Micro-social Factors Research Articles

Мікросоціальні (сімейні) фактори ризику та протекції у виникненні синдрому подразненого кишечника в дітей

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a stress-sensitive gastrointestinal disorder, which occurs as a result of the complex interaction of individual physiological, psychological and psychosocial factors. A tendency of IBS to cluster in families is caused not only by genetic predisposition but also by epigenetic mechanisms of psychosocial transmission of somatic symptoms from parents to children. Purpose - to determine the role of certain microsocial risk factors in the development of IBS in children. Materials and methods. The study involved 54 patients aged 6 to 12 years old with a diagnosis of IBS established in accordance with the Rome IV criteria, as well as 50 practically healthy children from the control group. For a detailed study of perinatal and microsocial risk factors and prevention of IBS, the developmental histories of children were analyzed and the «family history» method was used (descriptive and phenomenological collection of life history from the patient’s parents). Data were processed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and analyzed with GraphPad (Prism 5.0). Results. Perinatal risk factors that can lead to the development of IBS in children are birth from the first in order of delivery, caesarean section, breastfeeding for less than 3 months. There is also a correlation between an increased risk of IBS in children and the presence of psychosomatic disorders in infants and young children, a tendency to somatization in the mother; the frequency of visits to doctors by the child and mother more than 6 times a year; authoritarian parenting style by the mother and hyperprotective parenting style by the father; frequent overeating and food intolerances. On the contrary, birth from a multigravid woman, absence of psychosomatic disorders of infants and toddlers, parental emotional warmth and democratic parenting may be protective of the development of IBS in children. Conclusions. A number of microsocial factors have been identified that are associated with an increased risk of IBS. Awareness of those factors and consequently their correction may be important for the prevention of IBS in children. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

The Effects of Microsocial Factors Through the Family on the Development of Social Competence in Preschool Children

This paper investigates how sociodemographic factors and the family background contribute to the development of children’s social competence. Social competence is interpreted within an integrative approach, being analysed according to two indicators: the development level of social skills and interpersonal coping forms of children. The present article focused on negotiation, which has been found to be the most adaptive coping among preschool age children. Measurements were obtained using questionnaires: a Social Competence Screening about Preschoolers filled in by teachers, a Questionnaire on Coping Strategies completed both from children and teachers, and a Family Background Questionnaire compiled only for parents. Data was collected for a total of 536 preschoolers, of whom 309 parents provided data about home environment. In the linear regression models conducted the most influential demographic factors were the age and gender of the children and the age of the parents. Microsocial factors as the parents’, in particular the mother’s, employment was determinate in the models, and other sociocultural aspects, as the child’s participation in extracurricular activities beside short screentime, the lack of conflicts and disease in family, marital satisfaction are among influencing factors. The study offers various prospects for new research and nuances our views on social competence and child-development.

Enduring inequality: long-term trends and factors in participation in adult education and learning among older adults

ABSTRACT Non-formal adult education and learning (NAE) is widely recognized as enhancing the quality of life and promoting active aging. Despite the empirically demonstrated benefits, older adults rank among one of the populations participating the least in NAE. Although several studies have highlighted the negative effect of aging on involvement in NAE, factors causing long-term changes in participation have not been explored directly. As a result, the significance of microsocial characteristics and their transformation over time has been overlooked. This article explores key microsocial factors leading to non/participation in NAE among adults aged 50 to 69 years along with changes in these factors for the 14-year period of 2006 to 2019. The research was conducted using the Czech Republic’s Labor Force Survey dataset (N = 114,345). The results show that all microsocial factors play an essential role in determining participation in NAE, thus a strong relationship between the social origins (cumulative disadvantage) of older adults and their participation was confirmed. In addition, the impact of most factors has proved consistent over time, not strengthening since 2009. One exception was level of education, which showed a rapid increase in participation in NAE in the respondents who identified themselves as low-educated.

