It seems Americans are not only unhealthy (Marmot et al, 2006) but are also
friendless!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
http://www.asanet.org/galleries/default-file/June06ASRFeature.pdf
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5509381
Social Isolation in America: Changes in Core Discussion Networks over Two
Decades
Have the core discussion networks of Americans changed in the past two
decades? In 1985, the General Social Survey (GSS) collected the first
nationally representative data on the confidants with whom Americans discuss
important matters. In the 2004 GSS the authors replicated those questions to
assess social change in core network structures. Discussion networks are
smaller in 2004 than in 1985. The number of people saying there is no one with
whom they discuss important matters nearly tripled. The mean network size
decreases by about a third (one confidant), from 2.94 in 1985 to 2.08 in
2004. The modal respondent now reports having no confidant; the modal
respondent in 1985 had three confidants. Both kin and non-kin confidants were
lost in the past two decades, but the greater decrease of non-kin ties leads
to more confidant networks centered on spouses and parents, with fewer
contacts through voluntary associations and neighborhoods. Most people have
densely interconnected confidants similar to them. Some changes reflect the
changing demographics of the U.S. population. Educational heterogeneity of
social ties has decreased, racial heterogeneity has increased. The data
may overestimate the number of social isolates, but these shrinking networks
reflect an important social change in America.
________________________________________________
Adam P. Coutts
Post-doctoral fellow
Center of Society, Human Development and Health,
Harvard School of Public Health,
677 Huntington Avenue,
Boston, MA 02115-6096
UK address:
Magdalene College,
University of Cambridge,
CB3 0AG.
email: [log in to unmask]
-------------------
Problems/Questions? Send it to Listserv owner: [log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe, send the following message in the text section -- NOT the subject header -- to [log in to unmask]
SIGNOFF SDOH
DO NOT SEND IT BY HITTING THE REPLY BUTTON. THIS SENDS THE MESSAGE TO THE ENTIRE LISTSERV AND STILL DOES NOT REMOVE YOU.
To subscribe to the SDOH list, send the following message to [log in to unmask] in the text section, NOT in the subject header.
SUBSCRIBE SDOH yourfirstname yourlastname
To post a message to all 1000+ subscribers, send it to [log in to unmask]
Include in the Subject, its content, and location and date, if relevant.
For a list of SDOH members, send a request to [log in to unmask]
To receive messages only once a day, send the following message to [log in to unmask]
SET SDOH DIGEST
To view the SDOH archives, go to: https://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/sdoh.html
|