Social connectedness

The authors investigated a combined social and emotional learning and mindfulness-based intervention as delivered by school
counselors to students in classrooms and their teachers using consultation practices. The study used a cluster-randomized design
at the classroom level, with an ethnically diverse sample of 109 middle school students divided between treatment and delayed
treatment groups. Analyses found significant intervention effects for the treatment group in students’ changes in stress tolerance,
social curiosity, executive functioning (i.e., shift, plan and organize, and task monitoring), and academic achievement (i.e.,
mathematics, science, English, and social studies). Implications of these findings evince how theory-informed school counseling can
contribute to important outcomes in educational settings.

The use of social media is rapidly increasing, and one of the major discussions of the 21st Century revolves around how the use of these applications will impact on the social relationships of users. To contribute to this discussion, we present a brief narrative review highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of social media use on three key aspects of social connectedness: social capital, sense of community, and loneliness. The results indicate that using social media can increase social capital, lead to the formation of friendships and communities, and reduce loneliness. However, some social media site users may experience weakening friendships, online ostracism, and heightened loneliness. Therefore, we argue that the use of social media has contradictory effects on social connectedness. Moreover, the direction of these outcomes is contingent upon who is using the site, and how they are using it. Based on these arguments, possible directions for future research are discussed. It is recommended that discourse be continued relating to the association between online social behaviour and connectedness, as this will enable researchers to establish whether the positive outcomes of social media use outweigh the negative.

In this paper, we review the literature on online social networking and social connectedness. We trace the definitions of these concepts, describing how social networking affects the quality and number of connections an individual has with other people. We then argue, using the subcategories of social media clutter and erosion of privacy, and with the prime example of Facebook social network, the proposition that as the popularity of online social networking rises, there is an accompanying decline in social connectedness among the users of these online services. Indeed, we note the current trend that social networking sites are becoming a prime source for divorce case evidence due to public over-sharing. We posit that while public sharing may be considered the new social norm, it does not necessarily translate to a more socially connected society; most online connections, apart from with people the users are already connected to in real life, such as family, are mostly superficial and lack depth. We conclude by highlighting the need for empirical research to validate this trend, and more so in a developing country like Kenya in order to establish the extent of online social networking’s contribution to this decline in social connectedness, and possibly also establish other contributing factors.

This research paper talks about Value of Social Capital. This paper reveals corporate, entrepreneurs are boosting their
performances, touching heights by considering social capital as important aspect. Due to nice cooperation among society it results
to financial development. It’s not just human capital which should be considered but today it is important to consider social capital
as well to develop careers. Here we got to know about relation between social capital and Globalization. Information technology
has the potential to increase social capital. This paper was reviewed and explained with the help of Secondary data available
through various journals, magazines, previous research papers and other useful internet material. Paper presents and attempts to
study the concept of social capital, various factors impacting decisions of Human, Economy. Apart from considering importance of
Social Capital this paper pays attention to its critical aspect as well.

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to express gratitude to the transgender and gender non-conforming participants who so openly shared their experiences with us in an effort to help advance knowledge, understanding, and ultimately well-being for TGNC communities. We would also like to thank Ashley Mason-Elrod for her fastidious work on this project. Finally, the authors acknowledge the Ware Foundation for its steadfast commitment to human rights and social justice and for providing the necessary funding to support this research. Self-esteem among TGNC Adults

The authors examined the effects of the Student Success Skills program on executive functioning, feelings of connectedness,
and academic achievement of a sample of 193 middle school students in a predominantly Hispanic and economically challenged school district in the southwestern United States. Using multilevel regression analyses in a two-level randomized design, the authors found treatment effects for multiple executive functioning scales, feelings of connectedness to classmates, and mathematics and reading achievement.

