Friendship Opportunities Research Articles

Gender segregation in the friendship networks of Muslim youth in Germany: the role of chastity norms

ABSTRACT Western Muslim youth engage less in romantic relationships than their non-Muslim peers, an observation usually attributed to chastity norms that oppose Muslim youths’ premarital sexual activity. In this study, I ask whether chastity norms also shape cross-gender interaction beyond romantic relationships and lead to fewer cross-gender friendships among Muslim than non-Muslim youth. To isolate the consequences of chastity norms from institutionalized practices of gender segregation in Muslim religious communities, I study friendship-making in German coeducational schools, which provide ample opportunities for cross-gender friendships. I apply multilevel exponential random graph models to large-scale data on adolescents’ school-based friendship networks, finding cross-gender friendships to be generally infrequent but notably rarer among Muslim than non-Muslim youth. However, this lack of cross-gender friendships is limited to Muslim youth who hold strong chastity norms, while more liberal Muslim youth have as many cross-gender friends as non-Muslims. Among non-Muslims, chastity norms are unrelated to cross-gender friendships.

210 A project to promote the teaching of independent cycling to children with ambulant Cerebral Palsy in Ireland

Abstract The purpose of this project is to promote the teaching of cycling to children with ambulant Cerebral Palsy (CP). Research in Australia has shown that a lower proportion of children with ambulant CP can ride compared to typically developing peers and those that could, learn later. For children with CP, there are numerous health benefits to independent cycling such as overall cardiovascular fitness and weight-management, sense of empowerment and achievement of a common childhood goal. It can be an additional mobility option and a great family activity option. It is possible that balance could improve and it may be beneficial to have exercise options which are low-impact and reduced weight-bearing. The mental health benefits also include improved sense of self-esteem and confidence alongside opportunities for social interaction and friendships. The target group for this project are a wide range of stakeholders, from therapists working with children with CP; sports inclusion officers; Cycle Right trainers and families of children with ambulant CP. Project aims to target a broad spectrum of ways for people to access support for learning to cycle. During the development of this project, a small focus group was formed with parents and children with CP who had learnt independent cycling. Cycling can be an activity which fits into a family and child-centred approach to therapy. The benefits of their new skills was discussed under the themes of the ‘F words’ of disability. An initial teaching You-Tube video was made for children with milder co-ordination difficulties. A further video is planned teaching the more specific points when working with children with hemiplegia or asymmetrical diplegia. A workshop was developed for physiotherapists focusing on how to teach cycling skills to children with CP. Further links are being established with other stakeholders to maximise roll-out of the resources and workshops. Cycling is such a fun and important activity and some specific skills are required when teaching, especially when the children have hemiplegia. This project aims to spread these teaching skills to a wide audience in the hope of as many children with CP in Ireland learning how to cycle as possible.

Well! Fun forms and friendship uplift frontline employees' positive affect for workplace well-being in the hospitality industry

PurposeThis study aims to reveal the positive effects of workplace fun forms on employee positive affect state and workplace well-being. This study also aims to examine workplace friendship opportunity and workplace friendship prevalence in the context of fun events and workplace well-being.Design/methodology/approachThe research model developed and tested with responses from 1,000 thousand Indian frontline employees of five-star hotels who have worked in the hospitality industry for at least two years and who have been exposed to fun committees at their workplace.FindingsThis study revealed that workplace fun forms are the main causes of employee positive affective reactions, and they have positive effects on frontline employees' positive affect. The study also found that fun activities, customer interaction with fun and manager support for fun as workplace events are strong proximal causes for forming positive affect when they have workplace friendship opportunity. Coworker socialization can induce employee positive affect in the workplace, even without the moderating effect of workplace friendship opportunity. Additionally, the positive effect of positive affect was found to be significant on workplace well-being.Practical implicationsHospitality management is required to foster fun culture with fun activities, coworker socialization, manager support for fun and customer interaction with fun that enhance employee affective reactions to uplift employee positive affect state. This study also presents more interesting practical implications for practitioners and managers.Originality/valueThis study empirically tested deferential workplace fun forms on positive affect, and study provides novel insights into positive affect and workplace well-being. Four mediation mechanisms examined on fun forms and workplace well-being. Four moderating roles of workplace friendship opportunity tested on positive affect and fun events. Workplace friendship prevalence moderation on positive affect and workplace well-being helped to understand employee cognitive mechanism.

