Formation Of Ties Research Articles

The relationship between LGBT older adults’ social network structure and function

Social prejudice, family nonacceptance, and lack of marriage or adoption rights often restrict the formation of conventional social ties among LGBT older adults. As a result, they often rely on families of choice constituted by other LGBT/age peers for support. Using a series of regression analyses with a national sample of LGBT older Americans, this study investigated how characteristics of social network structure (size and composition - LGBT vs. non-LGBT identity and age ≥50 vs. < 50) were related to LGBT older adults’ social network function (perceived social support). Larger social networks, especially those composed of LGBT members and older adults, were associated with more perceived social support. In subgroup analyses, larger social networks composed of more LGBT members and older adults were associated with more perceived social support among lesbian and gay respondents. For bisexual + older adults, larger social network size was associated with more perceived social support, but social network composition was not related to more perceived social support. For transgender older adults, neither social network size nor network composition were significantly associated with perceived social support. This study demonstrated that having more people with similar characteristics in their social networks cues LGBT older adults about the availability of social support. Findings may inform strategies for tailoring programs intended to maintain and strengthen LGBT older adults’ social support networks.

The national network of US state legislators on Twitter

Abstract Networks among legislators shape politics and policymaking within legislative institutions. In past work on legislative networks, the ties between legislators have been defined on those who serve in the same legislature or chamber. Online information networks, which have been found to play important roles in legislative communication at the national level, are not bounded by individual legislative bodies. We collect original data for over four thousand US state legislators and study patterns of connection among them on Twitter. We look at three types of Twitter networks—follower, retweets, and mentions. We describe these networks and estimate the relationships between ties and salient attributes of legislators. We find that networks are organized largely along geographic and partisan lines and that identity attributes—namely gender and race—exhibit strong associations with the formation of ties.

Geography of research networks in the Big South of Russia

The geography of research and innovation activity is a traditional topic of research in human geography. Classical studies of the clustering and diffusion of innovation in the 1960s and 70s received a new impetus in the 21st century with the understanding of the openness of innovation and the importance of interregional collaborative networks. Digitalization has played an important role, providing access to new sources of large geocoded data on the movement of key elements of the knowledge economy, including publications as a formalized outcome of scientific activity. The purpose of the article is to identify the center-periphery research ties of one of the largest macroregions of Russia – the Big South of Russia. The aim was to assess the territorial patterns of interregional research networks with the identification of gravity poles and interconnections at the local and national levels. The study uses the method of spatial scientometrics. Geocoded data on publications from the Scopus bibliographic database were used. In the course of the study the hypotheses of “Moscow-centricity” and “St. Petersburg-centricity” of the knowledge domain of the macroregion are tested, the influence of the factor of geographical proximity and the role of the diversity of interregional ties are evaluated, and the “heights-lowlands” of the landscape are revealed. The results of the research have shown a high degree of connectivity between the regions of the Big South of Russia in the research area. The hypothesis about the presence of several centers of gravity of scientific activity in the macroregion was confirmed. First of all, the peaks of the “scientific ridge” of the Big South form Rostov oblast with the largest urban agglomeration in the south of the country, the Rostov urban agglomeration, as well as the Krasnodar krai and Volgograd oblast. The hypothesis of the existence of several centers of scientific activity in the macroregion was confirmed. The influence of the factor of territorial proximity in the formation of research ties is not high and is manifested mainly in the southern Russian regions with relatively low indicators of research output (primarily, it is typical for national republics). Interregional research cooperation between advanced regions is not limited to immediate geographical proximity but is due to a combination of non-territorial factors. The “Moscow-centricity” of the scientific agenda of the regions of the Big South of Russia is true for most of the southern regions of the Russian Federation, which is particularly pronounced in regions with low internal scientific potential and in new regions undergoing a period of transformation of their scientific systems.