Покоління z як предтеча майбутньої планетарної цивілізації

The article analyzes the features of “Generation Z” as a harbinger of future planetary civilization. Attention is paid to information and digital technologies that affect the world community, rapidly transforming it into a single world, forming a “digital generation” that is effectively adapted to the new socio-cultural reality and feels more “citizens of the world” than their own country. The article analyzes the features of “Generation Z” as a harbinger of future planetary civilization. Attention is paid to information and digital technologies that affect the world community, rapidly transforming it into a single world, forming a “digital generation” that is effectively adapted to the new socio-cultural reality and feels more “citizens of the world” than their own country. The most important condition for their socialization is the construction of social reality, adaptation to new environmental conditions, its symbolization, separation of “their world”, restructuring of environmental conditions according to the thesaurus, built under the influence of macro- and microsocial factors, according to its symbolic universe. The interconnected processes of globalization and informationalization of society are revealed, which directly blur the boundaries of the modern interstate system, creating a contradictory and heterogeneous global society with a cosmopolitan worldview. The cosmopolitan approach is substantiated, which, overcoming state borders, allows to go beyond national practices, promotes their integration into the new world context through the establishment of a “compromise” of cultural, religious, ethnic and other differences. Cosmopolitanism is becoming a worldview and ideological platform and ontological unity of the planetary community. The modern generation needs to find its own way of mastering society. In order to understand the vicissitudes and metamorphoses of the modern world, we need a different perception of reality and the transformation of worldviews, values, the formation of a new identity. It is important not only to act locally, but also to think globally, systematically, taking into account particular and universal interests, immediate and long-term goals. The formation of a single world community, the formation of a global civil society, which in the long run must necessarily be formed as a result of overcoming fragmentation and the formation of a holistic world – „eternal peace” is becoming increasingly apparent.

Relationship Between Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation and Suicide Risk in Patients with Schizophrenia

Background: the lack of data on the relationship between the level of social adaptation as a complex of macro- and microsocial factors with suicide risk in patients with schizophrenia determines the relevance of this study. Aim: to investigate the relationship between social adaptation self-evaluation and suicide risk in patients with schizophrenia. Patients and methods: we examined 68 patients with schizophrenia. Suicide risk was evaluated using the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the level of social adaptation was assessed using the Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale. An assessment of clinical and psychopathological symptoms was performed using the PANSS. Results: the level of hopelessness was higher in the group with a low level of social adaptation self-evaluation than in the group with a high level of social adaptation self-evaluation. However, the groups were comparable for a number of objective indicators of social adaptation (such as education level, marital status, social status). Conclusions: it can be assumed that hopelessness and suicide risk more depend not on the level of social adaptation, but on the subjective experience of the level of adaptation as low or high.

Non-psychotic depression and the social burden of illness

The burden of depression is increasing worldwide, caregivers are seen as a psychologically vulnerable group, and the social burden of non-psychotic depression remains unexplored.
 The aim of the study was to examine the clinical and functional characteristics of non-psychotic depression and the burden of family members of patients most involved in the interaction with patients. The study objectives included analysis of quality of life and co-occurring behavior of patients relatives as characteristics of their psychosocial adaptation.
 Methods. We used clinical and scales assessment of depression level, quality of life, subjective distress level, and coping behavior features.
 Results. Nonpsychotic depression was detected approximately half a year after the onset of symptoms, and in more than 40% of cases not by psychiatrists, self-treatment was typical. Impairments in social functioning in non-psychotic depression patients affected more in the areas of socially useful activities and social relationships, predominantly in non-working patients. 62.96% of patients rated relationships with loved ones as good, and 82.6% rated support from relatives in connection with the illness as adequate. In 60.87% of cases, there were psycho-traumatic microsocial factors. Spouses (45.5%) prevailed among supportive relatives, of whom 60% were employed, and limitation of labor activity due to the relatives illness was not characteristic, and material losses were insignificant. Supportive relatives more often than their sick relatives assessed the relationship with the sick as good (81.8%). In about 91% of cases, the attitude toward the mental illness of the relative was adequate, which exceeds the subjective assessment of patients with non-psychotic depression. The close relatives of the patients had decreased quality of life, which was mediated by severity of depression, higher than average level of distress related to mental disorder of the loved one (64,59,34 VAS scores). The structure of coping in supportive relatives is characterized on the whole by prevalence of constructive and relatively constructive coping-strategies, the most problematic being the emotional sphere of coping behavior.
 Conclusion. Even mild to moderate non-psychotic depression is associated with the presence of social burden of illness, covering not only the patients themselves, but also their family members, which necessitates psychologically corrective work with supportive relatives.