Children in ethnically diverse classrooms and those with cross-ethnic friendships excel at understanding others' minds.

This study examined the link between classroom ethnic diversity, cross-ethnic friendships, and children's theory of mind. In total, 730 children in the United Kingdom (54.7% girls, 51.5% White) aged 8 to 13 years completed measures of theory of mind in 2019/2020. Controlling for verbal ability, executive function, peer social preference, and teacher-reported demographic characteristics, greater classroom ethnic diversity provided opportunities for cross-ethnic friendships, and children with cross-ethnic friendships performed better than peers without cross-ethnic friendships on theory of mind. These results extend accounts of intergroup contact by using direct assessments of children's theory of mind and advance social accounts of theory of mind by demonstrating how experiences outside the family are linked with theory of mind.

Disciples and Friends: Investigations in Disability, Dementia, and Mental Health

Disciples and Friends: Investigations in Disability, Dementia, and Mental Health

Disciples and Friends: Investigations in Disability, Dementia, and Mental Health

Disciples and Friends: Investigations in Disability, Dementia, and Mental Health

Reimagined day care for older people - supporting older people and caregivers to age in place.

There is a widespread view amongst policy makers, as well as some senior managers and commissioners in local authorities, that collective forms of day care for older people are outdated and not aligned with wider policy ambitions. However, there is also growing recognition, amongst advocacy organisations such as Carers UK and Age UK, that many older people and their caregivers would welcome the opportunity to attend collective day care services, as well as growing interest amongst providers of services and older people themselves about the need to transform provision. 
 As health and social care commissioners in England develop Integrated Care Systems, there is potential for reimagined day care for older people to play an important role in delivering person-centred, preventative and place-based care for older people and their caregivers, including enabling older people to live at home for longer as well as addressing wellbeing, loneliness and social isolation. 
 The presentation will outline findings from case studies visited as part of a National Institute for Health Research, School for Social Care Research study exploring the experiences of and aspirations for collective day care in England, from the perspectives of older people, their carers, those who work in or manage services, as well as local stakeholders from the health and care system. For this research, day care is defined as community building-based services that provide care and/or health related services and/or clubs and activities specifically for older people (65+) with care and support needs. 
 Case studies visited included a range of models of day care for older people including day centres for people living with dementia, small-scale day care based in a hosts home, to large-scale preventative provision for older people. The study explored: peoples experiences of attending; impact on wellbeing and health of older people and their caregivers; what an ideal model of day care would look like; experiences of day care through the COVID-19 pandemic; and relationships with local health and community partners. 
 Our findings highlight the role day care can play in providing opportunities for connection and friendship for older people who attend, supporting caregivers to sustain their caring role, and supporting physical and mental wellbeing and health of older people and their caregivers. Highlighting the importance of personal connections, joy and purposeful activity, design of the physical space and connections with local place, the presentation will discuss innovations in practice that may support a ‘reimagining of day care’, ensuring it meets the aspirations of older people and their caregivers, as well as supporting wider policy ambitions including how social care services can contribute to the wider preventative health agenda. 

Speaking back to gender-based violence in New Brunswick schools through queer maker literacies with 2SLGBTQ+ youth

ABSTRACT Schools are a site of gender-based violence for queer, trans, and non-binary youth. Drawing on a participatory visual research project with three queer, trans, and non-binary youth, we argue that selfie and cellphilm production offer a glimpse into queer maker literacies. We suggest that the practice of making do-it-yourself (DIY) media productions with queer youth and older community collaborators in out-of-school settings provides opportunities for new intergenerational friendships and networks to be built. Through a discussion of the processes of critical making within the workshop, and the themes that arise in the cellphilm, including gender-based violence, queer experiences of school structures – and the way that friendship is positioned in relation to solidarity, collaboration, and speaking back – we argue that through facilitation and co-production of media, workshop spaces can be engineered with participants as spaces of solidarity, action, and safety even amidst institutional settings.

