Forms Of Social Contact Research Articles

Solidão, Apoio Social e Reserva Cognitiva em Pessoas Idosas na Pandemia da COVID-19

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the quality of life of older Brazilian adults. This study aimed to investigate the level of loneliness and social support of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and its relation with cognitive reserve, sociodemographic data, daily habits, and perceived health. An online cross-sectional study was conducted. The final sample consisted of 116 Brazilians aged over 60 years. The following instruments were used: sociodemographic questionnaire, questionnaire on the everyday habits during the pandemic, CRIq, Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and MOS-SSS. The results showed a significant association between loneliness and social support. The regression models demonstrate the influence of perceived health and different forms of social contact in predicting social support and loneliness. These results evince the importance of the evaluation of factors related to the quality of life of older Brazilian adults during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

What are the effects of animals on the health and wellbeing of residents in care homes? A systematic review of the qualitative and quantitative evidence

BackgroundThere is some evidence to suggest that animal-assisted interventions can have beneficial impact for residents in long-term care, but the focus of the evidence has largely been on behavioural and psychosocial measured outcomes. Animals, either as companion animals or in the form of pet/animal-assisted therapy, may provide benefits in the form of social contact, as well as opportunities for sensory experiences and meaningful engagement not picked up by outcome tools. This review aimed to create a state-of-knowledge synthesis, bringing together qualitative and quantitative findings, on the impact of animal-human interaction on care home residents and care home staff.MethodsFourteen databases were searched from inception to July 2020. Forward and backward citation chasing of included articles was conducted. Screening was undertaken independently by a team of reviewers. Thematic synthesis and meta-analysis were used to synthesise the qualitative and quantitative data.ResultsThirty-four studies, published in 40 articles (20 qualitative and 20 quantitative) were included. Five themes relating to resident wellbeing were identified in the qualitative evidence synthesis. These were animals as ‘living beings’, reminiscence and storytelling, caring (as ‘doing’ and ‘feeling’), respite (from loneliness, institutionalisation, and illness), and sensory engagement. A sixth theme related to staff perceptions and wellbeing, and a seventh to animal health and wellbeing. Maintaining identity was identified as an overarching theme. The majority of randomised trials had small sample sizes and were rated as low quality, mostly showing no evidence of beneficial effect. There was, however, limited evidence of a positive effect of pet/animal interaction on outcomes of loneliness, anxiety and depression, supporting the themes of respite and sensory engagement.ConclusionsThe presence of animals can significantly impact the health and wellbeing of some care home residents. Residents had meaningful relationships with animals and derived pleasure and comfort from them. Interacting with animals offered residents a way to maintain a sense of self in the care homes, and with support, residents with dementia could also express their identities. Facilitating residents to interact with animals as part of person-centred care may also help residents to feel ‘at home’ in the care home.Trial registrationPROSPERO registration no: CRD42017058201.

Loneliness during COVID-19: Development and influencing factors.

In early pandemic waves, when vaccination against COVID-19 was not yet an option, distancing and reduced social contact were the most effective measures to slow down the pandemic. Changes in frequency and forms of social contact have reduced the spread of the COVID-19 virus and thus saved lives, yet there is increasing evidence for negative side effects such as mental health issues. In the present study, we investigate the development of loneliness and its predictors to examine the role of changes in social networks due to social distancing and other COVID-19-related life changes. A total of 737 participants (age range = 18–81 years) completed an online survey in three waves during the last quarter of 2020 at one-month intervals. Latent growth and multilevel modeling revealed that emotional loneliness increased over time, while social loneliness remained stable. Moreover, socially lonely individuals were likely to also develop emotional loneliness over time. Increased social distancing and sanitary measures were accompanied by decreased social interactions and loss of individuals considered SOS contacts and confidants. Changes in specific social network indicators were differentially associated with changes in emotional vs social loneliness: Loss of friends considered confidants was associated with increasing emotional loneliness, whereas loss of friends considered SOS contacts and reduced overall social interactions were related to increasing social loneliness. Lastly, individuals with more family-and-friend SOS contacts, more friends as confidants and an overall higher number of social interactions were more protected from feeling socially or emotionally lonely. Study findings enhance the understanding of underlying mechanisms differentially contributing to social and emotional loneliness and offer practical suggestions to reduce mental-health side effects of social distancing.