The structure of the cognitive reserve in Alzheimer’s disease

IntroductionAlzheimer’s disease is common among the modern population. Emotional support for caregivers and a stable social role contribute to the maintenance of cognitive resources in Alzheimer’s.ObjectivesTo investigate the protective mechanisms that protect the brain from premature agingMethodsClinical, sociologicalResultsViolations of the higher cerebral functions of speech, gnosis, praxis are the neuropsychological basis for the development of psychological symptoms of dementia. Speech disorders, gnosis disorders contribute to the formation of painful ideas, perception disorders, eating disorders and affective symptoms. The level of functional activity is low and does not depend on the state of severe microsocial dementia, total aphasia and apraxia. The social, work, family and marital status of caregivers for patients with moderate to severe dementia is declining. An increase in the degree of dementia can reduce the functional activity of the caregiver. Caregivers often suffer from neurotic, affective and other mental disorders. A person with dementia plays a subordinate role in the family. Changing roles in the family occurs when the patient has delusion, agitation / aggression, anxiety, unstable mood / irritability. In these cases, the interpersonal distance in the “care-patient” pair increases. Caregivers have a high level of emotional involvement in the care process. A change in the role of the family, a change in place of residence, and a high level of “expressive” emotions of the guardian negatively affect the formation of psychosis, anxiety and aberrant behavior in patients with dementia. Microsocial factors influence cognitive retention in dementiaConclusionsProtective psychosocial factors strengthen the cognitive reserveDisclosureNo significant relationships.

РОЛЬ МИКРОСОЦИАЛЬНЫХ ФАКТОРОВ ПРИ ФОРМИРОВАНИИ ТРАВМООПАСНОГО ПОВЕДЕНИЯ РЕБЕНКА

Abstract. The article presents data on factors that contribute to repeated injuries in children aged 5–10 years. Family factors as well as the necessity to distinguish between true and false hyperactivity in children were revealed. Aim. The article aims to identify microsocial factors of risky behavior in children. Materials and methods. A total of 450 patients (225 children and 225 family members) were observed. Research tools: standard neuropsychological tests, Alvord and Baker hyperactivity test, psychoneurological examination, a psychological portrait of a parent/teacher by G.V. Rezapkina and the author’s techniques (“How do I see my child”, “Subjective evaluation of parents and their education style”). Results: True hyperactivity disorders were revealed in no more than 12% of children. Thus, the majority of children are characterized by pseudo-hyperactivity. To reduce the risk of injury, it is necessary to differentiate between two types of pathogenic factors: minimal brain dysfunction (biological) and parental behavior (social). Conclusion. In our research risky behavior is considered to be a child’s behavior in a situation that increases the risk of a child to be injured. The outcome of such a traumatic situation is the result of both children and parents’ activity. A child tries to cope with both biological (less often) and social (mainly) factors by means of hyperactivity.

