Antisocial and Prosocial Teasing Among Children: Perceptions and Individual Differences

Two studies examined fifth‐ and sixth‐grade students’ perceptions of antisocial and prosocial teasing among peers and potential correlates of individual differences in their tendencies to engage in both forms of teasing. The children were rated as showing a greater tendency to be prosocial teasers than antisocial teasers by both teachers and peers. In addition, the children indicated that they generally experienced and observed prosocial teasing more frequently than antisocial teasing at home and in school. Although boys were perceived to tease in a hostile, antisocial manner to a greater extent than were girls, the evidence for a gender difference in affiliative, prosocial teasing among these children was relatively weak. Additionally, systematic relations were found among ratings of the children's tendencies to engage in antisocial and prosocial teasing with peers, teachers’ ratings of their general level of antisocial and prosocial behavior with peers, ratings of the frequency with which they experienced antisocial and prosocial teasing at home and at school, and their attitudes toward antisocial and prosocial teasing.     

The Hopes and Fears of Older Australians: for Self,Family, and Society

This study refutes negative ageist stereotypes of how older people view themselves and society by reporting on their freely expressed main hope and main fear for the future. Data were collected through a population based cross‐sectional telephone interview survey conducted in NSW in 1999/2000. Participants (n=8,881) were randomly selected community dwelling older Australians (65+). Analyses revealed that participants were more likely to express a hope than a fear, and that a sizeable proportion of their hopes and fears were focused outwardly to family, or more broadly to social and environmental issues both locally and globally. These latter hopes and fears indicate awareness, interest and concern on a wide range of issues outside self and family. Some differences by gender and age were identified but views varied considerably among individuals. These findings provide evidence to dispel the negative image of older people as a self interested undifferentiated group whose members become progressively fearful as they age, by revealing an altruistic and outwardly focused dimension.     

Philanthropy without borders: US private foundation activity in Eastern Europe

Worldwide disillusionment with governmental problem-solving, decline in governmental resources, increasing prominence of multinational corporations, and the collapse of communism act as powerful stimuli to international philanthropic activity. US private foundations in particular have been highly motivated by the collapse of communism to act as venture capitalists in seeking grant-making opportunities and philanthropic partners in Eastern Europe. International philanthropy of private foundations can provide expertise in and resources for global as well as regional or local problem-solving. However, resources available must be viewed realistically. This paper puts available foundation resources in perspective. Further, international philanthropy by private foundations is no panacea for the world's problems, and may only be effective at the margins. But to the extent it can be an effective problem solver, it should not be artificially limited by boundaries and laws of any one nation, as it is at present. While reviewing some trends towards increasing activity of larger US private foundations in Eastern Europe, this paper also illustrates small segments of the existing legal, tax and other barriers to international philanthropy. In many instances, simple awareness of some of these barriers will enable potential grantees and philanthropic partners to surmount these barriers. But within the larger context of globalisation of philanthropy, all such barriers to the free movement of philanthropic capital and expertise should be identified and ultimately removed so that international philanthropy, like international trade and free movement of capital and goods, can emerge to an optimal level.Susan Flaherty is a partner in the law firm of Roha & Flaherty, 1900 L. Street N.W., Washington, DC, 20036-5002.     

PUBLIC RESPONSES TO TECHNOLOGICAL RISKS:

One of the most serious challenges facing "advanced" industrial societies is the management of technological risks. Recently, a number of sociologists have called attention to the topic, noting the significant contributions sociologists can offer to the ongoing risk debate. This article takes a complementary approach, suggesting that it is important to ask not just what sociology can do for the study of risk, but what the study of risk can do for sociology. Particular promise is evident in studies that go beyond a focus on individuals' risk perceptions, dealing with the behaviors and interests of societal institutions entrusted with the management of risks. Still lacking, however, is a more explicit and coherent conceptual framework, one that can help guide future research toward the testing of sociologically important questions, not just the questions and issues that technologists and policymakers define as important. Working from an explicitly sociological orientation, this article outlines a conceptual perspective that focuses on the "framing" of risk debates by institutional actors. This approach suggests that, given the profound growth of technological efficacy, in the face of modest, it any growth in the efficacy of social control mechanisms, the management of technological risk is likely to become increasingly problematic for sociology as well as for society.     

Method Madness

I caution you not to expect a cookbook solution to your difficulty. I cannot tell you what to do in ten easy steps. Precious few successful career searches are conducted in so mechanical a fashion. You must decide the best sequence of events for yourself. —Howard Figler, The Complete Job Search Handbook     

Gender Differences in Career Paths in Banking

Analysis of career paths of middle managers in savings banks revealed significant gender differences. This study of matched pairs found that men advanced faster and reached middle management through fewer promotions and positions than did their female counterparts. Men also had significantly more work experience outside of banking. In their banking careers, men held more jobs in lending, whereas women occupied more customer service positions.     

Family comes first: Men's and women's personal networks in Tehran

This paper examines the characteristics of middle class Tehranis’ networks, based upon a survey of 318 individuals from the 159 households. The results show that women and men have similar-size networks. However, their networks differ substantially in gender composition, with each having almost two-thirds of network members of their own gender. Men's and women's networks contain a large proportion of kin overall. Most ties tend to be with immediate kin: children, parents and siblings. An immediate kin is usually the socially closest member of a network. Apart from voluntary factors, the importance of kinship ties in men's and women's networks may be the result of the macro-structural conditions under which patterns of social relationships take place.     

NURTURANCE: A NEGLECTED DIMENSION IN FAMILY THERAPY WITH ADOLESCENTS*

This paper offers a model for integrating a nurturance framework into family therapy approaches with adolescents. This approach is seen as adding an important but neglected dimension to commonly used approaches, thus increasing both flexibility in treatment and the likelihood of a positive outcome. Steps to an effective treatment approach are outlined and guidelines offered for both in-session work and out-of-session tasks.