ANGKRINGAN SEBAGAI RUANG PUBLIK DAN SARANA INTERAKSI SOSIAL DI KOTA BOGOR

Angkringan currently acts as a public space in various cities, including in the city of Bogor. The advantages of angkringan, which offer cheap food and drinks, and give customers the freedom to socialize, make angkringan as an ideal public space for social interaction, especially for the lower middle class. The purpose of this study is to describe in detail how the role of angkringan as a public space and as a means of social interaction in the city of Bogor. The research method used for this study is descriptive qualitative with a case study approach. The data collection technique used in this study was observation and literature review method. This study shows that social interactions in angkringan happened in the form of social contact and interpersonal communication. The social contact in angkringan occured when angkringan customers learn and accept the norms that apply in angkringan, namely egalitarian norms and emphasis on face-to-face communication. The existence of these two norms enabled an effective and intese interpersonal communication. This made angkringan as a public space that can facilitate better social interaction for urban communities in Bogor City.

INTERAKSI SOSIAL DALAM MEMBANGUN CITRA SUPORTER THE JAKMANIA KARAWANG

This research is used to explore the pattern of social interaction in building the image of the group of supporters of The Jakmania Karawang. Over time, The Jakmania Karawang has obstacles and a negative image as a form of unity by The Jakmania Karawang. The research is a case study approach and method. Sources of data using data collection techniques are descriptive observation, structured interviews, documentation in the form of pictures. The subject of this research is the regional coordinator and member of the field coordinator of The Jakmania Karawang. The data analysis technique uses the Miles and Huberman model whose contents are data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and conclusions. This study uses the Interaction Analysis Theory proposed by Aubrey Fisher, Leonard Hawes. This theory discusses the interaction process in which a person gives suggestions, feedback, and expects responses from group members. The results of the research found are patterns of social interaction that occur in the form of social contact in the form of social media, discussions, and casual chat. Communication that is formed is verbal communication, two-way and results in direct communication, and group communication. The forms of associative social interaction in the form of kinship, cooperation, embracing, mutual cooperation, and solidarity form conciliation and tolerance, forms of dissociative social interaction in the form of individual and intergroup conflicts and conflicts produce culture. Barriers to patterns of social interaction because they have a distinctive language are different, the driving factor that hinders due to conflict in fanaticism.Kata Kunci: Pola interaksi sosial, kelompok, citra.

Analisis Perubahan Interaksi Sosial dalam Proses Beribadah Umat Beragama Islam pada Masa Pandemi

Social interaction is something that will become a component of humans as social beings. Knowledge about social interaction is not centered on each individual alone but can be with groups in the form of social contact and communicating with a response. The establishment of social interaction can take place anywhere and anytime. With the Covid-19 virus, there has been a complete change in all human activities, including changes in social interaction. The changes that occur do not only have an impact on the social process but also have an impact on the worship process of every religious community. This study raises the issue of changes in social interaction in the process of worshiping religious people who are focused on Islam. The respondents in this study were addressed to the general public, students, and teachers/lecturers. The data collection technique used is through an e-questionnaire with google forms. From the research process conducted, it is stated that with this pandemic, the process of social interaction in carrying out the worship process for Muslims has undergone significant changes and is expected to provide information about changes in social interaction and can be developed in a better direction.

FACE-TO-FACE AND FACEBOOK ACROSS THE LIFESPAN: SOCIAL INTERACTIONS BUFFER STRESS ON MOOD, BUT ONLY FOR ADOLESCENTS

Social support serves as a protective factor, buffering stress in both adolescents and adults, however Socioemotional Selectivity Theory suggests developmental differences in stress reactivity and social support. It is unclear how modern forms of social contact, such as social media buffer stress, and the extent to which this differs across the lifespan. We utilized ecological momentary data to examine the moderating effects of age and two distinct types of social contacts the person had experienced in prior hours (frequency of face-to-face, or social media contacts) on the association between daily stress and momentary mood. Participants were recruited initially through Amazon.com’s Mechanical Turk (adolescents referred by a parent). A total of 119 adolescent (n = 44; Agemean= 15.73) and middle-aged/older adult participants (n = 75; Agemean= 59.67) provided momentary data three times a day, on three consecutive days, every two weeks, for up to 12 weeks. Multi-level models showed significant 3-way interactions between stress appraisal of avoiding an argument, age group, and frequency of social contact via face-to-face (β = 1.698, se = 0.542, p = .002) and social media (β = 3.341, se = 0.984, p = .001). Older adults experienced better mood than adolescents. When avoiding an argument was appraised as more stressful, both age groups displayed worse mood. Whereas high levels of recent social contact (both face-to-face and social media) seemed to exacerbate the impact of this stressor on poorer mood for older persons, high levels of recent social contact, particularly social media, had stress-buffering benefits for adolescents.

