Measuring Social Networks and Social Resources: An Exploratory ISSP Survey around the World

This publication documents the development of the ISSP module for the year 2017 titled "Social Networks and Social Resources". The authors begin by discussing instruments that have been developed to measure social relationships and networks. Subsequently, the conceptual framework underlying the module is presented. For the assessment and selection of items for the final module the authors can draw on a rich set of comparative survey data from pretests in China, Taiwan, France, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, Great Britain, United States and Venezuela. Based on these data measures for all concepts of the theoretical model are derived and preliminary analysis of their validity, reliability and cross-national equivalence are performed. The publication ends with a description of items finally selected for the 2017 ISSP module and some suggestions for analyzing these data.Diese Publikation dokumentiert die Entwicklung des ISSP-Moduls für das Jahr 2017 mit dem Titel "Social Networks and Social Resources". Die Autoren diskutieren zunächst Instrumente, die zur Messung sozialer Beziehungen und Netzwerke entwickelt wurden. Anschließend wird der dem Modul zugrunde liegende konzeptionelle Rahmen vorgestellt. Für die Bewertung und Auswahl der Fragen für das endgültige Modul können die Autoren auf einen umfangreichen Satz vergleichender Umfragedaten aus Pretests in China, Taiwan, Frankreich, Deutschland, der Schweiz, der Türkei, Großbritannien, den USA und Venezuela zurückgreifen. Basierend auf diesen Daten werden Messungen für alle Konzepte des theoretischen Modells abgeleitet und eine vorläufige Analyse ihrer Gültigkeit, Zuverlässigkeit und länderübergreifenden Äquivalenz durchgeführt. Die Veröffentlichung endet mit einer Beschreibung der schließlich für das ISSP-Modul 2017 ausgewählten Fragen und einigen Vorschlägen zur Analyse dieser Daten

Transitions dans le parcours de vie et construction des inégalités

Tout au long de leur existence, les individus suivent des chemins singuliers dont les trajectoires ne sont pas le simple fait de la seule volonté ou du hasard. Ces cheminements se révèlent souvent générateurs d'inégalités entre individus, notamment au cours des transitions des âges de la vie (enfance, adolescence, âge adulte, grand âge), ou lors de différentes étapes (mariage, divorce, deuil, etc). C'est afin de mieux comprendre les modalités et les combinaisons d'influence à l'origine des inégalités dans les parcours de vie, que les éditeurs de cet ouvrage ont réuni des chercheurs issus des sciences psychologiques, sociales et économiques, afin de croiser leurs regards sur la manière dont ces inégalités se creusent ou se réduisent au fil des trajectoires. Cet ouvrage interdisciplinaire met en relief la richesse d'une approche des inégalités dans la perspective dynamique du parcours de vie.Peer reviewe

Validation of a 9-item Perceived Suicide Awareness Scale (PSAS-9) for adolescents.

BACKGROUND Robust empirical data on suicide awareness are needed, to better plan and evaluate suicide prevention interventions. However, there is a lack of validated measures of suicide awareness. This is especially true for perceived suicide awareness, which focuses on perceived knowledge about suicide, willingness, and confidence to talk about suicide and get help. Using the theoretical framework of Social Cognitive Theory, this study aimed to validate a measure of perceived suicide awareness. METHODS We re-used data from a suicide prevention trial conducted in Swiss secondary schools (n = 366). Baseline and one-month follow-up data were used to validate the scale. The main measure was an initial 14-item perceived suicide awareness scale (PSAS). Perceived knowledge of help-seeking resources, suicide-related knowledge, and support networks were used to assess convergent validity. RESULTS A nine-item version, the PSAS-9, showed satisfactory psychometric properties, including high internal consistency (α = 0.78), acceptable test-retest (r = 0.68), and a one-factor structure explaining 95 % of the variance. The convergent validity was acceptable (0.19 ≤ r ≤ 0.40). The PSAS-9 was not correlated with suicide-related knowledge (r = 0.02). LIMITATIONS The study missed a similar construct to properly assess convergent validity and had a modest sample size. In addition, it only included secondary school adolescents, so further research in other samples of youths is needed to robustly validate the PSAS-9. CONCLUSIONS This study was an important step towards validating a perceived suicide awareness scale, which appears as a new dimension of suicidality, distinct from suicide-related knowledge. The PSAS-9 could be used to develop, evaluate, and improve suicide prevention efforts

La transformation des réseaux personnels des femmes et des hommes durant la transition à la parentalité: Contraction des liens et gestation d'inégalités

La transition à la parentalité à été à maintes reprises annoncées comme une période de transformation fondamentale des relations avec les proches, touchant particulièrement les futures mères. Les connaissances manquent cependant sur les changements que les réseaux personnels encourent du point de vue structural, et l'effet des rapports sociaux de sexe en la matière demeure encore incertain, malgré les rares travaux existants. Ce chapitre entend amener quelques éléments de connaissance et de réflexion sur ces changements

Suicide awareness homophily in adolescent peer support networks: A Swiss cross-sectional social network analysis.

OBJECTIVE Suicide awareness, encompassing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to suicide, plays a critical role in primary suicide prevention, especially among adolescents. However, little is known about how perceived suicide awareness is apparent in peer support networks in this population. This study examined the presence of suicide awareness homophily in adolescent peer support networks. We also explored other patterns of homophily and identified factors associated with the in-degree popularity of adolescents. METHODS We used baseline data from a non-randomized, cluster-controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of a universal suicide prevention intervention in Swiss secondary schools (n = 194). We assessed perceived suicide awareness, support networks (including in-degree popularity, i.e., receiving a high number of nominations as a supportive peer), and other covariates. Data were analyzed using social network analyses. RESULTS We found evidence of suicide awareness homophily in peer support networks, where adolescents with high suicide awareness were more likely to connect with peers having high suicide awareness (p < .001). The same applied to those with low suicide awareness (p < .001). Age also emerged as a significant homophily factor. Girls (p = .024) and adolescents with high instrumental social support (p = .008) were more likely to be popular in peer support networks. CONCLUSIONS This study highlighted the homophily of suicide awareness in peer support networks and the need to focus on strengthening peer support networks and promoting suicide awareness in adolescents, particularly for those with low suicide awareness. Future suicide prevention programs, including peer-led interventions, should consider these findings to better target vulnerable subgroups and reduce suicide-related disparities

Ressources sociales et bien-être : soutien social et accès à des ressources stratégiques dans 30 pays

The study of the theme of relational resources requires the mobilisation of several theoretical and analytical frameworks from psychology, sociology and political sciences. There are several components that characterize them. We use two of them in this study, support and access to strategical resources. We aim at understanding how they relate to Subjective Well-Being (SWB). We divide them into depending on their sources, family and non-family circles in 30 countries in the ISSP (International Social Survey Programme). We analyse the contributions of these forms of relational resources using Shapley decompositions. Both dimensions are significantly related to SWB. The well-being drawn from support stems mainly from family circles whereas access to strategical resources is equally bound to family and non-family circles. Wide geographical disparities are observable with a larger influence of the family circles in rich countries in comparison to low and middle-income countries