The Effect of Workplace Friendship on Hotel Employees’ Intention to Leave: Moderating Role of Psychological Contract Violation

Sustainability is a universal value of running a business. This study examines the influence of workplace friendships among hotel staff on their intention to leave, while considering the moderating effect of psychological contract violation. The sample group of the questionnaire is the employees in the five-star hotels in Taiwan. This study employs the purposive sampling method to collect questionnaires. For this research, 450 questionnaires were handed out to hotel staffs, with 150 questionnaires distributed, respectively, in Northern, Central, and Southern Taiwan. A total of 368 valid questionnaires were collected, resulting in an effective response rate of 81.78%. The results indicate that: (1) Friendship opportunities and friendship prevalence can significantly decrease workers’ intention to leave their jobs; (2) Psychological contract violation moderates the negative influence of friendship opportunity/friendship prevalence on one’s intention to leave. Finally, the paper proposes theoretical implications, practical implications and future research directions in accordance with the findings.

Our Friends Keep Us Together: The Stability of Adolescents' Cross-Race Friendships.

Substantive racial integration depends on both access to cross-race friendship opportunities (demographic integration) and the development of stable and rewarding social relations (social integration). Yet, we know little about the relative stability of cross-race friendship nominations over time. Cross-race friendships are also experienced within social contexts, where other individual, dyadic, and contextual factors may simultaneously affect whether such ties persist. Based on longitudinal network data on over 2,000 students in multiple communities, we test whether cross-race friendships are more or less stable than same-race friendships. We find that cross-race friendships at first glance appear less likely to persist than same-race friendships, but cross-race ties become no less stable than same-race ties after accounting for other social factors, including reciprocity and shared friends. This pattern suggests a threshold process where strong, socially recognized ties embedded among peers face less threat to maintaining friendship stability.

Integration through crossing circles natives’ opportunity pools and diversification of friendships in a transforming Europe

ABSTRACT The article studies the social relationships of natives in the destination countries of migrants. Specifically, the article estimates the share of non-natives in natives’ friendship opportunity pools (FOP) and its correlation with natives only having native friends. Danish data is used due to a unique possibility of linking register information, allowing the establishment of an objective measurement of FOP at various levels, and survey information, allowing the measurement of natives’ friendship composition, at the individual level. In our sample, 55 per cent of the natives have a migrant friend, and it is found to be strongly correlated with FOP. In line with Blau’s macro-sociological framework and assimilation theory, we thereby find support for a transformation of the ‘weak’ friendship ties of natives in destination countries. The FOP effects are found to be stronger for older respondents and those with negative attitudes toward immigration. The effects are found across measurement at the neighbourhood-, parish – and municipal level and after control for general attitudes toward immigration. In models with three levels simultaneously included, the effects are present at the neighbourhood and municipal level, but absent at the parish level.

Do we need friendship in the workplace? The effect on innovative behavior and mediating role of psychological safety.

Employees spend a huge time of their lives at work. As a result, friendships are often formed between individuals in the workplace. Workplace friendship is a fundamental value of human nature. Forming friendships in the workplace is vital to increase satisfaction and engagement at work. The present study proposes and tests a theoretical framework to explore the workplace friendship mechanisms and their impact on the innovative behavior of employees in the Omani service sector, and to clarify the mediating role of psychological safety. The data was gathered from the employees of private service sector in Oman. An online questionnaire form was distributed to the participants and 405 valid questionnaires were analyzed by SmartPLS software using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that workplace friendship aspects namely, friendship opportunity and friendship prevalence positively affected innovative behavior. Furthermore, friendship prevalence was positively correlated in relation to psychological safety. However, psychological safety did not have a mediating role between workplace friendship and innovative behavior. The findings are meaningful for the academic research and also give some practical suggestions for managers from a new viewpoint for the evaluation of workplace friendship in the context of the service sector, in order to achieve psychological safety, and to promote the innovative behavior of employees in this sector.

Unlocking the mask: how respectful engagement enhances tacit knowledge sharing among organizational members

