Personal Networks Research Articles

Multiplicities and fluidity in the networked relationships of migrant academics in Britain

AbstractIncreasing internationalization and marketization of higher education, global research collaboration, and staff mobility place academics' networking practices at the centre of higher education systems. Migrant academics are conceptualized with different network types including personal, local and transnational family and friendship networks. However, this research aims to understand the boundaries between different types of participants' networked relationships. The data of this paper comes from a larger research project on transnational family relationships of migrant academics conducted between 2018 and 2022. Life story interviews with 45 migrant academics from 27 different national backgrounds working at British universities were conducted. Additionally, sociogram maps are used as embedded in qualitative interviews. Migration background (as European or non‐European countries); gender; age; the length of the stay in the UK; academic position/contract type; annual income level and marital/relationship status were considered while forming the sample. The findings reveal that network forms and structures do not determine the resources and benefits of relationships; rather, individuals' actions over a time period and the meanings they attribute shape the positions of an alter (other actors that the focal person have connection with) within the personal network structure. As such, actions and meanings regarding those actions can bring one forward or backward in the personal network hierarchy. The boundaries regarding the content of these networks are usually blurred in relation to time, relationality and human agency attributing specific sets of meanings to certain relationships. The findings of this research translate into specific contributions to the discussions in migration and social network research. That is, research findings emphasized that different types of networks shaping participants' lives and migratory experiences are far from being stable and fixed, rather, they are characterized by being transmissive and dynamic. It is revealed that none of the network categories are homogenous, stable and fixed in terms of the content of the relationships. This adds to Emirbayer and Goodwin's (1994) discussions around the ‘form’ and the ‘content’ of networks. This paper underscores the significance of the historical settings, dynamism and the content of each relationship in understanding individual networks.

Increasing teacher professionalism through the implementation of digital academic supervision in Indonesian secondary school: Personal learning networks as mediator

This research investigates the impact of digital academic supervision (DAS) on teacher professionalism (TP), with a focus on the mediating role of personal learning networks (PLNs) and their implication for educational policy. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), data were collected from 276 teachers in prestigious secondary schools in East Java, Indonesia. The study uses a regression model design to explore direct and mediated effects between DAS, PLNs, and TP. Findings demonstrate that DAS directly impacts both PLNs (0.638) and TP (0.550), while PLNs also directly influence TP (0.293). Mediated analysis indicates that DAS enhances TP through PLNs (0.187). These results underscore the importance of digital tools in academic supervision, fostering collaboration, and promoting teacher professional development. The empirical evidence supports the effectiveness of DAS in enhancing teacher professionalism, suggesting significant implications for educational policy and practice in Indonesia in terms of regulatory framework, such as data privacy and security, standardization, training programs, and certification and accreditation.

Witness of Christ and Brazilian Repression: Charles Harper’s Report to the World Council of Churches on His Visit to São Paulo in September 1977

Abstract This article analyzes a letter by Charles Roy Harper Jr., coordinator of the Human Rights Resources Office for Latin America at the World Council of Churches (WCC), written in 1977 during his visit to São Paulo amid the military dictatorship. In it, Harper tells other members of the council about the role played by the church in resisting the dictatorship, the repression orchestrated by the government against democratic forces, and some events such as the Solidarity Act at the Catedral da Penha and the invasion of the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo. Observing Harper’s personal networks and enthusiastic view on the church’s stance on resisting authoritarianism during the period, this article examines the importance of the relationship between WCC and the Archdiocese of São Paulo in monitoring the situation of human rights violations in Brazil.

An initial assessment of an opinion leader-informed intervention to improve concussion-related outcomes among middle school parents: a randomized controlled trial

