Centrality in children's best friend networks: the role of social behaviour

Centrality is an indicator of an individual's relative importance within a social group. Predictors of centrality in best friendship networks were examined in 146 children (70 boys, 76 girls, Mage= 9.95). Children completed measures of social confidence, social desirability, friendship quality, school liking, and loneliness, and nominated their best friends from within their class at two time points, 3 months apart. Multigroup path analysis revealed gender differences in the antecedents of centrality. Social confidence, social desirability, and friendship quality predicted changes in the indicators of centrality in best friend networks over time. In boys’ social behaviour positively predicted changes in centrality whereas in girls’ social behaviour negatively predicted changes in centrality. Together, these findings suggest that some aspects of social behaviour are influential for centrality in best friend groups

Social policy and international interventions in South East Europe: conclusions

This book has brought together three fields of study; that concerned with the role of international actors and their influence on national polices; changes taking place to social policies in the context of globalisation, transnationalism and Europeanisation; and the political transformations taking place in South Eastern Europe. It has reported the results of empirical investigations into recent changes in social policy in the region and the ways in which transnational actors are influencing these changes. We divide this concluding chapter into three parts. The first part summarises the actual developments in social policy in the countries of the region and the several and diverse ways in which international actors have, to varying degrees, been influential. We then draw some analytical conclusions arguing how the case studies lead to changes in the ways social scientists should make sense of: the role of international actors engaged in transnational policy making including that of the EU; the role and nature of states in this “multi-level and multi-actor“ process; and the prospects for social policy and the diversity of welfare regimes. Finally we make suggestions about the kind of research that is needed to advance understanding in these inter-related areas

CHANGES IN SOCIAL WELFARE IN SINGAPORE - 1982-1999

This paper examines the changes in social welfare in Singapore using Labour Force Survey data. To study the changes and dominance, both ordinal and cardinal measures are used. By Lorenz Dominance social welfare in Singapore during 1999 is less than in 1991 while unambiguous conclusion cannot be made on the welfare ranking of 1982 and 1991 or of 1982 and 1999. 1999 ranks first according to the Generalized Lorenz Dominance; however, this criterion is also unable to make any unambiguous ranking between 1982 and 1991. The ranking based on Sen-Dagum-Yitzhaki-Sheshinski Social Welfare Function shows a continuous increase in the social welfare in Singapore. But when a more general Social Welfare Function is used a different ordering might occur.Lorenz Dominance, Generalised Lorenz Dominance, Social Welfare Function, Equity, Efficiency, Singapore Economy

How Changes in Social Security Affect Retirement Trends

For married men, we find the conventional view of retirement trends -- that the long term trend to early retirement has been reversed -- is partially contradicted by recent data. Specifically, descriptive data collected from both the Census and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) suggest that for those in their fifties, over the periods 1992 to 1998 and 1998 to 2004, the trend to early retirement reasserted itself and labor force participation fell. In contrast, for those in their sixties, there was an increase in work. Similarly, for those 65 and over, the amount of work increased. Simulations with a structural retirement model suggest that the recent acceleration of the trend to early retirement for those in their fifties is not the result of the change in Social Security rules. According to our model, changes in Social Security rules are expected to reduce the number of those in their early sixties who are working. This suggests that forces other than changing Social Security rules account for the observed increase in work by those in their early sixties, and that the effects of these forces are stronger than those suggested by the trends in descriptive data. Lastly, the analysis suggests that changing Social Security rules do help to explain the increase in work by those age 65 and older. The effects of these rule changes encourage workers to remain in their long term jobs for a longer time, encourage some to return from retirement to full time work, and encourage more partial retirement. Nevertheless, the changes in retirement induced by Social Security changes have been modest. Due to Social Security changes, the number of 65 year old married men at work increases by about two percentage points at ages 65 and 66, with slightly smaller changes at 67 to 69. Given the low basic labor force participation at 65 and 66, with 20 to 25 percent at full time work, and another 17 percent at part time work, the percentage increases in work due to Social Security changes are three or four times higher.