Experiences, dietary behavior and cultural characteristics of people with colorectal neoplasms.

to interpret the socio-cultural, religious, and spiritual aspects of the experience of people who have colorectal cancer and were submitted to surgical treatment with ostomy. ethnographic study under the perspective of the Sociology of Health, in the comprehensive aspect, in a surgical unit of an oncologic hospital of the state of Pará, Brazil. Eighteen deponents participated, eleven patients, and seven caregivers, between December 2018 and March 2019. Data were obtained with non-participant observation, field diary records, and semi-structured interviews with subsequent inductive content analysis. religious attachment and socio-cultural aspects of the illness were interpreted, emphasizing the social fact of the Immediate Dream, emotional shock, modern totemism, toxic food as taboo, and medicalization in the sphere of common sense and biomedical system. microsocial and macrosocial factors of the participants' experiences contribute to the qualification of oncologic assistance in the public system, assuming the need for specialized interprofessional assistance.

INFLUENCE OF SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS AND FAMILY ENVIRONMENT ON THE CHILD’S PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

The article is devoted to the issue of influence of biological and social factors on the development of a child, enumerates and reveals in detail socio-psychological factors and possible results of their impact on the formation of the child's psyche, as well as on the occurrence and aggravation of deviations in psychological development. The article describes the role of the family in the child's development, including a possible negative impact on their speech and psychological development. The author reveals the importance of communication with close adults and well-formed attachments in the overall psychological development of the baby, as well as the influence of the style of family education and child-parent relations on this process. In addition to the microsocial factors, the mesosocial and macrosocial environmental factors that influence the formation of an individual are involved in the study. The article describes the differences between borderline accentuations of temper of persons with the typical state of the psyche and psychopathies as anomalies of temper, and looks for the reasons of such differences. The author demonstrates the influence of the mother’s depression on the development of the infant and describes the causes and symptoms of depressive disorders in children of different age groups. The study reports negative impact on health, both somatic and psycho-emotional, of long-term stay of children and adolescents in front of gadget screens. The observation includes violations of the psychological and speech development of the child, which are caused only by sociopsychological factors. The author substantiates the significance of education of children's families in order to prevent and overcome problems with children's psychological development.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ПРИВЕРЖЕННОСТИ ЗДОРОВОМУ ОБРАЗУ ЖИЗНИ СТУДЕНТОВ-МЕДИКОВ МЛАДШИХ КУРСОВ: ВЗАИМОСВЯЗЬ С ПСИХОСОЦИАЛЬНЫМИ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКАМИ

Students of medical universities are experiencing great overload in the learning process and adaptation to the educational process. The formation of healthy behavior among students can contribute to their better adaptation to the learning process, disease prevention and health promotion. That is why, when studying the commitment to a healthy lifestyle of students, it is necessary to take into account characteristics that are associated with their personal traits, as well as with the influence of macro- and microsocial factors that directly or indirectly affect the life of a healthy lifestyle. The study aims to determine the characteristics of adherence to a healthy lifestyle of junior medical students by identifying the characteristics of the relationship between healthy lifestyle indicators and the psychosocial characteristics of students.The sample is represented by 119 students of 1-2 courses of the Faculty of Medicine at the age of 17-26 years, who are Russian and foreign citizens. As psychodiagnostic methods we used the Russian version of HPLP – Health Promoting Lifesyle Profile, a modified version of Dembo-Rubinstein methodology for self-es teem s tudying, a sociocultural questionnaire. Mathematical processing was carried out using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis methods. The results obtained characterize the adherence to a healthy lifestyle of students based on the relationship of age-specific, gender and religious characteristics, employment, material conditions, exposure to stress and bad habits, anti-suicidal barrier and the main indicators of a healthy lifestyle profile. The study found that a greater healthy lifestyle adherence among medical students is determined by their older age, male gender, labor activity combined with training, lower levels of monthly material costs, the presence of a religious faith, higher tolerance of loads and less exposure stress. Belonging to Russian or foreign culture is not associated with healthy lifestyle adherence during the junior years.

Belonging and Social Integration as Factors of Well-Being in Latin America and Latin Europe Organizations.