Introduction There is a need for evidence-based prevention programming that can reduce head impacts and increase reporting and disclosure of concussion. This study assessed an intervention to decrease concussion risk and improve concussion management through improving concussion-related knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and self-efficacy among parents in the middle school (MS) sport setting. Patients and methods This randomized controlled trial (NCT04841473) examined parents of MS-aged children. Participants were randomized into one of two study arms: (1) CDC, which completed an education training module that compiled concussion education from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and (2) TRAIN + CDC, which completed the CDC training module and an additional TRAIN educational module that provided strategies (originating from the Popular Opinion Leader framework) on communicating such information with one’s personal peer networks and children. Validated measures of concussion-related knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and self-efficacy were collected before completing the training modules and one week following completion. Linear mixed model analyses examined differences in outcomes between study arms. Results Overall, 103 parents completed the training modules and had valid pre- and post-intervention data (TRAIN + CDC n = 49; CDC n = 54). Analyses found that the study arms did not differ in the change scores from pre- to post-intervention across concussion-related outcomes. However, scores from pre- to post-intervention improved across both study arms for knowledge metrics, such as ‘Concussions are less likely to happen when athletes play by the rules of the sport’ (p < 0.001), and self-efficacy metrics, such as feeling confident in one’s knowledge and recognition of concussion symptoms (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusions Although study arms did not differ in change scores from pre- to post-intervention, beneficial increases were nonetheless found across both knowledge and self-efficacy. Additional research is needed to further examine the beneficial manners in which concussion education can be best delivered and the most effective.

Unravelling the Motivations behind Students’ Academic Migrations in Nepal: A Mixed-methods Approach

Background: Academic migration in Nepal is a complex phenomenon influenced by various factors that impact students' decision-making processes. Policymakers and educators need to understand these motivations. Methodology: This study investigates why Nepalese students are increasingly choosing to pursue academic opportunities abroad, and domestically. Using a mixed-methods approach, a cross-sectional time horizon was adopted in the Gulmi district of Lumbini province, Nepal. Results: Results show that factors like educational quality, educational opportunities, and career opportunities play a role in motivating academic migration; there is not a significant association between domestic and international academic migration plans with their educational purpose (p = .681), and with career purposes (p = .426). KII and FDG highlighted the lack of learning and earning schemes, demanded courses, technical training for practical courses, career opportunities, and job opportunities for students forced to migrate. Conclusion: The studies on academic migration highlight the complex factors driving students to seek education abroad, including attitudes towards staying in the host country, socio-economic and psychological impacts, and better career prospects. Economic considerations are a primary motivator, with personal attitudes and social networks also influential. For Nepalese students, interest in international migration is driven by perceived better quality of education, extra-curricular opportunities, and political stability. Chi-Square tests show no significant difference in migration plans based on educational or career purposes, indicating similar motivations for domestic and international migrants. Novelty: The study's strength is in identifying the multifaceted reasons behind students' decisions to migrate, which include economic, social, and personal factors. It highlights the role of students' attitudes as a mediator in their migration decisions, a nuanced aspect not widely explored in previous research. Furthermore, the Nepalese context provides a unique perspective on how local conditions and perceptions of opportunities abroad shape migration trends.

‘I’m not going to feed the bailiffs’: personal bankruptcy and debtor agency in narrative accounts of struggling debtors

ABSTRACT The article uses the formal instrument of personal bankruptcy proceedings as an illuminating context to contribute to the scholarship on the lived experience of overindebtedness. Through the analysis of 29 in-depth interviews with heavy debtors living in Czechia, we provide a focus on debtor agency, exploring how bankruptcy interrelates with how struggling debtors narratively approach debt and construct their capacity to act. We show that first-hand accounts of (planned) participation in a bankruptcy proceeding contain a surprising number and variety of narratives of agency. Emphasizing the processual character of bankruptcy proceedings, we demonstrate that bankruptcy supports enactments of debtor agency by interfering in the temporal ordering of debt as performed by the struggling debtors, shaping the experiences of overindebtedness also among those debtors who have not (yet) entered the formal process. We show that the narrative constructions of agency as regards bankruptcy are often embedded in a neoliberal discourse of merit and self-responsibilization. While the respondents reproduce a largely depoliticized and individualized account of debt resistance that at times operates with a hierarchization of struggling debtors, disclosing bankruptcy (intentions) to others also evokes spontaneous and unorganized acts of solidarity within personal networks that empower debtors.

