Sticks and Stones: Evaluations of Responses to Childhood Teasing

The present study addresses children's assessments of responses to teasing. Participants viewed videotaped interactions in which one child was being teased by two other children and responds in one of three ways (i.e., with humor, by ignoring, or with hostility). Participants rated the humorous response to teasing as the most effective way to respond to teasing, followed by ignoring. The hostile response was rated the least effective. The target's response to teasing significantly affected perceptions of the friendliness and popularity of the teasers and target. In addition, participants' previous experiences with teasing, as both victim and teaser, significantly affected their perceptionsof the teasing interaction. Results are discussed as they relate to understanding childhood teasing and effective ways of responding to teasing.     

NETWORKS, INFORMATION TRANSFER, AND STATUS CONFERRAL: The Role of Social Capital in Income Stratification among Lawyers

The focus of this article is to examine how and to what extent social networks serve to alleviate information problems on both demand and supply sides of the market, and how this mechanism contributes to income inequality among legal service providers. The empirical context of this study is a random sample of urban lawyers in Chicago. The findings indicate that a lawyer benefits not only from having access to social capital that provides timely and novel information related to solving work-related tasks, but also from the endorsement by high-status network partners. In addition, empirical analyses reveal that the returns on ties to high-status others, net of control, and other social capital variables vary according to the level of client uncertainty in the market.     

澳门人力资源发展之结构性问题

澳门博彩业长期以来以优厚薪金聘请员工,但工作性质大多属于中低技术的,比较刻板、重覆、无创造性。这渐渐在本地构成了一种独特的经济诱因结构——不需要大专学历,只要外貌、年龄、算术能力等符合一定要求,就较易入职于博彩业,高薪酬回报使入职者有仿佛踏入中产阶层的错觉。问题的症结是,具有广阔的世界观、勇于创新及突破、喜欢独立或批判性思考的人才,不容易在澳门这种独特的经济诱因结构中独得培育、赏识及奖励。因此,多元化及具创造力的本地人力资源不容易培养出来;这将会对于未来澳门的经济多元化发展及竞争力构成很大的绊阻。若要扭转这困局,澳门特区政府须要提供新的经济诱因及实施相关政策。     

Empowering Rural Sociology: Exploring and Linking Alternative Paradigms in Theory and Methodology1

Abstract Theoretical and methodological approaches to rural social change are explored, especially those that give visibility to the range of heterogeneous experiences and perspectives that often are overlooked or ignored. Theoretical developments in postmodern, narrative, and feminist theory are described as are the methodological approaches they imply. Examples of research on rural social change that attempt to integrate theory and methods in ways that respect the complicated, processual nature of social life are discussed. They provide concrete illustrations of how alternative approaches can be fruitfully applied to some of the issues and problems rural sociologists typically study.     

The organization of religious congregations: Tackling the issues

This article considers responses to the practical problems of organization that arise in religious congregations. Accumulated research findings on the organizational features and issues of congregations are synthesized and discussed under three themes: purposes and goals, the role of clergy, and growth and change. Theoretical frameworks that have been used to analyze congregations are reviewed, and it is suggested that further useful insights can be obtained by conceptualizing congregations as nonprofits and by building on knowledge about their organization and management. At the same time, the author argues, there are distinctive features of congregation organization that demand the development of more specialist theory.