ABSTRACT In this paper we explore the role of gendered social capital in shaping the adaptive capacity of women farmers in Aotearoa New Zealand in response to climate variability and change. Drawing on semi-structured interviews conducted with women farmers across multiple regions in Aotearoa New Zealand, we examine how social networks and gender norms shape women's capacities to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Our findings demonstrate important gender differences in participation within social networks, with women farmers more often relying on informal, community-cantered social networks for both practical and emotional support and encounter marginalisation within male-dominated formal farming networks. These informal social networks proved critical for women sharing knowledge, skills, resources, and strategies, which enhanced their resilience to climate-induced stresses and shocks. However, the persistence of patriarchal norms in formal agricultural settings continue to restrict women's access to critical resources and decision-making roles. In this scoping study we underscore the need for gender-sensitive policies that recognise the significant contributions of women in agriculture and horticulture, support inclusive climate adaptation strategies, and engender more equitable access to social capital. By demonstrating these social dynamics, our study offers insights into the intersection of gender, social capital, and climate adaptation in the Global North, with wider implications for farming communities around the globe.

Introduction: In an era where adolescent mental health challenges are increasingly prevalent, schools are expected to function not only as educational institutions but also as environments that nurture emotional well-being. Psychological well-being (PWB) during adolescence is critical for healthy development, academic success, and resilience. However, many students continue to experience psychological difficulties due to limited peer support and reluctance to seek psychological help. This study investigates the roles of peer support and psychological help-seeking behavior in predicting adolescents’ PWB. Material and Methods: This correlational study involved 1,364 junior and senior high school students aged 11–18 years ( M = 15.67) from multiple districts in Central Java Province, Indonesia. Data were collected using three validated self-report instruments measuring peer support, psychological help-seeking behavior, and PWB. Pearson product–moment correlation analysis was employed to examine the relationships among variables. Results: The findings revealed significant positive correlations between PWB and peer support ( r = 0.547, P < .001) as well as between PWB and psychological help-seeking behavior ( r = 0.429, P < .001). These results indicate that students who perceive stronger peer support and demonstrate greater willingness to seek psychological help tend to report higher levels of psychological well-being. Discussion: The findings highlight the protective role of peer relationships and adaptive help-seeking in adolescent mental health. Peer support emerged as a slightly stronger predictor, suggesting that informal social networks serve as primary coping resources during adolescence. Encouraging supportive peer environments alongside promoting positive help-seeking attitudes may enhance school-based mental health interventions and foster students’ psychological well-being.

Research shows that sexual assault (SA) can impact survivors' informal social network members (e.g., friend, family member, romantic partner), who are the most frequently told persons about the assault by women-identified survivors. However, little qualitative work has investigated the impacts on informal support providers (SPs) receiving disclosures of alcohol/drug-related assault, an understudied form of SA. The current qualitative interview study examines the impacts of SA disclosures on informal SPs (N = 27) drawn from a dyadic survivor-SP interview sample using descriptive thematic analysis. Impacts on SPs and their help seeking related to the survivors' alcohol/drug-related SA disclosure included: emotional effects, cognitive and behavioral effects, and impacts on their decisions to seek help from other informal and formal SPs. Implications for research, clinical treatment, and intervention targeting informal SPs of survivors are drawn.

Abstract In human society, opinion evolution and guidance for opinion evolution are useful for maintaining social stability, business development, and so on. To tackle these issues, we propose an opinion evolution and guidance model based on social networks and information networks (namded EGSDCN) for the first time. Firstly, we develop an opinion evolution model based on the information networks and social networks (ISOE). Specifically, we first update the individual’s opinion by judging the quality of the information obtained by individual from the information network. Then, we filter the trusted neighbor set for individuals by quantifying individuals’ attributes and update individual’s opinion after weighting analysis of the trusted neighbor set. Finally, we conduct information exchange between the social and information networks. For guiding opinion evolution, we develop a group opinion guidance strategy based on individual stubbornness differences (termed PDGM). Specifically, we first divide the guided individuals into stubborn and non-stubborn groups. Then, for the non-stubborn group, a linear function model is used to intervene individual stubbornness. For the stubborn group, we propose the interest and opinion change functions to dynamically adjust individuals’ opinion. Extensive simulation experiments have been conducted and proved that our proposed model is effective.