The subway as fourth place: anomie, flânerie and the “crush of persons”

Sociologically speaking, what kind of place is the subway? If urbanism is defined as the experience of being surrounded by strangers, then the subway is a quintessentially urban space. But social scientists remain polarized in their views of this space, alternately describing the subway as an antisocial environment, a liminal “non-place”, or a space of multicultural contact. In this paper, we describe the social life of the subway, analyzing an original data-set compiled through detailed observations of the behavior of more than 4,000 passengers on the New York City subway system. We use logistic regression to model the factors that influence how passengers direct their gaze and configure their bodies while riding mass transit, and interpret our results with the help of “subway diaries” kept by 18 research subjects over the course of a week. Our findings help to reconcile conflicting images of social interaction in crowded transportation spaces: the subway is a “fourth place”: a utilitarian space in which context-specific norms serve to flatten social distinctions, allowing a passive form of social contact constrained by the presence and prevalence of other passengers in the subway car.

Cotidiano de portadores de esquizofrenia, após uso de um antipsicótico atípico e acompanhamento em grupo: visão do familiar

Este estudo descreveu o cotidiano do portador de esquizofrenia, após o uso de antipsicótico atípico e acompanhamento em grupo, na visão do familiar. A população foi constituída por 11 familiares que acompanharam com maior freqüência os 11 portadores de esquizofrenia que participam do grupo e utilizam antipisicótico. Para coleta de dados utilizou-se de entrevista semi-estruturada, guiada por roteiro, no mês de abril de 2003. Essas foram gravadas e, posteriormente, transcritas na íntegra. Obteve-se, como resultados, melhora do paciente quanto aos sintomas da doença evidenciada, pela diminuição do isolamento social, retomada de atividades domésticas/trabalho e estudo e participação em atividades de convívio social. Tais resultados apontam a necessidade de um novo olhar para o portador de transtorno mental e seus familiares, no sentido de buscar atitudes terapêuticas mais adequadas que atuem na produção de vida visando novo sentido para a existência, nas diferentes formas de convivência e de sociabilidade.

The pet connection: Pets as a conduit for social capital?

There is growing interest across a range of disciplines in the relationship between pets and health, with a range of therapeutic, physiological, psychological and psychosocial benefits now documented. While much of the literature has focused on the individual benefits of pet ownership, this study considered the potential health benefits that might accrue to the broader community, as encapsulated in the construct of social capital. A random survey of 339 adult residents from Perth, Western Australia were selected from three suburbs and interviewed by telephone. Pet ownership was found to be positively associated with some forms of social contact and interaction, and with perceptions of neighbourhood friendliness. After adjustment for demographic variables, pet owners scored higher on social capital and civic engagement scales. The results suggest that pet ownership provides potential opportunities for interactions between neighbours and that further research in this area is warranted. Social capital is another potential mechanism by which pets exert an influence on human health.

El conflicto interno colombiano. Identidad, solidaridad y conflicto social

The article draws links between the concepts of identity, solidarity and social conflict. It argues that, since feelings of identification favor social cohesion, when the construction of national identity does not achieve positive expression it fails to produce solidarity. In Colombia the ambivalent and forced character of the Independence movement resulted, among other things, in an imperfect construction of national identity and led to turbulent history of violence and segregation. The consequence has been difficult social bonds, hostile forms of social contact, and the development of what has been described as one of the most impressive contemporary examples of anomie. Based on Durkheim's sociology, the article suggests that the conflict in Colombia is basically a moral problem and must be treated as such, as this is the only way to see in this conflict an opportunity for social change.

Creating a Framework for Civil Society in Kyrgyzstan

OVER THE PAST DECADE OR SO a vast literature has appeared on the subject of civil society. Though in part inspired by events in Eastern Europe, the discussion has rapidly extended to cover political development in all comers of the globe. Various concerns have agitated the scholarly literature, from extensive debates over what exactly can be contained within an understanding of civil society to analysis of its relationship to processes of political change and democratisation. In definitional discussions the debate has to some extent moved beyond simplistic accounts of a distinctive realm intermediate between state and citizen, and most authors emphasise the interdependence of the three spheres. At the same time some sociologists and anthropologists, as well as political scientists concerned with the developing world, have expressed doubts about narrow, Western-oriented definitions of the concept. In particular they have questioned understandings that demand the presence of a particular type of 'modular' individual or which automatically disqualify more traditional forms of social organisation based upon kinship, ethnicity or religious identities. Whilst recognising that these may often act in uncivil fashion, many authors would argue that such groups play many of the roles usually ascribed to civil society, and offer forms of social contact and solidarity that are essential for societies undergoing rapid transition. Other scholars are more sceptical, pointing to the danger of a conceptual stretching that may render the very idea of civil society meaningless.1 More important for our purpose, however, has been discussion of the relationship between civil society and democracy, with its tendency to blur discussion of the former into that of the latter. Analytically, however, these are separate issues and in traditional societies such as those of Central Asia the development of social organisation is worth analysis in its own right, regardless of its imagined or actual contribution to democratisation. Even when one does pursue the linkage, it is impossible to accept uncritically the assumption that the successful building of democracy requires the pre-existence of a strong civil society, or that successful economic and political reform would always advance furthest 'in those countries where civil society is most robust'.2 Certainly it helps, and an examination of 'classic' transitions such as those in Spain and Poland suggests that this often is so, for in both cases a healthy civil society had developed within an authoritarian political order prior to the process of transition. Yet it might also be the case that in countries with little experience of independent political life, let alone of democracy, the impetus for the emergence of civil society