BackgroundStudies and meta-analyses found individual, meso and micro-social factors that are associated with individual well-being, as well as a positive socio-emotional climate or collective well-being.AimThis article simultaneously studies and examines these factors of well-being.MethodWell-Being is measured as a dependent variable at the individual and collective level, as well as the predictors, in three cross-sectional and one longitudinal studies. Education and social intervention workers (N = 1300, K = 80) from Chile, Spain and Uruguay participate; a subsample of educators (k = 1, n = 37) from the south central Chile and from Chile, Uruguay and Spain (n = 1149); workers from organizations in Latin America and Southern Europe, military cadets from Argentina (N < 1000); and teams (K = 14) from Spanish companies.ResultsIndividual and collective well-being indicators were related, suggesting that the emotional climate as a context improves personal well-being. Individual factors (emotional creativity and openness and universalism values), psychosocial factors (low stress, control over work and social support supervisors and peers) were positively associated with personal well-being in education and social intervention context. Organizational dynamic or transformational culture is directly and indirectly associated with individual well-being through previously described psychosocial factors. Group processes such as internal communication and safe participation, task orientation or climate of excellence as well as leadership style that reinforces participation and belonging, were positively associated with collective well-being in labor and military context and predict team work socio-emotional climate in a longitudinal study- but were unrelated to individual well-being. Transformational leadership plays a mediating role between functional factors and social-emotional climate in work teams. Organizational role autonomy, functional organizational leadership, integration and resources were associated with collective well-being in organizations. Organizational leadership moderates the relationship between task orientation and collective well-being in military context.ConclusionIndividual and microsocial factors influence personal well-being. Meso level factors favorable to well-being through processes which reinforce social belonging, influence directly collective well-being and indirectly personal well-being. Leadership that reinforces participation and belonging play a central role for emotional climate. Stress and emotional climate playing an important pivotal role for psychological well-being.

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL MALADAPTATION IN WOMEN WITH DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS OF DIFFERENT GENESIS, DEPENDING ON SEVERITY OF FACTORS OF MESO- AND MICRO-SOCIAL INFLUENCE

To conduct a structural analysis of socio-psychological maladaptation in women with depressive disorders of different genesis depending on the severity of meso- and microsocial influences, to develop personalized psychosocial rehabilitation measures for this group of patients, 252 women were examined and diagnosed with depressive 94 with depressive disorder of psychogenic genesis, 83 women with endogenous depression and 75 patients with depressive disorder of organic genesis. Patients were divided into groups depending on the genesis of depressive disorder and the presence and severity of problems in psychosocial functioning. The study was conducted using clinical-psychopathological and psychodiagnostic methods. The study confirmed the previous hypothesis about the association of the manifestations of socio-psychological maladaptation as a structural component of depression, depending on the vulnerability to meso- and microsocial stress-inducing factors, with any genesis of depressive disorder. There is a tendency to increase the signs of maladaptation, self-rejection, rejection of other emotional discomfort, external control, and information, and decrease signs of adaptability, truthfulness, self-acceptance, acceptance of others, emotional comfort, internal control, dominance with increasing load as meso- and and microsocial factors. The most pronounced differences in the indicators of socio-psychological maladaptation were found in people with microsocial problems, less pronounced - in mesosocial maladaptation. The identified patterns should be taken into account in the development of treatment and rehabilitation and preventive measures for depressive disorders in women. Keywords: depressive disorders, women, socio-psychological adaptation, mesosocial maladaptation, microsocial maladaptation.

«О другой профессии и не думал»: продолжение профессиональной династии как личный выбор советских врачей

Professional dynasties have been an integral feature of medicine since the Soviet years. At the same time, the transmission of the social and professional sta-tus of parents can be both voluntary and forced. The purpose of the study is to show the factors deter-mined the personal professional choice associated with the continuation of the medical dynasty in the Soviet period of Russian history, when nepotism was not encouraged in this area. Interviews with representatives of similar dynasties who began their careers in the 1950s–1980s (25 cases are presented in the public domain on the Internet) became the empirical basis of the study. An analysis of inter-viewing results allowed to identify a number of closely interconnected microsocial factors, due to which the educational and professional strategies of medical dynasties representatives developed: the formation of the authority of the profession of par-ents in the family; the personal authority of senior family members; the loyalty to the lifestyle; the emergence of the image of profession and profes-sional identity.