Traditional markets remain a vital component of Indonesia’s local economy, particularly in the distribution of ready-to-wear clothing products. However, empirical studies examining supply chain models within traditional market contexts remain limited. This study aims to analyze and model the supply chain structure of ready-to-wear clothing traders in traditional markets in Bandung City. A qualitative descriptive research design was employed, with primary data collected through in-depth interviews, field observations, and supporting literature review. Data were analyzed using descriptive-interpretative techniques, including data reduction, coding, categorization, and triangulation. The findings reveal that the supply chain structure is relatively short and simple, involving producers (garment and small-scale sewing workshops), retailers (kiosk and street vendors), and end consumers. Despite its flexibility, the supply chain relies heavily on informal coordination, social networks, and adaptive procurement strategies, which increases vulnerability to supply fluctuations and price instability. Differences in access to suppliers and inventory strategies between kiosk traders and street vendors further shape supply chain performance. This study concludes that the effectiveness of supply chain management in traditional markets cannot be assessed using modern retail standards alone. Instead, a contextual and adaptive supply chain model is required to strengthen efficiency and sustainability while preserving the inherent flexibility of traditional market systems.

Little is known about how social network associations are tracked in cognition during adolescence, when social networks change in size and complexity. In 2023, 123 ethnically diverse adolescents and emerging adults (13-24 years; 52.9% female; 68.3% White; 18.7% Asian) completed a task measuring working memory (WM) differences for social and nonsocial network information. Additionally, this sample was combined with an existing sample recruited in the same year (N = 241, 18-65 years; 59.3% female; 64.7% White; 16.6% Asian) to investigate age-related differences in social and nonsocial WM performance. A WM advantage for social over nonsocial networks was observed across adolescence, emerging adulthood, and adulthood, especially for self-relevant social information (R2 = 0.01-0.02). Age was also positively associated with WM performance. Findings provide insights into how individuals learn about social relationships in adolescence and emerging adulthood, the successful formation of which has lasting impacts on wellbeing.

This paper presents a generalized model aimed at analyzing the process of strategic image information exchange and dynamics within the complex network. Both computational and analytical tools, implemented with a framework, can be analyzed and their validity evaluated, which allows improving the framework. The primary instance provided in the paper is image information propagation in social networks, although the lessons gained can be transferred to the mechanics of strategic information sharing and dynamics in general. The study not only increases knowledge on the dissemination of image information but also gives practical ways through which the information flow in networks can be regulated. The article is an important addition to the network analysis and strategic management of information literature since it addresses the two dynamics comprehensively, and they can be applied in multiple applications beyond the limitation of the first case. The framework can be studied with the help of a combination of analytical and computational methods, and its validity can be evaluated with further refinement of the framework. The main example used in the paper is the flow of information in social networks, though the insights can be applied to the overall mechanics of strategic information exchange and dynamics in any other scenario. In addition to the enhanced understanding of information dissemination, this study implies the viable methods of controlling the flow of information within the network. A significant contribution that the article adds to the literature on network analysis and strategic management of information is that the authors consider both dynamics in a broader context, and they can be applied in a different context than the one presented in the article.