What do rats find rewarding in play fighting? — an analysis using drug-induced non-playful partners

Play fighting by juvenile rats involves playful attacks directed at the partner's nape, where successful contact leads to gentle rubbing of the snout into the nape area. In addition, the recipient of such contact may defend the nape by adoping tactics of playful defense. The two most common defensive tactics in the juvenile period are evasion, where the recipient swerves or leaps away and facing defense involving rotation to supine, where the attacker is faced and its further attempts to contact the nape are blocked. An unresolved issue is whether the nape contact itself or defense by the recipient alone or in combination with nape contact, are involved in rewarding play fighting. In this study, drug-induced non-playful partners were used to test the ‘motivation’ for play fighting when only playful nape contact was possible. In drug-trials compared to baseline and saline trials, both neonatally androgenized females (high players) and control, oil-treated, females (low players), decreased the frequency of launching nape attacks. These results suggest that nape contact alone, in the absence of defense by the recipient, is not sufficient reinforcement for such playful activity, irrespective of the initial playfulness of the subjects. However, while nape attacks decrease, other forms of social contact, such as anogenital investigation and climbing over the partner (i.e., crawl overs), increase in frequency. These results suggest that non-playful partners are not neutral targets for normal rats. Rather, the ‘non-normal’ behavior of the drugged target may affect the subjects' behavior in such a way as to reduce their playfulness for reasons other than reduced reinforcement for play.

Dual relationships: Client perceptions of the effect of client-counselor relationship on the therapeutic process

Sixty-seven former clients of a large metropolitan counseling center were surveyed as to the frequency with which they experienced 21 specific forms of client-counselor contact during therapy. Thirteen behaviors surveyed described forms of social contact and eight behaviors described forms of physical contact. Respondents also evaluated the 21 behaviors as to their presumed effect on the therapy by rating each behavior on a scale ranging from −2, “very detrimental,” to +2, “very beneficial.” Four client-counselor behaviors were rated by a majority of respondents as beneficial to therapy, and eight client-counselor behaviors were rated by a majority of respondents as detrimental to therapy.

Social Entrainment of Circadian Activity Rhythms in Common Marmosets, Callithrix j. jacchus (Primates)1

AbstractLong‐term recordings of the locomotor activity of 9 common marmosets, Callithrix j. jacchus, show that under certain preconditions, social entrainment of the free‐running circadian rhythm can occur in these non‐human primates. However, there exist considerable interindividual differences in the Zeitgeber effect of the various forms of social contact. Findings indicate that both the level of acquaintance and the individual differences in spontaneous period of individuals involved are important, and that daily, or circadian, social cues have a cumulative effect. Because of the low Zeitgeber strength of social stimuli, however, desynchronization of different individual rhythms can arise spontaneously among animals kept as a pair in the same cage, even after months of harmonized free‐running rhythms. It is discussed that social entrainment in primates and other mammals is more likely to be a coincidental, rather than an essential, characteristic of the circadian system. Arousal triggered by social stimuli is thereby ascribed a key role.

Why Teachers With AIDS Belong in the Classroom

To the Editor. —Teachers with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are being barred from the classroom despite overwhelming medical evidence that the ordinary forms of social contact that occur in a classroom cannot transmit human immunodeficiency virus infection ( Am Med News , Oct 23/30,1987, pp 3-4). This deprives such teachers of their civil and human rights. Ironically, it may actually put the students who are kept from such contact at increased rather than decreased risk. Studies have shown that the major external factor in changing a person's sexual behavior toward a lower-risk profile is the personal knowledge of a person with AIDS. 1,2 However, AIDS is still sufficiently rare in many circles that most students have never known someone with AIDS. As the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic progresses, teenagers will be at increasing risk from the casual sexual experimentation that is prevalent among this age group. 3 Contact in the classroom with