Residential mobility and the spatial dispersion of personal networks: Effects on social support

Using a representative national sample of personal networks, this article explores how the spatial dispersion of networks, residential mobility and social support are linked. Three issues will be addressed here. Firstly, how is the spatial dispersion of personal networks related to individuals’ social characteristics, network composition and residential mobility? Secondly, how do the spatial dispersion of networks, residential mobility and their combined effect influence the number and (thirdly) the structure of emotional support ties? Results showed that the extent of the support was affected neither by the geographical distribution of the networks nor by residential mobility. Living far from one's birthplace, however, exerted two distinct, and opposite effects on the support network structure. On the one hand, mobility led to high spatial dispersion of personal contacts, which in turn favored a sparsely knit network centered around the mobile individual. On the other hand, by controlling for the effect of distance between the contacts, we found that individuals that cited long-distance ties tended to be part of more transitive support networks than those that cited local ties. We interpreted the latter effect as evidence that transitive ties may survive greater spatial distances than intransitive ones. These findings are discussed in view of spatial mobility and social network research.     

Random errors in egocentric networks

The systematic errors that are induced by a combination of human memory limitations and common survey design and implementation have long been studied in the context of egocentric networks. Despite this, little if any work exists in the area of random error analysis on these same networks; this paper offers a perspective on the effects of random errors on egonet analysis, as well as the effects of using egonet measures as independent predictors in linear models. We explore the effects of false-positive and false-negative error in egocentric networks on both standard network measures and on linear models through simulation analysis on a ground truth egocentric network sample based on facebook-friendships. Results show that 5–20% error rates, which are consistent with error rates known to occur in ego network data, can cause serious misestimation of network properties and regression parameters.     

Markets or networks: Households’ choice of financial intermediary in Western China

We argue that households’ choice of financial intermediary is conditioned by households’ social network structures and socioeconomic status. Analyses show that households’ social network size and network composition affect their choices by limiting the quality and quantity of information, resources, and social influence one can access through social ties. Moreover, we find that high-SES families favor formal intermediaries due not only to their richer financial knowledge, higher affordability, and greater capacity to repay loans, but also to their high demands and special types of financial needs that can hardly be satisfied by embedded resources.     

基于网络环境的研究生英语教学模式研究

传统的非英语专业研究生英语教学模式已不能适应为社会培养创新复合型人才的需要,对其进行改革势在必行。文章以建构主义学习理论和语言输入与输出理论为基础,构建了一种利用互联网资源辅助研究生英语课堂的教学模式,目的旨在提高非英语专业硕士研究生的英语交际能力。     

市场经济主导下佛山空间结构演变的影响要素分析

佛山从历史上著名的“四大名镇”到“珠三角制造业重地”,集合了历史文化、村镇经济、广州辐射的多重动力,佛山市行政区划调整已历时近十年,佛山空间结构的演变,已成为中国快速城镇化值得探讨的生动案例。2002年底,行政调整后的佛山市在战略规划中确定了“2＋5”的组团结构,而后又相继提出“中心组团”、“东平新城”的空间布局概念并成立了相应的管理机构,与此同时佛山市下辖的南海区和顺德区也在进行适应产业提升的空间重新布局,貌似无序的村镇布局在市场经济的主导下,能否不断加以改善并实现城市产业转型和生活品质的提升,本文试图以佛山活跃的村镇经济为背景,解析佛山空间形态形成的动力,探索行政意愿和市场导向共同作用下的空间结构演变。     

One step further from detected contradictions in a child welfare unit—a constructive approach to communicate the needs of social work when implementing ICT in social services

Unintended consequences were detected when a new client data system was taken into use in a child welfare unit in the City of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. This paper describes how social work was practiced during this period of change and analyses the phenomena involved. The concept of agency is central in the theoretical frame of this research. The data consist of written documents, participatory observation and the researcher's cooperation with the unit. Based on the data and by using the tools of semiotic sociology, the period of change was described in the form of four intersecting and parallel stories, each with a specific theme. These stories formed the basis for more theorising in which models of action theories were used. The results of this study showed that in the situation of inadequate human resource allocation for social work the data system took on a role of an agent. There was evidence of unintended consequences on the basic task in child welfare as the data system affected the work processes.     

Who are the active and central actors in the ‘rising civil society’ in Mexico?

The debate about the rise of civil society in Mexico suggests that the processes of political and economic liberalization are multiple and uneven and, thus, have different and contradictory effects on different social groups. This study takes such arguments into account and examines the nature of collective identities and social networks that are more likely to be mobilized in the rising civil society. Who, with what types of social networks and identities, are the active actors in this rising civil society in Mexico? This study also attempts to identify the central actors who take an active part in multi-sector coalitions. As such a broad coalition often leaves profound effects on politics and society, it is vital to ask which actors are likely to take an important step toward multi-sector coalition making. Using a catalog of 1797 protest campaigns collected from three Mexican newspapers between 1964 and 2000, event frequency analysis is employed to find active actors and social network analysis – blockmodel method and degree centrality measure – is applied to uncover central actors. The analyses reveal that while workers, peasants, or students continue to be very active, the centrality of these actors in contentious networks and coalitions has not increased. New central actors in the rising civil society turn out to be civic associations and NGOs formed around single issues, such as environment, retirement, and human rights. When a multi-sector coalition occurs in contemporary Mexico, NGOs and civic associations are likely to play a crucial role in it.     

网络犯罪帮助行为共犯归责模式之批判——单独归责模式的提倡

以极端从属性、限制从属性、最小从属性为理论依据的共犯归责模式本质上遵循的是连带性共同归责思路。由于网络犯罪参与已经从单中心型转化为多中心型,异化现象明显,导致共犯在事实上无法从属于正犯,连带性共同归责已不现实。因此,应当提倡单独归责模式,承认网络帮助行为构成犯罪与受助者无关,将研究重心放在提供网络帮助行为本身的非法性、提供帮助者的有责性以及各正犯化罪名本身所保护的法益上。单独归责模式的提出具有刑事政策依据与实质依据,适用该模式不会造成本应以共犯处罚的行为人逃脱处罚,也不会间接扩展共犯的处罚限域,“同时构成其他犯罪”的竞合条款也不会被架空。     

浅析多媒体网络技术下高等教育发展趋势

多媒体和网络技术在教学中的广泛应用使高等教育在新的历史时期得到重大发展。从教育思想、教学走向、学科结构与人才培养模式、运行机制与办学模式等方面 ,可大致勾勒出新技术革命背景下高等教育的发展趋势     

谈校园网的建设与使用

本文论述了网络硬件建设、资源库的建设、教师培训及信息管理平台的开发等问题,并阐述了校园网资源库建设的意义,在校园网建网思想及使用方法等问题上提出了自己的建议。