Supplemental Material for Psychological Underpinnings of Partisan Bias in Tie Formation on Social Media

Supplemental Material for Psychological Underpinnings of Partisan Bias in Tie Formation on Social Media

The impact of social status on the formation of collaborative ties and effort provision: An experimental study

We study whether competition for social status induces higher effort provision and efficiency when individuals collaborate with their network neighbors. We consider a laboratory experiment in which individuals choose a costly collaborative effort and their network neighbors. They benefit from their neighbors’ effort and effort choices of direct neighbors are strategic complements. We introduce two types of social status in a 2 × 2 factorial design: (1) individuals receive monetary benefits for incoming links representing popularity; (2) they receive feedback on their relative payoff ranking within the group. We find that link benefits induce higher effort provision and strengthen the collaborative ties relative to the Baseline treatment without social status. In contrast, the ranking information induces lower effort as individuals start competing for higher ranking. Overall, we find that social status has no significant impact on the number of links in the network and the efficiency of collaboration in the group.

“Like They’re My Same People. They’ve Probably Been in My Shoes. . .”: Community-Based Organizations’ Role in Fostering Social and Organizational Ties for Latino/x Immigrant Youth

This is a critical qualitative case study of foreign and native-born Latino students from immigrant households who participated in an immigrant-serving community-based organization (CBO). The authors draw from Mario Small’s concepts of network ties and organizational embeddedness to examine how Latino youth talk about the impact of a CBO on their belonging and identity, the formation of social and organizational ties in shaping their educational futures, and how Latino youth perceive the organizational impact. Qualitative interviews from participating Latino immigrant youth are leveraged to illustrate social and organizational tie formation. The authors argue that CBOs that broker social and organizational ties for immigrant youth can potentially reduce inequality through creating structures and spaces that foster belonging and provide direct services. Implications are discussed.

Этническая идентичность как фактор этнокультурной толерантности молодежи:научно-прикладной аспект

In the article the scientific and applied aspects of ethnic identity as a factor of ethnocultural tolerance of youthwere examined. Ethnic identity determines the peculiarities of human behavior in a multinational society, forms patterns of behavior, values and attitudes. Ethnic identity plays an important role in the formation of various social ties in society, the formation of groups on an ethnic basis. Defining oneself as a part of a large ethnic community becomes the basis of behavior and social actions. Thus, the study of the processes of ethnic identification and the factors of formation and manifestation of tolerance is actualized not only as a local event.The authorspresent the result of studying the issues of formation and development of ethnic identity and ethno-cultural tolerance through the study and discussion of scientific and theoretical studies of these processes in foreign and domestic sources. Against the background of the growth of globalization processes, increasing mobility, the relevance of the theoretical analysis of the processes of identity and ethno-cultural tolerance, the construction of analytical structures and the need forapplied research is growing. Trends in the modern development of scientific knowledge require confirmation of theoretical developments by practical research.Practical research on this topic allows us to identify the level of ethnocultural tolerance of young people. The study was conducted among the youth of the Karaganda region. As a result of the study, the pro-cesses that actually occuredin the youth environment werediagnosed, the peculiarities of ethnic identity, the influence of ethnic identity of youth on the practice of interethnic communication were revealed.

Educational communities of rural schools in the arctic (on the example of the Murmansk oblast): A social justice perspective on inclusion

The article addresses the current problem of searching and substantiating mechanisms for the development of inclusive education. The research relevance is also determined by the Arctic context, which corresponds to the epistemological need of modern interdisciplinary knowledge in the development of inclusive education, the priorities of state policy, as well as to the expectations and demands of regional communities. The authors aim to study social interactions within rural schools in the Arctic from the standpoint of inclusion as an indicator of social justice (on the example of the Murmansk Oblast). To that end, rural schools are modelled and described based on the developed criteria. Difficulties experienced by the teachers in the course of inclusive educational process, including when using distance technologies, are typified. According to the results obtained, typical models of rural schools in the Murmansk Oblast include suburban schools and remote schools and their following variants: the school as a territorial cooperation, a border school, an isolated school, and an indigenous school. In all rural school models, under successful formation of external and internal social ties, a shortage of special education teachers is observed. The teachers face methodological, organizational, and social difficulties. In addition, the educational environment is not sufficiently accessible, which forms barriers to social justice. The revealed regional specificity of rural schools serves as a justification for a conceptual and substantive development of Arctic pedagogy. The results obtained are useful for further theoretical and empirical research in the field of inclusive education, as well as for the development of regional programs of inclusive educational practices, taking the differentiation of social conditions into account.

