Structure Of Support Networks Research Articles

Harvesting connections: the role of stakeholders’ network structure, dynamics and actors’ influence in shaping farmers’ markets

AbstractFarmers’ markets (FMs) represent a crucial player in urban food systems, being the interconnection of local agricultural production and consumption, and serving as spaces for both economic exchange and community building. Despite their transformative potential, there is a scarcity of research that comprehensively investigates the dynamics of FMs network structure and the influence of the actors shaping FMs. The present article delves into the network of relationships within FMs in the Italian city of Bologna. This study adopts the Social Network Analysis (SNA) methodology applied with the Net-Map tool. The research objectives are to visualise the underlying network structure, map the dynamics, and identify the key actors who play pivotal roles in Bologna’s FMs and their level of influence. The research carried out interviews with ten FMs stakeholders, revealing the network of relationships between 54 actors, divided into three categories—civil society, food economy and public administration. Actors were linked by a total of 428 relationships across three types of networks: support, economic, and hindering. Findings indicate a strong support network structure characterised by varying degrees of centrality among different actors. Farmers emerge as a central node due to their pivotal role in providing fresh, local produce. Additionally, local institutions contribute significantly to FMs resilience and growth. Our research demonstrates the importance of recognising the embeddedness of FMs within the local context. By understanding the network structure and influential actors in FMs, policymakers can devise more effective policies for promoting local agriculture, and enhancing the sustainability of urban–rural exchanges. In conclusion, the present study offers valuable insights into the network dynamics of FMs, highlighting their crucial role in the sustainable development of urban and local food systems.

Self-Supporting Flexible Paper-Based Electrode Reinforced by Gradient Network Structure.

At present, the self-supporting paper-based electrode has some problems, such as low mechanical strength and insufficient flexibility, which restrict its application in flexible electronics. In this paper, FWF is used as the skeleton fiber, and the contact area and the number of hydrogen bonds of the fiber are increased by grinding the fiber and adding nanofibers to bridge it, and a level three gradient enhanced skeleton support network structure is constructed, which effectively improves the mechanical strength and foldability of the paper-based electrodes. The tensile strength of FWF15-BNF5 paper-based electrode is 7.4 MPa, the elongation at break is increased to 3.7%, the electrode thickness is as low as 66 μm, the electrical conductivities is 5.6 S cm-1, and the contact angle to electrolyte as low as 45°, which has excellent electrolyte wettability, flexibility, and foldability. After three-layer superimposed rolling, the discharge areal capacity reached 3.3 mAh cm-2 and 2.9 mAh cm-2 at the rate of 0.1 C and 1.5 C, respectively, which was superior to the commercial LFP electrode, it had good cycle stability, and the areal capacity was 3.0 mAh cm-2 and 2.8 mAh cm-2 after 100 cycles at the rate of 0.3 C and 1.5 C.

Adolescent-Adult Social Networks and Experiences of Violence Among Black Youth in Neighborhoods With High Levels of Community Violence

PurposeAdult support is inversely linked to health-affecting risk behaviors. This study aimed to describe adolescent-adult support network structure and quality, and to analyze associations among network properties, strength of emotional and instrumental support, and violence involvement among predominantly Black youth residing in neighborhoods with high levels of community violence. MethodsOne hundred six youth from urban neighborhoods with high levels of community violence in Pittsburgh, PA completed egocentric social network surveys describing adult supports, measures of support across contexts, and past 30-day violence perpetration, victimization, and witnessing. Forty youth-identified adults completed complementary social network surveys. Poisson regression examined associations among strength of social support, adults’ violence experiences, and youths’ violence experiences. ResultsMean youth participant age was 16.7 years, 56% self-identified as female, and 84% as Black or African-American. Youth and adult participants reported high levels of violence exposure and involvement. Youth identified a mean of 4.8 adult supports. Identifying at least one immediate family member in their network was inversely related to violence perpetration (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.22–0.89), victimization (aIRR 0.42, 95% CI 0.25–0.72), and witnessing (aIRR 0.48, 95% CI 0.35–0.64). The percent of adult supports involved in violence was directly associated with violence perpetration (aIRR 1.81, 95% CI 1.07–3.07), victimization (aIRR 1.95, 95% CI 1.09–3.45), and witnessing (aIRR 1.85, 95% CI 1.25–2.73). Few associations emerged between the structure of youth-reported adolescent-adult social networks and violence. DiscussionNetwork-based interventions combined with healing-centered services attuned to violence experiences among Black youth and their adult supports may offer opportunities to leverage youths’ existing adult support network and reduce violence.