FEATURES OF AGE DYNAMICS OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR OF CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS WITH NEUROSIS-LIKE STATE OF RESIDUAL-ORGANIC GENESIS

The study presents the identification and study of the characteristics of the formation and dynamics of various forms of deviant behavior in the clinic of neurosis-like states of residual-organic genesis, that is guided by the principles not previously used in the study of the studied pathology. Behavioral disorders were studied in a comparative aspect in two clinical variants, which are asthenohyperdynamic and astheno-adynamic manifestations of the cerebrastenic syndrome, which is a part of the structure of a neurosis-like state. The age dynamics of behavioral disorders was studied at different stages of ontogenesis, including childhood, prepubertal and puberty, by comparing the obtained data labeled by the subheadings "Period of the first age crisis", "Period of the second age crisis" and "Puberty period". The study found that age response forms reflect the low personal resources of adolescents and the massiveness of negative social influences. As the analysis of clinical material has shown, during puberty, violations in the sphere of cravings became more distinct. Disorders in the sphere of inclinations at this age are closely correlated with the features of the somato-endocrine metamorphosis and with the unfavorable influence of socio-psychological factors. Lack of sexual desire was in direct proportion with a pronounced delay in puberty. Violations in the sphere of sexual desire, reflecting the nondifferentiation of the sexual attitudes of adolescents with delayed puberty, were characteristic of those studied with pronounced volitional immaturity, in particular with such signs as suggestibility, a tendency to imitation. During puberty, the clinical picture of the studied adolescents revealed more clearly the qualitatively new pathological properties of the personality due to the development of excitable, unstable, less often labile and hysterical manifestations. In contrast to psychopathic behavior in sick children and adolescents, no correlation was found between the first signs of deviant behavior and cerebrastenic disorders. In all cases, behavioral disturbances are caused by unfavorable micro-social factors. Based on the follow-up data, the study has found that the studied group of sick children and adolescents is characterized by both favorable dynamics (22) and a negative outcome (20 patients). This suggests that the pubertal period is characterized by a polymorphism of behavioral disorders and is one of the decisive factors in the prognosis of the further development of the child.

IMPACT OF COPING ON MICROSOCIAL RISK FACTORS FOR ADDICTIVE AND MIXED ANXIETY-DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS IN STUDENTS

The microsocial factors associated with parent family, reference group, and groupmates affect the development of addictive and mixed anxiety-depressive disorders in students. Students, carriers of each of microsocial risk factors, were characterized by specific motives for psychoactive substance use and specific non-adaptive realizing coping associated with social support modules (26.1%) and prognosis of the stress situation development (21.7%). At the same time, the impact of microsocial risk factors might be weakened by adaptive moderating coping, which manifested in the modules of distraction from the stressful situation (20.6% of cases) and the emotional response to the situation (15.7%). Also, in the realizing and moderating copings, the module of rational assessment of a stressful situation (17.4% of cases for realizing coping and 14.7% for moderating coping) was of value.

Domesticar la globalización: alimentación y cultura en la urbanización de una zona rural en México

This article presents a number of elements to analyse the impact of globalisation on daily life by studying eating habits in a rural town undergoing urbanisation. The food, ideas and consumption practices of this population help to understand how the food culture of a human group is constructed in the interrelation of macro- and micro-social factors. We call this process domesticating globalisation, that is, the way in which new foods, as well as the information about them, are managed, incorporated and adapted to daily life in the context of progress and development.