The War Against Ukraine and the EU: Facing New Realities, edited by Claudia Wiesner and Michèle Knodt. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. XIII, 230 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35040-5.

This book discusses the multiple implications of the war against Ukraine for the EU political system. It draws on a number of different authors to analyse the main dimensions of the Russian attack on Ukraine and the subsequent large-scale war, which impact the global order and EU foreign policy. In the context of war and Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU needs to position itself in a changing world order, internal and external challenges to liberal democracy and the development of its strategic autonomy. In various chapters of the book, the development and strengthening of strategic partnership and friendship with Ukraine is considered by the EU as one of the central foreign policy priorities. Without the support of the Ukrainian partner, it is difficult for the EU to achieve positive results in European politics and play the role of an influential power in the international arena. In this context, various authors note that only the formation of political and economic ties between the EU and Ukraine will be the optimal way out of the full-scale war and crisis that Ukraine has found itself in. Only the combination of opportunities and efforts will allow the Ukrainian political elite and society to eventually stand on par with leading European countries.

Chinese Multinationals and Europe’s Geoeconomic Turn: The De‐Globalization of the Chinese ICT and Automotive Industry?

Amid increasing geopolitical tensions between Western powers and China over the alleged state-capitalist nature of Chinese corporate internationalization, European governments have introduced a set of political measures tightening their trade and investment regimes on grounds of national security and economic competitiveness. This article analyzes how this “geoeconomic turn” in Europe affected the internationalization of (state-backed) Chinese firms into Europe and hence the establishment of Sino-European corporate relations. With a focus on the Chinese ICT and automotive industries, we zoom in on corporate internationalization by distinguishing two modes: (a) outward foreign direct investments (greenfield investments and mergers and acquisitions) and (b) the formation of collaborative ties (strategic alliances and joint ventures) with European companies—a hitherto underexplored form of Sino-European corporate relations. Our analysis is predicated on a comprehensive dataset consolidating information on both modes of internationalization for the period 2000–2023. We show that, in relation to investment numbers, Chinese companies continue to expand into Europe, even if values are decreasing. We also find that the formation of collaborative ties (strategic alliances and joint ventures) has not halted but increased in the wake of Europe’s geoeconomic turn, indicating a further intensification of Sino-European corporate relations, though under the radar of tightening investment policies and mechanisms. When unpacking the variegated impact of the geoeconomic turn on Chinese companies’ internationalization strategies in Europe, our study also finds, however, that its ramifications vary substantively—not only per sector but also among companies exposed to varying degrees of party-state permeation. Applying a novel fine-grained measure to party-state permeation, the article shows that the geoeconomic turn seems to have affected predominantly those leading Chinese firms with a high party-state exposure.

ELEMENTS OF ANCIENT BELIEFS IN BASHKIR MATERNITY RITUALS

The article deals with some customs and rituals associated with childbirth. The relevance of the conducted research is conditioned by the growing interest in the role of ethno-cultural values in modern society and increasing attention to the previously underexplored phenomena of everyday life. The study of folk customs, rituals and representations related to childbirth will contribute to the understanding of the deep layers of Bashkir spiritual culture. Maternity rituals represent an important aspect of Bashkir cultural tradition. It encompasses prenatal, as well as birth and postnatal rituals, which to this day play an important role in the formation of family and social ties. The aim of the study is to identify elements of ancient beliefs in the Bashkirs' maternity rituals. An integrated approach, involving the analysis of ethnographic, historical, philosophical and folklore scientific works, was applied to achieve this goal. The research was based on a wide range of published and unpublished sources. The research revealed that the Bashkirs' maternity ritual is based on the ancient beliefs and ideas of the Bashkirs about man, nature and the world as a whole. It includes elements of animism, totemism, fetishism and magic. Important aspects of ritualism are connected with the protection of the child and the woman in labor, as well as with the first 40 days and the first year of the child's life. The elements of ancient beliefs revealed in the course of the research are manifested in the belief in the existence of spirits and souls, totem, in the ancestor worship, and are connected with beliefs in the protective properties of certain objects of the material world. The Bashkirs' maternity rituals include components of apotropaic, procreative and sympathetic magic. The study made it possible to study more deeply the mythology, ancient religious beliefs and traditional culture of the Bashkirs, to trace the evolution of the Bashkirs' maternity ritual and their transformation in modern conditions, to reveal the general regularities of the development of ritual culture, as well as the specific features characterizing particular nations. The preserved actions of magical rituals connected with childbirth refers to their stability and ability to adapt to new changing conditions of life.

