention was given to the predictive impact of social identity of membership in an identifiable professional sub-grouping. Using NCAA basketball coaches as an empirical setting, quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to predict the status of next employer for job seekers who voluntarily changed jobs (n = 282), and the employability resilience of job seekers who were fired (n = 151). Job seekers with the social identity of membership in an identifiable professional sub-grouping (in this empirical setting, defined as membership in a coaching family or coaching tree) were hired for positions with employers of higher status, and exhibited greater employability resilience than was the case for job seekers without such a social identity. Because membership in an identifiable professional sub-grouping signals concise information about the social identity of an individual above and beyond prior performance, network connectivity and status affiliations, it is theorized that individuals with such a social identity are more easily understood, more predictable, and are therefore more valuable in the labor market. Additional career benefits are accrued by individuals who claim their ascribed identity, and by individuals who have social identities characterized as relational actors. Recommendations for future research on social identity of membership in an identifiable professional sub-grouping are offered. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Carroll School of Management. / Discipline: Organization Studies.

Thesis advisor: James Lubben / Thesis advisor: Ce Shen / Historically, recovery from addiction has been synonymous with sobriety and when a person relapsed, all the gains they had made were erased. More recently efforts are underway to redefine recovery as a multidimensional process of change characterized by abstinence, improved health, citizenship, and actions taken by individuals to reach their full potential. This study contributes to the evolution of a more holistic understanding of recovery across the life course by utilizing four waves of data from the Pathways to Long-Term Abstinence Study (N=355) to examine how social recovery capital, stress, and individual contextual factors shape the physical health, mental health, and well-being of individuals recovering from addiction. Results from growth curve analysis indicate that the mental health and well-being of those recovering from addiction improve over time, while their physical health declines. Evidence also confirms that the positive influences of social recovery capital extend beyond sobriety to both directly and indirectly alter global health trajectories. While findings presented here offer hope that life can get better in some areas, they also raise significant concern over a long term pattern of declining physical health and the negative effects of stress that persist during recovery. A person's ability to sustain abstinence contributes to improvements in mental health and well-being, but not to physical health, suggesting that the physical damage done while actively abusing substances is significant and enduring. Finally, women recovering from addiction were confirmed to suffer disproportionate physical and mental health disparities, adding to the already substantial body of literature that suggests gender-specific prevention and treatment interventions across disciplines are needed to keep girls from becoming addicts and to better serve the unique needs of women who do. Given that social recovery capital is able to simultaneously influence multiple domains of recovery, interventions targeting enhancement of social recovery capital may prove particularly valuable in the effort to help people recover from addiction. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

As políticas de saúde mental apresentam uma tendência de propor a inclusão do portador de transtorno mental crônico na sua comunidade. É importante estudar as redes sociais desses portadores, para compreender a realidade social e apreender a complexidade das relações e interações sociais presentes nos processos que estruturam a sociabilidade do portador de transtorno mental crônico. OBJETIVO: descrever a rede social de portadores de esquizofrenia atendidos no Ambulatório de Saúde Mental de Serrana. METODOLOGIA: pesquisa descritiva, que utilizou questionário abordando as variáveis sócio-demográficas e do tratamento, o genograma e o ecomapa como instrumentos de coleta. Os dados foram organizados em um banco de dados do Excel, e transportados para o EpiInfo versão 3.5.1 (CDC, 2008) e submetidos a análise descritiva. RESULTADOS: Foram entrevistados 41 portadores, a maioria constituída por homens, solteiros. Os pontos de apoio da rede social identificada foram: o serviço ambulatorial, o trabalho, a família e 17 locais da cidade freqüentados pelos portadores entrevistados. O ambulatório e o trabalho não foram citados como ponto importante da rede. A família é a instituição mais citada e todos os entrevistados tem contato com sua família. DISCUSSÃO: Observou-se nesta pesquisa que o adoecimento causa inúmeras limitações no portador de esquizofrenia, descrevendo uma rede social frágil, apoiada na família. Estes aspectos devem ser considerados nas equipes que prestam assistência em serviços de base comunitária. Apesar dessas limitações dos serviços, a Reforma Psiquiátrica tem conseqüências positivas, pois essas pessoas conseguem ficam em um ambiente com maiores possibilidades de interações pessoais satisfatórias. Mesmo que os portadores tenham limitações devido ao adoecimento, conseguem ter uma rede social, às vezes menor, mas que normalmente contribui no convívio diário. Conclusão: Esta pesquisa descreveu a rede social do portador de esquizofrenia que faz tratamento ambulatorial de base comunitária. O estudo restringe-se somente a um serviço de saúde mental, no entanto permitiu algumas reflexões importantes sobre os avanços obtidos com a Reforma Psiquiátrica e sobre o trabalho da equipe de saúde mental. As utilizações do genograma e do ecomapa se mostraram muito úteis no desenvolvimento da pesquisa. Estes instrumentos são de fácil utilização e facilitam a interação pesquisador com os participantes / Mental health policies show a great tendency to recommend an inclusion of the chronic mental disorder carrier in the community. It is important to study these carriers social network to understand the social reality and understand the complexity of the relations and social interactions present in the processes that structure the chronic mental disorder carrier\'s sociability . METHODOLOGY: A descriptive research that used a questionnaire approaching the socio demographic variables and the treatment, the genogram and the ecomap as collection instruments. The data was organized in an EXCEL database and transported to an Epilnfo 3.5.1 (CDC, 2008) version and submitted to a descriptive analysis . RESULTS: Forty one carriers were interviewed. Most of them were single men. The social network support parts found were: the ambulatory room service, their jobs, family and 17 places visited by the carriers in town. The ambulatory service and jobs were not mentioned as an important point of the network. Family is the most mentioned institution and all of the interviewed people in the study have contact with their families. DISCUSSION: The research showed that falling sick gives cause for many limitations to the schizophrenia carrier, describing a fragile network based on family. These aspects must be considered by the groups that pay assistance in community based services. Despite these service limitations, the Psychiatric Reform has positive consequences. These people can stay in a place with a higher chance for satisfactory personal interaction. Even though the carriers have limits due to getting sick, they still can have a social network, sometimes smaller but one that usually contributes to their daily relationships. CONCLUSION: This research described the social network of the schizophrenic carrier that uses the ambulatory room service. The work is limited to only one mental health service however it was possible to achieve some important reflection on the progress obtained with the Psychiatric Reform and on the mental health group. The ecomap and genogram use were showed to be very useful in the research evolution. The instruments are easy to use and facilitate the interaction between the researcher and the attendees.