Loneliness and the use of social media to follow celebrities: A moderating role of social presence

Because social media provide users with the possibility of an easy way to communicate with celebrities in society, it has become a more common practice to follow celebrities through social media. However, there exists few studies that examine how people’s individual characteristics are related to their celebrity-following behavior. In this regard, the current study examines whether celebrity followers’ loneliness is associated with the following behavior of their favorite celebrity. Data were collected through an online survey (N = 210). Primary findings suggest that celebrity followers’ loneliness is positively related to frequent visits of their favorite celebrity’s social media, greater social-interpersonal motive for following the celebrity, and greater enjoyment of learning about personal life stories of the celebrity. Social presence is found to be a significant moderator that can intensify more favorable parasocial relationship perceptions with the celebrity.     

It Is Expected by the Year 2000

Abstract

Authors in the Encyclopedia of Social Work (formerly the Social Work Year Book), beginning in the 1930s, have proffered forecasts to help social workers anticipate the composition and needs of the current cohort of older adults. First 1980 and later the year 2000 were often targeted in these forecasts. The purpose of this article is to analyze accuracy and utility of these earlier forecasts and to examine implications for social service professionals now attempting to make forecasts and develop practice and policy strategies for the 21st century when the baby boom cohort will become the elder boom.     

Professional Social Work Education in End-of-Life Care

Abstract

Social work education in both BSW and MSW level courses is missing vital content about end-of-life care, palliative care, and bereavement. End-of-life care training opportunities through continuing education programs have also been limited. This deficit is significant because a vast number of social workers are already confronted with end-of-life issues on a daily basis in a variety of practice settings. Through the Project on Death in America, Social Work Leadership Development Awards initiative, many programs and models for professional social work education and training in end-of-life care have been developed and are presented in this article. These include: end-of-life care courses, symposia, training manuals, certificate programs and fellowships. Although the curricula continue to be refined, many of these programs are available to practitioners to advance their knowledge and skills and their curricular models are available to social work educators for possible replication.     

Social Policy and Development in Latin America: The Long View

In the new development strategy currently shaping Latin America, alternative social policy models have emerged. This article argues that far from being rival alternatives, each of these models considers the wide differences among countries. The region is emerging from a century of transformation – from a traditional agrarian economy to an urban industrial one – in which countries have taken diverse historical paths. Some have almost completed this transformation, others are taking early steps, and the vast majority are living through it. State‐led transition has followed two successive development strategies. From the 1920s up to the 1980s, state developmentalism has mostly successfully assumed the twin challenges of economic and social progress. In the last two decades of the century, Latin American states adopted the policies of the Washington Consensus, which emphasized the importance of business in the framework of globalization and benefited the affluent few. However, an unambiguous shift in direction has been taking place in Latin America since the 1997 economic crisis. This article suggests that a new developmental welfare state model seems to be in the making. How will it evolve over the wider space of an increasingly integrated Latin America?     

共谋职业化背景下中国社会工作研究与实务发展的路径——中国社会工作教育协会2008年年会述评

本文基于对中国社会工作教育协会2008年年会的介绍。通过总结和评述年会期间的相关研讨,来探析职业化背景下中国社会工作研究与实务的发展之路,以期对年会的讨论成果有较好的归纳和分析,并对之后相关的研究与讨论有所借鉴。     

社会调查中的定性研究方法浅析

定性研究作为社会调查的方法之一,近30年来在国外社会科学研究领域得到了广泛的运用。本文介绍了定性研究方法的产生及概念界定,从定性研究与定量研究的对比中阐释了定性研究的不同特点,分析了定性研究的过程及收集材料的方法,最后展示了定性研究方法发展的最新进展。     

农民对农村社会工作的认知研究——以江苏省的调查为例

在我国城市和农村地区有大量的专业社会工作服务与实践。社会工作已经从理论教育转向服务社会需求,并且在应对和解决社会问题方面发挥着越来越大的作用。了解农民对专业社会工作的认知现状,对于寻求专业社会工作在农村的突破口,进一步推动专业社会工作在农村地区的发展具有重要意义。     

学校社会工作介入中学心理咨询与辅导的必要性及介入措施的实务研究——以H市16所中学为例

青少年是一个具有较高智力,较高文化和较强自尊的特殊群体,正处于人格和性格的塑造期,他们大多数对人生、自我和复杂的社会缺乏深刻的认识,再加上其他客观原因的影响,青少年群体或多或少地受到心理问题的困扰,而当前中学心理咨询与辅导在硬件和软件方面存在着诸多不足。学校社会工作尊重每一个学生,注重人的潜能的开发与发展,具有自身一套独特的理论和工作方法,与当前的中学心理咨询与辅导相比,具有无可比拟的优势,所以强调和提出学校社会工作介入青少年心理健康辅导的优势及介入的措施显得尤为必要。     

本土社会工作实务中个别化原则的思考

本土社会工作实务的广泛开展需要对西方社会工作理论技术和中国本土价值体系进行深入思考,探索出适合中国实际情况的实务原则。本文从社会工作的一个基本原则"个别化"入手,分析其含义与思想渊源,进而分析在中国传统文化价值环境中开展社会工作实务时,运用个别化原则需要注意的问题并提出适用这一原则的具体方法。