Government Influence and Tie Formation in the Chinese Interlock Network

Government Influence and Tie Formation in the Chinese Interlock Network

Bourdieu vs. Putnam - Economic Crises and the Motivation Behind Tie Formation in Innovation Networks

Bourdieu vs. Putnam - Economic Crises and the Motivation Behind Tie Formation in Innovation Networks

How Culturally Gendered Identity Shapes Professional Tie Formation

How Culturally Gendered Identity Shapes Professional Tie Formation

Social Functions of Food and Food Rituals during the Merovingian Period (from Venantius Fortunatus’s Writings about St. Radegund)

This article explores the role and functions of food and food rituals in the Frankish Merovingian kingdom during the second half of the 6th century based on the writings of Venantius Fortunatus, a renowned poet of that period, dedicated to the Merovingian queen and nun St. Radegund of Poitiers. His vita of St. Radegund and poems about her include numerous references to food and ceremonies associated with it. The obtained results show that shared meals, dietary restrictions, treats, gifts, and food distribution were the key aspects of social interactions in Merovingian Gaul. They not only strengthened the bonds between the church and the laity but also contributed to the formation of new ties between the religious and political domains. St. Radegund’s generosity and asceticism heightened her authority. Food rituals became part of the patronage system’s daily practices, thereby adapting it to the needs of the emerging medieval Christian society. It is also important that sharing meals and exchanging gifts, often food, fostered trust and promoted friendship among people.

Impact of Personal Networks of Ethnic Minority Female Entrepreneurs on Growth Construct: Blend of Egocentric and Narrative Analysis

The paper aims to explore and explain the content and structure of personal networks of immigrant and British-born Pakistani female entrepreneurs for business growth. Pakistani female entrepreneurs represent a distinct segment of ethnic minority entrepreneurs as they represent an interesting blend of socio-economic, religious and socio-cultural traits. This research study underscores the interactional dimension of personal networks and its impact on the growth of their business. It is mainly the contents and interactions within a network that determines the quality of a network and its influence on relevant aspects of network members. In order to explore the meaning and perceptions attached to relationships and their use for entrepreneurial ventures’ growth, an egocentric network analysis is applied to narratives of Pakistani female entrepreneurs (the ego). Narratives were collected through in-depth interviews with ‘name generator’ questions. Egocentric network analysis was carried out using sociograms to explore the formation and nature of network ties. By generating an in depth understanding of the distinctive use of personal networks for growth of business by Pakistani female entrepreneurs the paper provides in depth knowledge and understanding of a particular ethnic minority group that will be of use to business owners (Pakistani female entrepreneurs), academic researchers and policy makers.

Formation of Social Ties in P. I. Potemkin's Embassy to France (1680–1682)

Based on the extant complex of Russian and French sources, this article analyses the mechanisms of the formation of social ties of the Russian embassy in France in 1681. The embassy had both foreign policy and diplomatic significance for the representation of tsarist power and Russian culture in France: the envoys had not only to inform Louis XIV about the events in Eastern Europe, but also to get an overview of the French position on the preparation of the Perpetual Peace of Russia with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the conclusion of the Russian-French trade treaty, and to ensure the recruitment of foreign specialists. The author examines the formation of relations in the context of the new diplomatic history, paying special attention to the problems of power representation, the personalities of diplomats and the cultural side of their mission. For the first time in historiography, the article characterises the whole complex of archival documents about the embassy, the peculiarities of the formation of social ties of the embassy participants necessary for the successful implementation of the tasks of the diplomatic mission. The study is based on French court reports on ceremonies, notes of courtiers, internal correspondence of Russian and French diplomatic departments, materials of the Parisian periodical press, and reports of Russian envoys. Conclusions are drawn on the peculiarities of the strategies of the envoy P. I. Potemkin in establishing social relations, their significance for the development of Russian diplomacy, foreign policy, and cultural contacts with Western Europe, as well as on the peculiarities of the reflection of these relations in the surviving sources.