Clinico-social character of delinquent form of dissocial (deviant) behavior

IntroductionAmong great variety of the manifestations of juvenile deviation of behavior, with its social significance, delinquency draws a special attention, in particular, with its aggressive manifestation.ObjectivesOur task is specification of psychopathological peculiarities of two forms of aggressive behavior of delinquency.MethodsFifty delinquent juveniles from 14 to 18 years of age (inclusive) have been examined. Two forms of aggressive manifestations have been picked out: non-pathological: 36 (72%) and pathological: 14 (28%).ResultsNon-pathological aggression basically is conditioned by the influence of micro-social negative conditions and stress situations. The contents of aggressive acts are closely connected with the peculiarities of characterological features; aggressive behavior is characterized with an episodic appearing, less severity and is often manifested in threatening. Marked cruelty, sadism and vandalism are found comparatively seldom. The violation of social adaptation is found in them in stresses, stipulated with negative micro-social factors; they are more manageable and comparatively quickly regress.The peculiarities of pathological aggression are represented by super valuable and sadistic manifestations, comparatively seldom–with signs of dysphoria. The aggression, stipulated by pathocharacterological reactions is manifested in the form of pathologically super valued and affective situational acts of behavior.ConclusionsAggressive behavior of delinquency is chiefly observed in its non-pathological form, which can be explained by the hard social-economical background, visible growth of aggressiveness in an immense part of population, moral and ethic deprivation and frustration. The society itself is a certain indicator of aggressiveness.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

К вопросу об особенностях самоопределения подростков коренных малочисленных народов крайнего Севера (подростков-ненцев)

The article is devoted to the problem of forming of self-identity in Nenets adolescents. The relevance of the study of self-identity of adolescent of indigenous peoples of the North is determined by the ambiguity of the influence of social factors: on the one hand, macrosocial factors related to socio-political and socio-economic situation in the country, and on the other hand, microsocial factors as ethnic and national characteristics and the microenvironment in which a teenager is growing up. Attention is paid to analysis of peculiarities of formation of self-identity in the juvenile period of ontogenesis, related to the assimilation of values, life orientations, a picture of oneself, future goals and ways of professional and personal development. The problem of formation of ethnic identity of Nenets adolescents is considered from positions of influence of those socio-economic and political processes that led to the loss of language, traditions and customs, that are the important component of ethnic identity and self-determination. The article focuses on the initial marginality of self-determination of Nenets adolescent. Attention is paid to the problems of socio-cultural deprivation and uncertainty of further professional self-determination (after finishing school), faced by Nenets adolescents living in nation villages.

Compliments in Taiwan and Mainland Chinese: The influence of region and compliment topic

Situated in a recently established field of variational pragmatics (Schneider and Barron, 2008), this study investigates one of the under-researched non-Indo-European languages, Chinese, with regard to the influence of macro-social and micro-social factors on compliments. More specifically, the present study focuses on the impact of region, a macro-social variable, and compliment topic, a micro-social factor, on Chinese compliments given by Taiwan Chinese and Mainland Chinese higher education students. Sixty Taiwanese and sixty Mainland Chinese, equally gendered in each group, completed a written discourse completion task consisting of eight content-enriched situations (Billmyer and Varghese, 2000) eliciting compliments. With regard to the impact of region, commonalities emerged between those compliments of Chinese students in Taiwan and Mainland China. Both groups preferred to offer Explicit compliments as well as Implicit compliments in the form of Requests, Assumptions, and Want Statements. Overall, Explicit compliments emerged as the most popular strategy. However, statistically significant differences were identified between the two groups in a few Implicit compliment strategies. Regarding the effect of compliment topic, both Taiwan and Mainland Chinese students utilized several compliment strategies in similar ways across appearance/possession and performance/ability situations. It appears that in most cases, it was compliment topic rather than the variety of Chinese which modulated the compliments by both groups. In addition, the paper suggests that compliments in Taiwan and Mainland Chinese may have undergone a change, possibly influenced by western cultures.