Exploring Cultural Capital in the College and Financial Aid Decision Process for the GEAR UP Federal Grant Program

This qualitative study investigates the relationship between cultural capital and financial aid in college decision-making through use of an updated model based on Perna’s (2006) cultural capital model, focusing on decision-making influences within the habitus layer. Researchers conducted focus groups and interviews, yielding (N=15) GEAR UP scholarship recipient participants. Findings from this study evidence the importance of personal and social networks, individual intuition, and trust in college decision-making, with these components often cited more frequently than traditionally cited factors beyond the habitus layer. This study serves as a model for investigating student decision-making, highlighting the importance of uplifting student voice, and as an initial investigation into the ways in which college-going students’ decision-making practices are changing.

How small business owners navigate stress for improved performance: Building psychological capital through peer interactions

ABSTRACT This study explores whether small business owners’ personal networks can enhance business performance by offering psychological benefits to owners, particularly, in navigating stress-inducing challenges inherent in small business ownership. Our argument centers on how peer interactions within these networks promote small business owners’ development of psychological capital, ultimately, leading to improved business performance. Drawing on social support, community psychology, and social comparison theories, we propose a model with two pathways. Structural equation modeling of survey data from the Aba industrial district in Nigeria strongly supports our model. The study advances small business literature by demonstrating the significance of personal networks in facilitating the development of internal resources, offering a new perspective on the value of these networks beyond their often-discussed role in facilitating access to external resources.

Personal Networks Supporting Workplace Learning

This paper is a case study researching personal social networks and their meaning to individual-level learning processes in the workplace. The study was based on the knowledge-creation metaphor of learning. Employees' personal networks are seen as an important component of their learning potential and competence. Methodologically, the paper presents a relatively new technique of Social Network Analysis (SNA), namely, the qualitative egocentric network interview, and a new way of presenting research findings in visual form. The context of the study is the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) and it was conducted in three companies of one brigade-level unit of the Finnish Army. An egocentric network interview was conducted with ten Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO). The interview data was analysed with qualitative content analysis, and the networks were visualised with the Cytoscape software. The egocentric network analysis showed that the people in the same company created a major support structure for the NCOs’ workplace learning. However, nearly all NCOs had important network structures that were formed around their individual expertise and tasks. The networks varied considerably in size and composition, but had certain connecting features. The networks had three main components; one, the personnel of the NCO’s own unit provided important social support. Two, every NCO had networks related to their own specific task, and three, some NCOs had networks formed through various stages of their life that were still active and useful in their current job. The different ways in which the networks enable and support workplace learning are discussed. In addition, some methodological issues of social network analysis are addressed.

A Framework for the Analysis of Personal Learning Networks

This paper reports on research undertaken to map and analyse Personal Learning Networks (PLNs). PLNs are the total preferred connections to the different people, technological devices, services, and information resources an individual uses for learning activities and learning goals in all learning contexts. Drawing from Education, Web Science, Digital Sociology and Network Science, a Framework was developed which conceptualises PLNs as egocentric interaction networks involving a mode, purpose and endpoint. The Framework introduces the idea of measuring the frequency of interaction along paths consisting of pre-determined, generalised nodes (and node sets). This eliminate network differences at the micro level and allows meaningful comparison and aggregation of individual PLNs into groups or whole samples. Quantitative survey data was collected as part of a FutureLearn MOOC and in real-time converted by a bespoke mapping and visualisation tool into an online PLN map. Analysis indicates that regardless of any contextual factors, individuals interact nearly three quarters of the time via digital devices, and just a quarter of the time face-to-face or non-digitally. One third of those interactions are with smartphones, most often for the purpose of gathering information from web searches. Individuals also interact more frequently with non-humans than they do with humans. Chi-square significance testing to examine the effect of a range of external shaping factors found that the PLNs of apparently diverse groups display a considerable homogeneity. Gender, country of residence and position on the Digital Resident-Digital Visitor spectrum have no effect on the size and use of a PLN. Age and being a UK HE student have the most effect. There may also be evidence of a Network Lifecycle, with a critical period of PLN growth occurring during the age of 18-25. This means that universities are ideally placed, indeed may even have a duty of care, to foster PLN development in educationally and personally productive ways. If HE institutions are to respond to the networked student, living, working and learning in a network age, then no longer can the learner be considered separately from the network of people, devices, services and information resources they use for daily life. Transitioning towards a PLN-centred, networked learning HE pedagogy and learning design may arguably be the most suitable response to a study body which is increasingly and inextricably embedded in a sociotechnical reality.