Egocentric network characteristics of people who inject drugs in the Chicago metro area and associations with hepatitis C virus and injection risk behavior

BackgroundHepatitis C (HCV) infection has been rising in the suburban and rural USA, mainly via injection-based transmission. Injection and sexual networks are recognized as an important element in fostering and preventing risky behavior; however, the role of social support networks has received somewhat less attention.MethodsUsing baseline data from an ongoing longitudinal study, we examined the composition and structure of injection drug use (IDU), sex, and social support networks of young people who inject drugs (aged 18–30) and their injection network members. Lasso logistic regression was used to select a subset of network characteristics that were potentially important predictors of injection risk behaviors and HCV exposure.ResultsSeveral measures of IDU, sexual, and support network structure and composition were found to be associated with HCV exposure, receptive syringe sharing (RSS), and ancillary equipment sharing. Gender and sexual relationships were important factors for all risk behaviors. Support network characteristics were also important, notably including a protective effect of majority Hispanic support networks for RSS and HCV exposure. Both IDU network residence heterogeneity and support network geography were associated with injection equipment sharing.ConclusionsThe associations of IDU and support network geography with equipment sharing highlight the need to extend harm reduction efforts beyond urban areas. Greater understanding of support network influences on risk behavior may provide important insights to strengthen the benefits of harm reduction. In considering the probability of HCV transmission, it is important to consider setting and network structures that promote propagation of risk.

Influence of Social Support Network and Perceived Social Support on the Subjective Wellbeing of Mothers of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study explored the relations between the social support network of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), perceived social support, and their subjective wellbeing. The participants were mothers of children with ASD in Shanghai. Their social support network structure was explored via the nomination method. Perceived social support was measured using the Revised Social Provisions Scale for Autism (R-SPS-A), and the mothers’ subjective wellbeing was assessed using the Index of Wellbeing, Index of General Affect. A significant correlation was observed between the subjective wellbeing of mothers of children with ASD and perceived social support. Meanwhile, perceived social support was significantly correlated with the effectiveness of overall social support. Finally, perceived social support was also significantly correlated with the network size of social support. Moreover, the effectiveness of social support was significantly associated with the network size of social support and was highly significantly associated with the degree of intimacy of social support. Furthermore, the network size of instrumental support has a significant influence on all perceived social support subdimensions. Overall, social support effectiveness plays an important role in the social support network mechanism on perceived social support and subjective wellbeing in China.

Effects of support network structure and position on cancer care experience

The social support that cancer patients receive from their social environment is extremely crucial for their cancer treatment. In this study, we develop a theoretical model to understand the effect of cancer patients’ support network on their experience with cancer care. To do so, the dataset of the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey (NCPES) 2010 was employed, which is among the largest datasets to capture patients’ experience with cancer care. However, the NCPES lacked clear affiliative information for conducting social network analytics and required a number of assumptions to be made regarding what constitutes evidence for a relationship. Python was used to extract social network data followed by Ego-net to calculate the social network properties of 43,674 cancer patients that have completed the survey. The results of Pearson correlation, T-test and hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that cancer care experience is positively associated with ego density and degree centrality and negatively associated with efficiency. The findings are important for both the social network and healthcare community to improve the future service quality for patients.