BackgroundThis study examines mental health services among college students at risk of suicide within Chinese collectivist culture, focusing on the subgroup heterogeneity of help-seeking willingness as outlined by Andersen’s model. By incorporating social learning theory, it highlights the significant role of informal social networks in help-seeking decisions in this cultural context, thereby expanding Andersen’s model applicability in suicide prevention and providing evidence for targeted campus psychological intervention strategies.MethodsA survey of 2,447 Chinese students applied Andersen’s Model, using latent profile analysis to identify help-seeking patterns shaped by suicide risk, depression, suicide stigma, social support, and mental health service availability and accessibility. ANCOVA and PROCESS were used to analyze group differences in intentions and the role of others’ positive experiences.ResultsFour help-seeking groups were identified: Moderate Risk-Resource Limited (19.2%), High-Risk Isolated (4.9%), Low Risk-Stable (55.4%), and Resource Advantage (20.6%). Help-seeking intentions varied significantly (F = 79.16, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.089), increasing progressively from the High-Risk Isolated to the Resource Advantage Group (ps < 0.01). The perception of others’ positive help-seeking experiences significantly boosted intentions, with varying effects across groups. The High-Risk Isolated Group had the lowest intentions, while the Resource Advantage Group had the highest. Under low exposure to positive experiences, the Moderate Risk-Resource Limited Group showed significantly higher intentions than the Low Risk-Stable Group; however, no significant difference was found between these groups in high exposure.ConclusionsSuicidal college students show diverse traits in predisposing, enabling, and need factors under Andersen’s model, with help-seeking intentions varying significantly across groups and affected by others’ positive experiences. The findings underscore the necessity for targeted, layered interventions to improve campus mental health services while also highlighting the importance of fostering a supportive environment and encouraging colleges to facilitate the sharing of help-seeking experiences to enhance students’ willingness to seek help.Clinical trial numberNot applicable.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12888-025-07771-7.

The article is devoted to the analysis of educational migration from Kazakhstan to China. According to the authors, educational migration has its pros and cons. This process has several main effects for many countries and for the development of Kazakhstan: political, economic, social and demographic. The purpose of the study is a retrospective analysis of the evolution of educational migration from Kazakhstan to China. To achieve this goal, the historical, socio-economic, cultural, psychological and other prerequisites for the emergence of a student flow in the PRC were studied. The peculiarities of the functioning of the system of international student mobility and the determination of the place of the influx of students from Kazakhstan to China in this system are also revealed; the existing intermediary organizations in Kazakhstan supporting admission to Chinese universities are studied; the role of institutions contributing to the maintenance of student influx and the Republic of Kazakhstan in the host cities of the PRC is shown, the process of adaptation of students to the Chinese environment, the formation of social networks is analyzed. students. Keywords: the international educational migration, the higher education, academic mobility, the Kazakhstan-Chinese relations.

ABSTRACT The notion of dwelling/staying was once an important concept for explaining the existential conditions of human beings. The mobility turn in the mid-2000s signaled a paradigm shift in understanding movement and the ways in which movement influences the formation of material and social entities, space, networks, and knowledge. In the context of such growing influence of the umbrella concept of mobility, this paper seeks to examine mobilities at different speeds and directions. Specifically, the paper undertakes a comprehensive examination of four pivotal dimensions of mobility that have been extensively discussed within the domain of mobility studies: walking, travel, the mobility of non-humans (objects/knowledge/ideas), and migration. The discussion then delves into the ethical and political dilemmas that the mobility engenders, employing the case of Afghan refugees in Korea as an illustration. Thereby, the paper contemplates the political and ethical dilemmas of subsuming different forms of movement under a single concept of mobility. Rather than categorizing different types of movements under the concept of mobility, this paper suggests that its conceptual considerations should reflect the different contexts that shape different types of movements and include immobility to heighten the nature of movements that are deeply embedded in political, economic, social, and psychological contexts.