The Analysis of Evolutionary Changes in the System of Higher Medical Education in Ukraine in the First Half of the Xx-th Century

The article is devoted to the development of the higher medical education in Ukraine in 1900–1940. The actuality of the history of educational establishments\u27 system generalization for the theoretical understanding of educational process peculiarities within a certain brunch of education is revealed. The state of the higher medical education in Ukraine at the beginning of the XX century is depicted. The development of universities\u27 medical departments in the first two decades of the XX century is analyzed. The common features and differences of university education in Russian and Austrian parts of Ukraine are described. Organizational forms of medical educational establishments are analyzed. The tendency of increasing the system of educational establishments by the foundation of the higher courses for women is stated. The changes in the system of medical education after the establishment of the soviet power in Ukraine are analyzed. Soviet government activities in the sphere of higher education in general and its medical branch in particular are depicted. The dynamics of medical institutes as well as the system of higher education administration development in 1920–1930-s is revealed. New organizational forms were established that reflected the search for the optimal educational system corresponding to the new epoch challenges and the goals of the new state. The influence of ideological conceptions on all branches of higher education in that time is obvious. It was especially strong in 1920-s in comparison with more pragmatic 1930-s. The general conclusion is made about the unification and strengthening of the state control in the educational process, especially in the soviet period. It is stated that, though the organs of self-administration in higher school were functioning, the educational process was to the great extent centralized. The formation of the soviet higher medical education system in Ukraine in general till the end of 1930-s is noted

Recent modifications of the functional and communicative characteristics of english modals

The article deals with the present-day trends in changes and modification of the functional and communicative features of the English modals. These changes are manifested mainly in three main directions which are determined by the changes in social attitudes

The co-evolution of the “social” and the “technology": a netnographic study of Social movements in virtual worlds

Virtual worlds provide new forms of social interaction. They offer alternative spaces where social functions can be carried out in online three-dimensional virtual environments. One social phenomenon which has moved into the virtual world is the social movement, which are an important means of bringing out social, cultural and political changes through collective action. These social movements exist in an immersive technological ecosystem which is constantly evolving as designers release patches which change the way users “live” within these environments. Using a biography of artifacts approach, we explore not just the evolution of the technological artifact itself (the virtual world), but also its co-evolution with the social phenomena (a social movement). Using Netnography, a modified version of ethnography, and actornetwork theory, we explore a social movement in World of Warcraft, and observe how it evolves over time as changes to the virtual world are implemented

Social security, labour market and restructuring - Russia and Ukraine

Since the beginning of the 1990s, demographic, economic and social changes occurring in Russia and Ukraine have had an impact on both labour markets and social conditions. Even though some of the social safety net changes introduced at the beginning of the 21st century have brought positive effects, additional reforms are still necessary.Social security, social policy, Ukraine, Russia

THE SOCIAL-ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE CLIMATE CHANGES IN ROMANIA

The social-economic implication of climatic changes in Romania are analysed under the following viewpoints: causes and effects; prevention and abatement; adjustment; institutional aspects of environmental management. The main reason of climatic changes is generated by the greenhouse effect (GE) that determines the heating of the terrestrial surface, melt-down of icebergs, tornados, draughts and flooding more frequently and of increasing intensity. These extreme meteorological phenomena determine, over time, increasing human and material losses, which imposes measures with effects on short-, medium- and long-term for diminishing the greenhouse effect in accordance with the commitments and provisions of the Kyoto Protocol and the requirements for the sustainable development of the country. Proposals are made with respect to integrating environmental issues into economic and social development strategies, emphasising the need for increasing environment financing and attaching more importance to the Ministry of Environment which must couple its policy with the acquis communautaire and the EU programme for combating and preventing GE impact.climate changes, environmental management, economic and social development

Social re-orientation and brain development: An expanded and updated view.

Social development has been the focus of a great deal of neuroscience based research over the past decade. In this review, we focus on providing a framework for understanding how changes in facets of social development may correspond with changes in brain function. We argue that (1) distinct phases of social behavior emerge based on whether the organizing social force is the mother, peer play, peer integration, or romantic intimacy; (2) each phase is marked by a high degree of affect-driven motivation that elicits a distinct response in subcortical structures; (3) activity generated by these structures interacts with circuits in prefrontal cortex that guide executive functions, and occipital and temporal lobe circuits, which generate specific sensory and perceptual social representations. We propose that the direction, magnitude and duration of interaction among these affective, executive, and perceptual systems may relate to distinct sensitive periods across development that contribute to establishing long-term patterns of brain function and behavior