Integration of Gentry and Merchants in Singapore’s Chinese Community and Their Realist Policies (1877–1941)

In colonial times Chinese merchants in Singapore aspired to the status of gentry, played the role of gentry in society, and performed social functions of gentry. At the same time, some gentry became involved in trade to gain, maintain and expand their power and prestige. We call the phenomenon the integration of gentry and merchants. In the traditional research paradigm scholars have analyzed the phenomenon in terms of national, political, and cultural identity. It is true that Chinese merchant leaders in Singapore of that time considered themselves patriots of China and were devoted to China at heart. But this article reinterprets some aspects of the Chinese diaspora in Singapore. The authors outline three major sources of power: personal business networks, the Chinese government and consulate, the colonial government. To gain power, merchants used five main strategies: expanding cultural nexus of power, interlocking officership, leading political or cultural movement, political loyalty, family legacy and marriage alliances. There were four main organizational models: dialect group association, chamber of Commerce across dialect groups, British-Chinese association, and modern political organizations. Their activities are divided into four types: philanthropic business, political movements, social reform, comprehensive activities. The integration of gentry and merchants and their realist policies reflected social needs, traditional Chinese values and psychological needs. It was the essence of their economic, social and cultural activities to acquire, maintain and expand their wealth, power and prestige.

Improving the application and assessment experiences of special constable candidates in England and Wales

PurposeThis paper proposes a set of recommendations based upon the limitations found with the application and assessment process to become a Special Constable (SC) with one of the 43 police forces in England and Wales.Design/methodology/approachParticipants were recruited via online social media platforms Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as personal networks and the study was geared towards both respondents who had completed the whole of the application and assessment process, as well as those who may have withdrawn at a particular point or who failed an element of the assessment.FindingsThis study yielded several key findings. First, some respondents had limited to no knowledge of the role of the Special Constable, nor of the depth of police work that would be expected of them. Secondly, respondents indicated that they would have benefited from support during the application and assessment process, specifying the advantages that could be derived from a variety of sources such as local force input and workshop sessions. Finally, respondents stated that poor communication from recruiting teams impacted their experience of applying to the Special Constable programmes, causing them to rethink their decision to join.Originality/valueThis research proposes that a far greater input from serving Special Constables during the application and assessment process is key to improving the experiences of candidates, and to their chances of success with the programme.

Development and evaluation of an anti-ageism advisory group with older adults and gerontological experts: a qualitative descriptive study

BackgroundIn recent years, academics have increasingly acknowledged the importance of involving health service users and community stakeholders as active partners in health research. Yet, the involvement of older adults, the largest group of health service users, as research partners remains limited, possibly due to ageist attitudes that devalue older adults’ contributions. During the three years of our Awakening Canadians to Ageism study, we convened an advisory group consisting of older adults and gerontological experts to discuss issues related to ageism, help interpret the study findings, and develop a range of knowledge mobilization strategies to dispel ageism.MethodsTo understand the experiences of members of the advisory group and solicit recommendations for improving future groups, we conducted a qualitative descriptive study and interviewed 8 older adults and 6 gerontological experts. Data were content analyzed.ResultsFour categories that were developed to explain participants’ experiences and suggestions for future advisory groups included: organization and management, group experience, suggestions for future advisory groups and moving forward. A key finding was the value that the older adults and gerontological experts ascribed to conversations about the prevalence of ageism and their desire to continue these types of conversations in their personal groups and professional networks. Numerous helpful strategies for future advisory groups were identified, such as enhancing social diversity, both in terms of racial/ethnic/cultural representation and gender. Older adults wanted more “getting to know you time” in meetings and gerontological experts wanted more details about the research process and their role.ConclusionsThis study’s partnership approach can guide researchers seeking to involve key health service users and community stakeholders in health research and help enact positive social change.

Help-Seeking from Victim Services, Personal Networks, and Reporting to Police: Stalking Victim Behaviors from the 2019 NCVS Supplemental Victimization Survey.