PurposeDespite the importance of knowledge sharing (KS), organizations find it difficult to motivate their employees to share their knowledge with co-workers. Based on a combination of the group value model and the socialization resources theory (SRT), this study is, therefore, an endeavor to contribute to the understanding of how organizations can develop efficacious tacit knowledge sharing (TKS)-strategies by harnessing insights from the impact of respectful engagement (RE) and workplace friendship (i.e. friendship opportunity and friendship prevalence).Design/methodology/approachGroup value model and SRT are used to develop a new pathway to TKS which focuses on how RE among employees contributes to the development of workplace friendship which in turn facilitates TKS. Self-reported data were collected online from 593 employees working in various organizational sectors. Hypotheses were tested with structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe results suggest that RE is an essential precursor of TKS, having both direct positive relationship with TKS and partial indirect positive relationship through friendship opportunity and friendship prevalence. RE was also positively related to the two facets of workplace friendship (i.e. friendship opportunity and friendship prevalence). Both friendship opportunity and friendship prevalence were positively related to TKS.Practical implicationsThese findings underscore the importance of implementing initiatives that support positive interrelations characterized by respect at work in order to promote TKS.Originality/valueBy linking RE to TKS, this study adds new insight to the relational basis of sharing personal asset/resource as tacit knowledge. The inclusion of mediation path helps in shedding light and opening up a black box of RE-TKS interface.

Friendship in Later Life: Thirty Years of Progress and Inequalities.

Studies examining the impact of social change on individual development and aging postulate the growing importance of flexible relationships, such as friendship. Although friendship is well known as a factor of well-being in later life, the prevalence of friendship in older adult networks and its unequal distribution has been examined only in few studies. Through secondary data analysis of two cross-sectional surveys carried out in Switzerland in 1979 and 2011, respectively, the increasing presence of close friends was confirmed. Our results show that this trend was part of a broader lifestyle change after retirement, with increasing social engagements. However, this trend does not include a general decrease in social inequalities in friendship opportunities. Overall, friendship increase among older adults has contributed to a polarization of living conditions, with a majority of active, healthy persons contrasting with a minority of individuals who accumulate penalties.

Understanding online grooming: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of adolescents' offline meetings with adult perpetrators

BackgroundIt is the norm for adolescents to form friendships online but connecting with strangers poses risks of online grooming. Adult perpetrators take advantage of the internet's anonymity and accessibility to befriend and groom young people for sexual abuse. Much of the existing research has focused on the offender's perspective and grooming tactics, while extensive studies on victim profiles have focused on risk factors and young people's vulnerabilities to online grooming. ObjectiveThis research takes an in-depth look into grooming processes from the perspective of the adolescent victim and explores how the relationships progressed online-to-offline, resulting in sexual abuse. It aims to understand young people's motivations and mindsets by exploring their lived experiences of offline meeting with adult perpetrators. Participants and settingThe sample consisted of adolescents aged 14–21 in the UK and EU. MethodsUsing data from the Risk-taking Online Behavior Empowerment through Research and Training Project, six interviews were examined using an interpretative phenomenological analysis. ResultsFour themes emerged: 1) Varied interpretations of risk 2) Taking control 3) Seeking security and validation; and 4) Shifts in perspective. The subtleties of online grooming were masked by the adolescents' misplaced trust as they displayed agency in pursuing opportunities for online friendships or sexual activities. ConclusionsFindings suggest an insufficient knowledge of grooming and the need to more clearly define risks among adolescents. Safety guidelines should highlight the subtleties of grooming tactics and harmful behaviours that may not be readily perceived as abuse.

Workplace friendships while teleworking during COVID-19: Experiences of social workers in Australia.

COVID-19 has shifted Australia's social service delivery. Understanding the impact on workplace relationships is key. This article used a small-scale sample of social workers (N = 37) to explore workplace friendship experiences while teleworking. Participants reported opportunities for friendships during COVID-19 but reported ongoing personal and professional concerns.

Friendship and Cognitive Functioning Among Married and Widowed Chinese Older Adults.

Guided by the social convoy model, this study investigated the association between friendship and cognitive functioning among older Chinese adults, as well as the moderating effect of marital status (married vs widowed). We also explored whether depression might account for the link between friendship and cognitive functioning. We used data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey in 2014 (N = 8,482). Cognitive functioning was measured with the Mini-Mental State Examination instrument and friendship was assessed with a 3-item Lubben Social Network Scale. Linear regression and path analyses within a structural equation modeling framework were performed to examine the hypotheses. Results indicated that friendship was significantly related to better cognitive functioning among older Chinese adults (β = 0.083, p < .001) and marital status moderated this association (β = -0.058, p < .01). In addition, depression partially mediated the relationship between friendship and cognitive functioning (β = 0.015, p < .001). The results implied that friendship is important for maintaining cognitive functioning in later life and widowed older Chinese adults may benefit more from friendship in its relationship to cognitive functioning than married older Chinese adults. Further, one potential pathway linking friendship to cognitive functioning may be through depression; however, more research is needed to support this finding. Intervention programs aimed at building friendship opportunities may be one way to achieve better cognitive aging.