“Body and Soul Pain”

Violence is a problem to be understood in an interdisciplinary way. This qualitative study aimed to understand the conception of women who experienced marital violence and structurally analyze their social support networks. Five women who reported their spouses to the Women’s Police Station (DECCM) and were being monitored by the Technical Team of the Women’s Emergency Support Service (SAPEM) were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. A constructive-interpretive analysis was performed to identify the conceptions of experience of marital violence and through the Calgary Family Assessment Model (CFAM) it was possible to make an analysis and a graphic representation of the social support network for the women participating in this study. In general, it was observed that all women understand physical violence as actions that cause damage to the human anatomical and physiological structure. However, their conceptions are not limited to physical injury; they are also related to affective issues. For the participants, conjugal violence is not fragmented into “types of violence”, on the contrary, it occurs “agglutinated”, affecting the body and soul. Regarding the development of women’s social support network, they all have a family member as support – usually sons/daughters or mothers – and most of them count on the SAPEM technical team. The police station/police is also part of the network. Therefore, these tactics used in the social support network structure have different mechanisms by which the women reorganized their stories, electing some people and/or institutions, excluding others, highlighting this or that person and/or institution to make them agents for minimizing threatening behavior to themselves and their families. These people, when called in, seem to act either to curb violence and to strengthen the couple’s marital bonds or to break these bonds

Beginning teachers’ professional support: A mixed methods social network study

Drawing theoretically from the social network perspective, this article focuses on the collegial support networks of two beginning teachers, and how this is related to their job attitudes. A whole-school survey to investigate the support network structure of their primary school team, and an in-depth interview with the beginning teacher to explore the content of the support they receive, were employed. The results revealed that having access to professional support for diverse challenges and from a number of colleagues is important for job attitudes. Implications for stimulating professional interactions among beginning teachers and their colleagues are provided.

Desplazamiento forzado y adaptación al contexto de destino: el caso de Barranquilla

En este artículo se analizan los efectos que el desplazamiento puede generar en a) la estructura de la red de apoyo social de los desplazados, b) en el empleo y c) en variables de implicación comu­nitaria. Se trata de un estudio comparativo en el que se entrevistó a 62 residentes en dos zonas de bajos recursos en Barranquilla, Colombia, de los que la mitad son desplazados. Entre los hallazgos se observó que el análisis de redes egocéntricas evidencia que las personas que trabajan tienen redes más diversificadas geográficamente; que los entrevistados poseen redes densas con alto grado de solapamiento, y que el tiempo de residencia es un factor clave que facilita la identificación con la comunidad y la participación en las iniciativas de desarrollo de esta. Mientras que con el análisis de conglomerados se identificaron dos grupos diferenciados por su nivel de ingreso, por el tiem­po de residencia en la comunidad de destino y por el número de familiares con los que convive.

Examining the Interaction of Extroversion and Network Structure in the Formation of Effective Informal Support Networks

This study on informal support networks bridges the traditionally disparate disciplines of personality theory and social network theory, and examines the impact of extroversion on the structure of support networks, as well as the relative contribution of network structure versus extroversion to a critical element of network effectiveness: trust. Two uestionnaires measuring extroversion and social support network characteristics were administered to 113 university business students. Although no impact of extroversion was found on certain dimensions of network structure (e.g., size, diversity, behavioral aspects of strength of ties), introverts and extroverts differed in terms of affective aspects of strength of ties and embeddedness. Furthermore, although we failed to find a significant interaction effect of extroversion and embeddedness on trust, both extroversion and strength of ties predicted trust. In addition, extroverts’ networks were characterized by higher levels of intimacy and trust, which may

A Social Network Analysis of Necessity Entrepreneurial Support Network Structure

A Social Network Analysis of Necessity Entrepreneurial Support Network Structure

Residential mobility and the spatial dispersion of personal networks: Effects on social support