Understanding the predictors of stalking victimization, help-seeking behaviors of stalking victims, and their reporting to police can help law enforcement and advocates improve systems and ensure they are accessible and useful to victims. Existing stalking research focuses heavily on campus-based stalking, non-nationally representative populations, and/or dated data collection methods, such as the 2006 National Crime Victimization Survey, Supplemental Victimization Survey (NCVS-SVS), an instrument that has been updated according to current stalking definitions. This study employs the latest 2019 NCVS-SVS to analyze its new stalking screening questions and additional variables. We identified predictors of (a) stalking victimization, (b) help-seeking from victim-serving agencies, (c) help-seeking from personal networks, and (d) reporting to police. Predictors of stalking victimization included younger age, identifying as female, identifying as not heterosexual, household incomes below $50,000, and any college attendance. Victims who knew their offenders (intimate or non-intimate) were more likely than victims of stranger stalking to seek help from victim-serving agencies and personal networks. Younger victims were more likely to seek help from personal networks. None of the variables we examined predicted reporting to police. This study shows the characteristics of stalking victims have stayed consistent over time but highlights an ongoing need for resources for victims of stranger stalking, who may not know about or be able to access stalking services that are offered by intimate partner violence agencies. Future research around stalking victim characteristics should focus on populations that are newly included in national stalking data, such as those who identify as transgender and sexual identity minorities.

Mentoring Experiences of New Nontenured Faculty in Undergraduate Nursing: A Qualitative Study.

Mentoring is crucial for professional development and retention of newly hired nurse faculty, yet little is known about the actual mentoring experiences of clinical nurses in their first few years following transition into academic teaching. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 23 full-time nontenure-track faculty from 10 higher education institutions in seven states in the United States. All of the faculty were in the first 3 years of teaching in 4-year undergraduate nursing programs. Five themes emerged: (1) chaotic work environments characterized by unpredictable workloads, absence of reliable support, and inconsistent access to information; (2) a de facto do-it-yourself system in which nurses pieced together their own support; (3) reliance on personal social networks; (4) yearning for real mentorship; and (5) future plans about staying in the role. A gap exists between widely touted recommendations about mentoring and the reality of mentoring for newly hired nontenure-track faculty. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(8):525-532.].

University Teachers’ Learning Experiences During Emergency-Remote-Teaching Through a Networked Learning Lens

This paper presents part of the preliminary findings of an investigation into higher education (HE) teachers’ perceptions of personal learning networks in the context of the recent emergency-remote-teaching (ERT) scenario caused by Covid19. Technology had been increasingly permeating HE long before the pandemic, blurring the lines between online and offline spaces as students and teachers engaged across both mediums in a complex web of connections to people and online resources. The pandemic induced ERT period has magnified university teachers’ use of learning networks, as many have been forced to increasingly rely on them throughout this unexpected interruption of the HE status quo. With an absence of a coherent institutionalized approach to ERT and teachers’ professional development, there has been a great diversity of teachers’ networked learning experiences during that period. This phenomenography, therefore, explores the perceptions of 18 Academic English instructors at a leading English-instruction university in Kazakhstan that was, like many other institutions worldwide, forced to abruptly go online. The semi-structured interviews targeted the teacher’s diversified views on the benefits and challenges of network use and how these networks can be used to connect to others and online resources, using the Networked Learning lens. The present paper includes some of the preliminary findings from the ongoing research project focusing on several interlinked aspects of teachers’ perceptions and experiences of networked learning during the ERT period. The results thus far show that Academic English instructors perceive the core benefits of their network use at least in four different ways as enabling flexible access to online resources, enabling flexible access to others, facilitating personalised and focussed one-to-one pedagogical interactions (both with their colleagues and students), and maintaining and developing a sense of belonging to different academic communities (removing temporal-and-spatial barriers). The authors expect to provide more comprehensive (if not final) findings and insights during the presentation.

Enabling Seamless Connectivity: Networking Innovations in Wireless Sensor Networks for Industrial Application.