Sport Participation Associations With Child Friend Selection and Physical Activity While at Summer Care Programs

ABSTRACT Child physical activity (PA) declines during summer reducing PA-related health benefits. Summer care programs (e.g., Boys & Girls Clubs) can promote active play while providing opportunities for friendships. Sport participation is a positive influence on PA and social development. Purpose: This article investigates the role of sport participation in PA attainment, perceived skill competency, and social connection at a summer care program. Methods: Children self-reported PA, sport participation, and the names of up to five peers whom they played with most at the program at the start (T1; n = 100; M age = 9.94 years; SD = 1.34; 47% male) and end (T2; n = 77; M age = 9.83 years; SD = 1.46; 51% male) of summer. Network autocorrelation models were used to determine if child sport participation was significantly associated with those they played with at the program. Results:Children who reported sport participation reported significantly more PA than those who did not at T1, but not T2. Child sport participation was significantly related to that of the peers they said they spent time with while at the program for T1 (β = 0.07, p < .01), but not T2 (β = 0.06, p = .10). Additionally, PA (β = 0.08, p < .01; β = 0.07, p = .01) and skill competency (β = 0.11, p = .02; β = 0.15, p < .01) were significantly associated with sport participation at both time points. While sports participation was a key factor in child friendships at the start of summer, the program allowed children, regardless of sport participation, to become friends outside of sports. Conclusions: These results suggest summer care programs promote PA through play and provide opportunities for children to facilitate friendships regardless of sport participation.

How Inclusive Interactive Learning Environments Benefit Students Without Special Needs.

Growing evidence in recent years has led to an agreement on the importance and benefits that inclusive education has for students with special educational needs (SEN). However, the extension and universalization of an inclusive approach will also be enhanced with more evidence on the benefits that inclusion has for all students, including those without SEN. Based on the existing knowledge that learning interactions among diverse students are a key component of educational inclusion, the aim of this study is to identify the impact on students without SEN of being educated with students with SEN in shared, inclusive, interactive learning environments. Data were collected in three schools using a qualitative approach with a communicative orientation. Semistructured interviews were held with teachers as well as community volunteers participating in the schools. Further, focus groups were conducted with students and teachers. The results show that students without SEN benefit from participating in interactive learning activities with peers with SEN in different ways: (1) they learn to respect others, accept differences, and acknowledge different abilities, thereby creating opportunities for new friendships to develop; (2) they learn about abilities related to helping others participate and learn, to be patient and to gain the satisfaction in helping others learn and behave better; and (3) they benefit from the cognitive effort required to explain themselves and from the contributions of peers with SEN from which they can learn.

In-Group Bias or Out-Group Reluctance? The Interplay of Gender and Religion in Creating Religious Friendship Segregation among Muslim Youth

Abstract Even in diverse schools that provide opportunities for interreligious friendships, Muslim youth disproportionally tend to be friends with Muslims rather than non-Muslims. Echoing broader debates about minorities’ self-segregation versus exclusion by majority group members, a key question is whether religious friendship segregation arises because of Muslims’ in-group bias or because of non-Muslims’ reluctance to befriend them. We suggest that the answer differs for Muslim boys and girls. Building on research on interreligious romantic relations and accounts of the lives of young Muslims and other ethno-religious minorities in Western societies, we propose that religious in-group bias is stronger for Muslim girls than for Muslim boys. Conversely, we expect non-Muslim youth to be more open to befriend Muslim girls than Muslim boys. Applying stochastic actor-oriented models of network dynamics to large-scale longitudinal data of friendship networks in German schools, we find that Muslim girls indeed have a strong in-group bias, whereas non-Muslim youth are not reluctant to be friends with them. Muslim boys, by contrast, have a much weaker in-group bias, but non-Muslim youth are less willing to be friends with them rather than with non-Muslims. A simulation analysis demonstrates that these gendered individual-level processes result in comparable aggregate patterns of friendship segregation among Muslim boys and girls. Religious friendship segregation thus arises because Muslim girls tend to self-segregate and non-Muslim youth are less willing to befriend Muslim boys although the latter are open to interreligious friendships. This gendered friendship-making behavior has implications for the larger question of minority social integration.