Social networks are vital in providing emotional, practical and informational support that may reduce the risk of readmissions and improve recovery outcomes for patients with acute kidney injury Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a prevalent and serious condition which can lead to significant short- and long-term health risks—including mortality, readmissions and progression to chronic kidney disease. Aims: This study explored the literature around the role of social networks in self-management support for patients recovering from AKI. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to examine studies that included social networks and self-management in AKI. Findings: A 3-step search strategy was used in this literature search. An initial limited search of MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Psycho info and AMED was undertaken to identify articles on the topic, followed by an analysis of the text words contained in the titles and abstracts of retrieved papers and of the keywords used to describe the articles. After implementing the search strategy no applicable literature was found. Literature on AKI recovery lacks insight into how informal and formal social networks supports patients in the post-AKI period. Conclusions: Further research is needed to explore whether social network support can improve AKI recovery.

This article offers a compelling sociological analysis of the kampong as a site of community, cultural pluralism, and social cohesion, arguing that while modern urban development in Singapore has significantly transformed these traditional spaces, the underlying values of the "kampong spirit" have not been entirely lost. The article is theoretically robust, drawing on three major sociological frameworks: Functionalism (Émile Durkheim), Conflict Theory (Karl Marx), and Symbolic Interactionism (George H. Mead and Erving Goffman). This multi-theoretical approach allows for a nuanced interrogation of how the kampong once served as a cohesive social unit, how its dissolution reflects broader class and power struggles, and how meaning is negotiated in everyday interactions within both traditional and modern urban settings. By linking these theories to the evolving aspects of community, governance, economic life, and cultural practices in Singapore, the article bridges macro-level structures and micro-level experiences. It also contributes to wider academic conversations on urbanization, postcolonial development, multiculturalism, and the transformation of informal social networks. Importantly, the essay does not romanticize the kampong, but critically examines its historical role and its symbolic function today. This approach lends itself to comparative analysis with other societies experiencing similar transitions from traditional communal living to state-managed urban environments.

Mining and intervention of social networks information cocoon based on multilayer network community detection

Predicting information diffusion in social networks is a fundamental problem in many applications, and one of the primary challenges is to predict the future popularity of information in social networks. However, most existing models fail to simultaneously capture the accurate micro-level user node features, meso-level linear spread features, and predict the macro-level popularity during the information propagation process, which may result in unsatisfactory prediction performance. To address this issue, we propose a new cascade prediction framework CasNS: Node-level and Sequence-level Features for Cascade Prediction. CasNS utilizes node-level features by employing a self-attention mechanism to capture the hidden features of the target node with respect to other nodes. Additionally, it leverages multiple one-dimensional convolutional layers with the dynamic routing algorithm to obtain sequence-level features across different dimensions. Through experiments on a large number of real-world datasets, our model demonstrates superior performance compared with other state-of-the-art methods, thereby validating the feasibility of our approach.

This study aims to examine the role of (a) informal social and emotional support and (b) financial support on the relationship between the level of dependence and employment of people with disabilities in Korea and whether this association varies by household type. Using the 4th wave of the Disability and Life Dynamics Panel (DLDP), this study analyzed 2,665 Koreans with disabilities. The results showed that both informal social and emotional support and financial support mediated the relationship between the level of dependence and employment, and two significant interaction terms were found. A moderated mediation effect was identified in households with two or more members, indicating that the likelihood of employment decreased as financial support increased. Based on these findings, the study suggested that employment support for people with disabilities should consider household type and informal social networks, with particular attention to personalized services for those living alone.

This qualitative case study analyzes the practices and factors that influence the transparency of the management of the Sidodadi Village Fund. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and analysis of budget documents (APBDes, RKPDes, LPJDes, LRA). The results show that transparency is implemented through formal mechanisms such as village meetings and bulletin boards, as well as informal channels such as social gatherings of village officials and communication at the sub-district level to reach hamlets. The findings identify factors that hinder effectiveness, namely regulatory restrictions on cost details, limitations in technology and human resources of the village apparatus, and variations in the information literacy of the community. This study concludes that although an information disclosure framework exists, residents’ substantive understanding of budget allocation remains limited. The empirical contribution of this research is the mapping of the role of informal channels in supporting transparency when digital means are not yet optimal, as well as the identification of regulatory restrictions that limit the depth of budget information disclosed. Furthermore, this study describes the interaction between formal procedures and social communication networks that shape access to information in rural environments. These findings form the basis for the development of adaptive and inclusive transparency strategies for rural contexts with varying levels of technological capacity and public literacy.