Using a representative national sample of personal networks, this article explores how the spatial dispersion of networks, residential mobility and social support are linked. Three issues will be addressed here. Firstly, how is the spatial dispersion of personal networks related to individuals’ social characteristics, network composition and residential mobility? Secondly, how do the spatial dispersion of networks, residential mobility and their combined effect influence the number and (thirdly) the structure of emotional support ties? Results showed that the extent of the support was affected neither by the geographical distribution of the networks nor by residential mobility. Living far from one's birthplace, however, exerted two distinct, and opposite effects on the support network structure. On the one hand, mobility led to high spatial dispersion of personal contacts, which in turn favored a sparsely knit network centered around the mobile individual. On the other hand, by controlling for the effect of distance between the contacts, we found that individuals that cited long-distance ties tended to be part of more transitive support networks than those that cited local ties. We interpreted the latter effect as evidence that transitive ties may survive greater spatial distances than intransitive ones. These findings are discussed in view of spatial mobility and social network research.

Newcomers' support network structure and mental health

Newcomers' support network structure and mental health

Social support network structure in older people: Underlying dimensions and association with psychological and physical health

Social networks have been associated with a wide variety of health outcomes in older people. We examined the dimensions underlying the Wenger social support network type assessment to identify dimensions associated with mental and physical health. We interviewed 1334 community-dwelling participants aged 65+. The Geriatric Mental State automated geriatric examination for computer-assisted taxonomy interview was used to rate psychiatric symptoms and quality of life. Cognitive impairment was defined as a score of <24 on the mini mental state examination. Clustering around latent variables identified two uncorrelated social support network domains: family (distance from and contact with relatives) and social engagement. Social engagement was associated with a lower age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of depression (odds ratio for a one-tertile increase 0.48), generalised anxiety disorder (OR 0.60), cognitive impairment (OR 0.68) and physical disability (OR 0.62) all p < 0.001. Adjusted for age, sex, depression, cognitive impairment and disability, the social engagement domain was also associated with better quality of life (OR 1.5) self-rated happiness (OR 1.3) and rating life as worth living (OR 1.4). The family domain, on the other hand, was not significantly associated with any health outcome. The results suggest that elective relationships and social engagement are the ‘active ingredients’ of social networks which promote health in later life.

Entrepreneurial Geographies: Support Networks in Three High-Technology Industries

Using a unique database derived from prospectuses for U.S. initial public stock offerings, we examine the location of four actors (the firm’s lawyers, the venture capitalists on the board of directors, the other members of the board of directors, and the lead investment banker) of the entrepreneurial support network for startup firms in three high-technology industries: semiconductors, telecommunications equipment, and biotechnology. We demonstrate that the economic geography of the biotechnology support network differs significantly from the networks in semiconductors and telecommunications equipment. Biotechnology has a far-more-dispersed entrepreneurial support network structure than do the two electronics-related industries. The case of biotechnology indicates that if the source of seeds for new firms is highly dispersed, then an industry may not experience the path-dependent clustering suggested by geographers. We argue that contrary to common belief, biotechnology and its support network do not exhibit as great a clustering as do semiconductors and telecommunications equipment and their support networks. This argument leads to an epistemological issue, namely, the lack of interindustry comparative work. This is an odd omission, since nearly all authors agree that industries are based on particular knowledge bases, yet few consider that the knowledge and the sources of it may have an impact on spatial distributions.

Social Support Structures and Predictors of Depression in Persons Who Are Seropositive

Survey data from 87 seropositive individuals were analysed to assess the extent to which: (1) the social-support network changes over the course of three levels of seropositivity (HIV asymptomatic, HIV symptomatic and AIDS); (2) certain types of support providers are associated with lower depression; and (3) the relative contribution of support network diversity, emotional support from several categories of providers (family of origin, friends, spouses/partners, and weak ties) and locus of control to depression. Results indicate that the support-network structure changes when symptoms appear, most notably reliance on weak ties decreases and on family of origin increases. Results also indicate that persons drawing on a particular support provider are no less depressed than persons not drawing on that support provider. However, health, social locus of control and increasing levels of emotional support from friends, family and weak ties all make independent contributions to lower depression. Future research is suggested to explore the transition points among HIV asymptomatic, HIV symptomatic and AIDS conditions.