Children with Keitai: When Mobile Phones Change from “Unnecessary” to “Necessary”

This paper focuses on children in Japan who begin using mobile phones (keitai) while in elementary school and will discuss aspects of parental–child relationships that involve keitai use. Firstly, this paper presents an overview of a Japanese society presently immersed in mobile media, focusing particularly on the spread of mobile media use to younger Japanese children. Data are presented from two research projects and analyzed to examine the cause of, and circumstances that lead to, child keitai use. Increasing social anxieties about safety and parental concern have reportedly led to increasing perception that keitai use is valuable in times of emergency, or in order to prevent crime, leading to a shift in attitudes towards children’s keitai use: that which was formerly considered “unnecessary” has now become “necessary”. However, the anxiety about safety is shared by almost all people and is therefore not itself a deciding factor regarding children’s keitai ownership. Keitai usage is, instead, prompted by several factors, some of which are not shared by children and parents. From this rift in reasoning emerges a game of tug-of-war over ownership and use between children and parents.

From Market to State Networking: The Case of a Norwegian Voluntary Organization

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate and explain how a Norwegian voluntary, faith-based organization—the Gospel Centre of Norway (Pinsevennenes Evangeliesenter)—successfully substituted a “network” for “market” strategy vis-à-vis the public sector in order to obtain organizational legitimacy and financial security. During the first decade of its existence it obtained a unique position in its relationship with the state, as a separate item in the budget of the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. The organization operates in the field of substance abuse rehabilitation, i.e., in a situation where instrumental effectiveness is difficult to assess. In such a situation ritual or other institutional criteria may replace effectiveness criteria and impression management is shown to be a successful strategy. Attention is paid to the relevant environmental conditions under which this organizational change of strategy was successful.

人情与面子--本土社会工作专业关系建立的探索

建立良好的专业关系对提高社会工作服务效果起着决定性的作用。在我国,社会工作由于没有形成西方社会的制度信任,社会工作者与当事人建立专业关系并非易事。参照黄光国“人情与面子”的理论模式,提出我国社会工作专业关系建立的理论模式,分别对情感性关系、工具性关系以及混合性关系中社会工作者如何建立专业关系进行探索。     

Characteristics of Activities That Affect the Development of Women’s Same-Sex Relationships

The author utilized semistructured interviews with 56 women to explore how a wide range of activities affected the development of the participants’ same-sex attractions and relationships. The researcher was able to identify and describe some aspects of the process by which eight characteristics of activities that are more or less present in various social contexts have the potential to impact whether these contexts are more or less conducive or hindering to the development of women’s same-sex attractions and relationships. Activities were more apt to nurture the development of the participants’ same-sex attractions and relationships when the activity (a) included lesbians, (b) was composed primarily of women, (c) affirmed women, (d) facilitated bonding, (e) featured a climate of acceptance of lesbians/gays/bisexuals, (f) did not feature a climate that emphasized heteronormativity, (g) was perceived as gender neutral, and (h) generated or drew participants who were similar to each other.     

汉字字际关系论略

从理论模型建构的角度来看,记录一个词的不同汉字可分为本字和借字两类。字际关系可能产生于本字范畴内、借字范畴内以及两个范畴相交叉的汉字。同构形系统内的字际关系主要有异体字、同音借用字、分化字三种类型,而同一组字可以归入不同的字际关系类型中。     

社会转型期利益关系法律调整的实然性分析

社会转型本质上是利益关系的调整时期。在这一时期几乎所有的社会矛盾追根溯源都可以归结到利益分配和利益关系这个根本点上来。面对这种现实,我们必须建构与之相适应的、完善的法律调整机制和手段,对各种利益关系进行合理的调整。即在法制建设过程中,我们不仅要对各种既成的利益关系进行确认和保护,而且还要通过揭示各种不同的利益之间的矛盾,结合社会发展的趋势,对各种利益关系做出取舍、平衡和协调,并把平衡和协调的结果规定在相应的法律之中,以充分调动各利益主体的积极性,抑制和消解可能出现的各种不稳定因素。     

Young Adult Daughters' Accounts of Relationships With Nonresidential Fathers: Relational Damage,Repair, and Maintenance

This article explores processes of relational damage, repair, and maintenance within adult daughters' accounts of their current relationships with their nonresidential fathers. Drawing on research of a sample of self-selected adult daughters who experienced parental divorce in childhood, the author explores how the processes of relational damage, repair, and maintenance contribute to and are of consequence to adult daughters' understandings of their current relationships. The author demonstrates that it is through exploring the gathered relational histories that processes of relational development are highlighted, offering a way of better understanding the consequences of divorce on the construction of parent–child relationships throughout the life course.     

Parental Divorce and the Types of Commitment-Related Messages People Gain from Their Families of Origin

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of types of commitment-related messages gained from families of origin. A sample of young adults was asked about the messages they believed they gained from their families of origin, to what degrees those messages affected their relationship experiences, and how these messages are related to their beliefs about romantic relationships. Results indicated that people with divorced or unhappy parents were more likely to report gaining messages such as relationships are not permanent, one must approach relationships with caution, and relationships are beset by lack of trust and fidelity, and less likely to report gaining messages such as marriage is enduring, relationships need love and happiness, and relationships should be partnerships. In addition, participants indicated they felt that those messages had influenced their experiences in relationships. Overall, the results add to the growing evidence of the importance of family of origin upon people's attitudes about and experiences in romantic relationships.     

Gay Men

Summary

This report presents the findings from four ethnographic studies of older gay men (Brown, 1997; Brown, Sarosy, Cook & Quarto, 1997; Cook, 1991; Quarto, 1996; Sarosy, 1996). There were 69 total participants who ranged in age from 36 to 79 years; most were from 50 to 65 years of age. The purpose of these studies was to examine how older gay men have adjusted, psychologically and socially, to their sexual orientation and aging process. Participants reported that they spend 50% time or more with gay friends within their own age cohorts. Many reported being involved with the gay community in some capacity, while about 15% had no involvement with the gay community. Most participants were in regular contact with their families. Most stated that their families were aware of their sexual orientation. Most of the participants reported experiencing discrimination due to sexual orientation, and one third had experienced discrimination within the gay community based on age or ethnicity. With regard to sex life, the studies found an overall lowered frequency of sexual activity. Participants felt that HIV/AIDS has had a devastating impact on older gay men, interrupting the normal aging process for those who have contracted it and prematurely aging those who care for them. The studies' findings identified the qualities of healthy adaptation to aging for older gay males: having satisfying relationship, self-acceptance as one ages, good health, an active life with a variety of interests, and financial security.     

Body Dissatisfaction: Commitment,Support, and Trust in Romantic Relationships

Research investigating dimensions of relationship quality has suggested that aspects of relationship quality (e.g., commitment, support, trust) are related to lower levels of body dissatisfaction in women. However no studies have examined the effect of all three measures of relationship quality on body dissatisfaction simultaneously. Trust and support correlated with body dissatisfaction in men and women. Additionally, the results showed that lack of support is a predictor of body dissatisfaction in men and lack of trust is a predictor in women; relationship commitment did not appear to relate to body dissatisfaction.