Interstate power interconnection along with carbon dioxide emission constraint collaboration: Effective tool for low-carbon electric power expansion in Northeast Asia

Interstate electric power integration with the formation of interstate electric ties and power interconnection in Northeast Asia has been studied for several years. Research has examined the directions, indicators, costs, and systemic (integration) benefits (technical, economic, environmental, etc.) of forming such ties and grids. Studies conducted in different Northeast Asia countries have shown that despite the significant investments required to create an interstate electric ties infrastructure, which serves as the basis for interstate power grids and electricity markets development, participants of these interstate power grids and markets gain substantial benefits. These include reduced needs for installed and reserve generation capacity, lower electricity prices, increased overall flexibility of power resources, and accordingly, greater capability to integrate renewable energy sources. This results in reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel power plants. The latter undoubtedly contributes to achieving the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations and reducing anthropogenic climate impact, which many countries globally (including Northeast Asia) have targeted via announced carbon neutrality by 2050–2060. The main target of the article is to conduct and present new multi-scenario study on forming a potential Northeast Asia’s interstate power grid under national and grid-wide (for the entire power system interconnection) carbon emission constraints. The mathematical model of electric power system expansion and dispatching was modified to account for carbon dioxide emission constraints and used for the study. The results of the study showed that the creation of interstate power grid in Northeast Asia accompanied by climate change collaboration among countries to control carbon dioxide emission would lead to effectively constraining of carbon dioxide emission in the subregion, which is the novelty of the study. The results of the study are useful and applicable for choosing particular ways, options, stages of formation and expansion of low-carbon power system interconnection in Northeast Asia.

Local Cultures of Advice Tie Formation

Abstract Informal social networks and especially advice networks are a key subject of organizational sociological research. The formation of these networks has so far been explained on the basis of universal tie-formation mechanisms. However, recent conceptual contributions suggest that tie formation practices follow cultural rules that may vary across social contexts. In our paper, we substantiate this argument empirically. Based on rich qualitative data, we compare advice tie formation (a) between two entrepreneurial communities and (b) between three research and development departments of large enterprises. We show that both impact and configuration of tie formation mechanisms systematically differ between comparable contexts. Building on our findings, we finally formulate propositions describing which advice network structures can be expected in specific cultures.

Examining the social and behavioral dynamics of substance use in a longitudinal network study in rural Appalachia

BackgroundPrior studies have shown that individuals and their peers often have similar substance use behaviors, but the mechanisms driving these similarities – particularly in rural settings, are not well understood. The primary objectives of this analysis are to (1) identify factors that contribute to relationship turnover and maintenance within a rural network of persons who use drugs (PWUD), (2) determine whether assimilation and/or homophily shape participants use of injection drugs, heroin, and stimulants (methamphetamine and cocaine), and (3) assess the extent that these mechanisms influence networks ties and/or behaviors and whether these effects vary across time. MethodsSociometric network data were collected from a cohort of PWUD in rural Eastern Kentucky at baseline (2008–2010) and at four follow-up visits conducted approximately semiannually. Stochastic actor-oriented models (SAOMS) were used to model network structure and participant behaviors as jointly dependent variables and to identify characteristics associated with the maintenance, dissolution, and formation of network ties and changes in drug use behaviors. ResultsFindings suggest (1) greater network stability over time for reciprocal and transitive relationships, (2) both homophily and assimilation played a greater role in shaping injection drug use (IDU) initiation and cessation than they did in shaping heroin and stimulant use, and (3) the importance of these mechanisms appeared consistent over time. ConclusionGiven the stability of particular network structures and evidence of both homophily and assimilation with respect to drug-use behaviors, interventions that leverage social networks could be used to motivate health-promoting behaviors.