This study explores the experiences of the citizens in Japan and Pakistan in terms of institutional trust, public corruption, and market fairness by presenting a comparative narrative inquiry approach. The study, based on detailed narrative descriptions, examines how people derive meaning from their experiences with state and market players, and how such meanings influence the choices people make economically. The results indicate that Japanese members define institutions as predictable, competent, and culturally consistent with standards of harmony and responsibility, which allow the participants to plan long-term and support expectations of equity. In comparison, Pakistani respondents describe institutions as unstable, disjointed, and dependent on discretionary practices, leading to short-term, risk-averse economic policies and increased dependency on informal social networks. The research points out that institutional trust is inherently influenced by culture, continuity in history, and experience, unlike the indicators of performance at the institution. The comparative lessons advance the wider arguments about governance, corruption and economic behaviour by demonstrating how trustworthy and untrustworthy settings affect the coping mechanism and understanding of fairness among citizens. This study identifies the significance of enhancing service delivery and transparency in low-trust settings and ensuring responsiveness and accountability in high-trust systems. These results provide a basis for further cross-cultural and longitudinal studies of trust and institutional legitimacy.

ABSTRACT The policing of borders has long been a subject of considerable scholarly attention. Yet, there remains a notable gap in research addressing the lived experiences and situated practices of those tasked with performing such forms of policing. Drawing on interviews and observations we discuss the practices of Norwegian and Swedish police officers and customs officials operating within the control zones and borderlands along the Swedish – Norwegian frontier. Our study contributes to the literature by zooming in on the social relationships that border workers form and sustain to carry out their tasks effectively – work that unfolds within a demanding natural environment and within relatively resource-constrained organisations. For the police officers it was crucial to establish informal social networks for exchanging information and generating knowledge. While some officers spoke fondly of the informal social networks and the ‘playful’ meetings, others called for stronger coordination, oversight, and steering from higher levels of the organisation. Our findings suggest that strengthening border control is not merely a question of new technologies or regulatory harmonisation. Rather, effective border policing in this Nordic context depends on sustaining the social and organisational infrastructures that allow knowledge to circulate across institutional and national boundaries. Recognising the interplay between formal and informal modes of collaboration across borders and organisational boundaries may thus be key to understanding how borders are actually governed and how state authority is enacted in everyday life.

This article describes specific aspects of the hermeneutic approach to understanding information in social networks that are relevant to the present time. It also reveals the distinctive features of the hermeneutic approach to understanding information in social networks.

Abstract Our “Beacons of Organizational Sociology” series makes available, through essays or first-time translations, concepts and texts that have shaped debates in organizational sociology in non-English-speaking countries or presents reflections on such debates by established scholars. The second text in this series presents a model for holistic organizational analysis, named The Pentagon Model . The model is developed in Norway and has, during the last two decades, been successfully applied in many research projects, both basic and applied, and in different kinds of organizations. The model has also proved to be well-suited for educational purposes and for the dissemination of research-based findings. The model builds on established organization theories and rests on a basic argument that most organizational issues concerning qualities and capabilities can be fruitfully sorted into five interdependent categories: formal structure, technology, culture, interaction, and social relations and networks. This taxonomy can be used both as guidelines for data collection by qualitative or quantitative methods and for sorting findings into corresponding groups of variables. The model has proved to be widely applicable and can be used for studying phenomena on different organizational levels: individual, collective, system and ecological. It can also be used with different time perspectives: to explain things that happened in the past, to describe present-day situations, and to point to upcoming challenges and future possibilities.