The wide-ranging applications of the Internet of Things (IoT) show that it has the potential to revolutionise industry, improve daily life, and overcome global challenges. This study aims to evaluate the performance scalability of mature industrial wireless sensor networks (IWSNs). A new classification approach for IoT in the industrial sector is proposed based on multiple factors and we introduce the integration of 6LoWPAN (IPv6 over low-power wireless personal area networks), message queuing telemetry transport for sensor networks (MQTT-SN), and ContikiMAC protocols for sensor nodes in an industrial IoT system to improve energy-efficient connectivity. The Contiki COOJA WSN simulator was applied to model and simulate the performance of the protocols in two static and moving scenarios and evaluate the proposed novelty detection system (NDS) for network intrusions in order to identify certain events in real time for realistic dataset analysis. The simulation results show that our method is an essential measure in determining the number of transmissions required to achieve a certain reliability target in an IWSNs. Despite the growing demand for low-power operation, deterministic communication, and end-to-end reliability, our methodology of an innovative sensor design using selective surface activation induced by laser (SSAIL) technology was developed and deployed in the FTMC premises to demonstrate its long-term functionality and reliability. The proposed framework was experimentally validated and tested through simulations to demonstrate the applicability and suitability of the proposed approach. The energy efficiency in the optimised WSN was increased by 50%, battery life was extended by 350%, duplicated packets were reduced by 80%, data collisions were reduced by 80%, and it was shown that the proposed methodology and tools could be used effectively in the development of telemetry node networks in new industrial projects in order to detect events and breaches in IoT networks accurately. The energy consumption of the developed sensor nodes was measured. Overall, this study performed a comprehensive assessment of the challenges of industrial processes, such as the reliability and stability of telemetry channels, the energy efficiency of autonomous nodes, and the minimisation of duplicate information transmission in IWSNs.

How Do Personal Networks Affect Adherence to Epidemiological Measures, Vaccine Hesitancy, and the Risk Assessment of COVID-19?

How Do Personal Networks Affect Adherence to Epidemiological Measures, Vaccine Hesitancy, and the Risk Assessment of COVID-19?

Personal Networks, Board Structures and Corporate Fraud in Japan

We examine the impact of corporate governance and personal networks on corporate fraud in Japanese companies, using panel logit and Cox proportional hazard models to analyze fraud occurrence and detection. This study focuses on the effects of Japan’s recent corporate governance reform and explores the unique influence of personal networks. Our key findings indicate that recent changes in corporate governance in Japan have been effective in preventing the occurrence of fraud and accelerating its detection. Additionally, stronger personal networks among board members help prevent fraud concealment, highlighting cultural differences in the effectiveness of personal networks in corporate governance compared to findings from Europe and the US.

Conceptualizing the social networks of children of parents with serious mental illness: a thematic analysis.

Social networks, defined as the set of active and significant ties surrounding an individual, influence the wellbeing of vulnerable children. The best evidenced mechanism through which this occurs is where networks act as a vehicle to access social support. Little is known about the content and function of social networks of children of parents with severe and enduring mental illness (COPMI). COPMI are a frequently under-identified vulnerable child population at risk of negative outcomes. This qualitative study investigates the structure, role and function of these children's networks. Researchers conducted 17 semi-structured egocentric social network interviews. Interviews incorporated personal network mapping as a data collection method. COPMI were recruited through third sector organizations and interviewed across three sites in England. Data was analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis. Five network features were identified (i) parents as primary providers of support (i) limited networks and diminished connections over time (iii) substitutable ties (formal and informal) (iv) peer connections as source of both support and strain (v) coping strategies: self-censorship, avoidance and animals. Children of parents with severe and enduring mental illness networks are structurally typical of vulnerable children in that they are limited, rely on parents as primary ties but allow for some substitution of support ties. COPMI-specific features included peer relationships at times as source of strain and network level coping strategies used to manage wellbeing, including pets. This latter reflects previous findings in vulnerable adult populations so far unevidenced in children. Little evidence as to the mechanistic effect at work within networks was collected. However, COPMI were clearly shown to be engaged in active management and strategising in network navigation approaches, indicating the need to engage with children in this capacity, rather than approaching them as passive recipients of support. As such, effective network level interventions for this group are likely to prioritize access to beneficial substitute ties when support is limited. Additionally, interventions that promote network navigation skills and help foster productive coping strategies can capitalize on the child's active management role within their network.