This paper uses the foundation of the conceptual framework proposed by Ager and Strang (2004a, 2008) to reflect on the focus and findings of papers in this special issue on refugee integration and other recent work. Arguing that ‘mid-level theory’ of the sort presented in the framework provides a strong basis for structuring academic debate and dialogue with practitioners and policymakers, we identify four key issues that although of some current interest warrant further attention. First, we consider recent evidence from Europe and elsewhere on how prevailing notions of nationhood and citizenship determine understandings of integration, and argue that this powerfully shapes the social space available to refugees with regard to ‘belonging’. Second, we note the wide adoption of concepts of social capital in framing components of social connection in the context of integration, but suggest greater attention is paid to the manner in which bonds, bridges and links establish forms of reciprocity and trust in social relations. Third, we examine the notion that integration is a ‘two way’ process, and suggest how this might be expanded to embrace the multiplicity and fluidity of social meaning and identity. Fourth, we reflect on Hobfoll’s (1998) work on ‘resource acquisition spirals’ as a basis for effectively conceptualizing the dynamic interplay between factors mapped by the framework in shaping trajectories of integration.

‘Ageing in place’ is a well-established concept within gerontological and geographical literatures as well as continuing to be mobilised as a potentially effective policy mechanism for addressing the needs and choices of ageing populations. To date, ageing in place research has highlighted many factors that enable older adults to age well in the (home) place focusing on the physical dimensions of housing or the home as a site of care. Gerontological researchers also recognise that ageing in place, or community living, implies a two-way relationship between the physical contexts and the social and emotional places of ageing. However we argue for a subtle, yet crucial, inversion of the roles of people and place in the experiences of ageing. In particular we suggest that what makes ageing in place successful is the potential of place to support meaningful relationships. We suggest that too often the word ‘place’ constrains focus to those spaces that are geographically proximate to the ageing body or are physically bounded such as the house or neighbourhood. Instead, drawing on a review of current literature, we explore the idea that what is of greater consequence to many people who are ageing in place is the multiple, networked social and non-social relations they develop across different spatial scales and over time. This revised approach to ageing in place allows us to understand better older adults’ layered connectivity to place and well as the ability to differentiate the meaning of ageing in place by the scale and types of relationships.

Autism spectrum condition (henceforth ASC) is a complex psychopathological condition characterized by repetitive and restricted patterns of behaviors, as well as by impairments in social interaction and communication. This article focuses on the idea that ASC involves impairments in the capacity to connect with the feelings and actions of others. The metaphor of social connectedness might be considered somewhat uninformative, hardly specific of ASC, and ultimately compatible with a variety of competing approaches to social impairments in ASC. Nevertheless, here I develop an account of social connectedness which plays a distinctive and informative role in further understanding ASC. My strategy is to explore the role of social reciprocity in relation to the difficulties that persons with ASC have with social connectedness. Drawing on the work of Peter Hobson, I propose that such difficulties primarily involve experiences and actions that require the uptake or response from another subject for their fulfillment. I clarify and develop this idea by introducing the concept of minimal social act, inspired by the work of the phenomenologists Adolf Reinach and Dietrich von Hildebrand, and by discussing some 4E (i.e., embodied, enactive, embedded, and extended) approaches to ASC. On the current proposal, minimal social acts are pervasive and developmentally critical experiences that have built into their conditions of success a receptiveness or responsiveness from the subject to whom they are directed.

While social connectedness is heralded as a key enabler of positive health and social outcomes for older people, rarely have they themselves had the opportunity to express their views about the concept. Working with a diverse group of Pacific, Māori, Asian and New Zealand European older adults, this paper explores what matters to older people when discussing social connectedness? We draw from individual, in-depth interviews with 44 older adults, and three group interviews comprising 32 older adults. Data were analysed using thematic and narrative analyses. The three themes identified were: getting out of the house, ability to connect and feelings of burden. Fundamental to social connectedness was participants' desire to be recognised as resourceful agents able to foster relationships on the basis of mutual respect. Social connectedness was conceptualised as multi-levelled: relating to interpersonal relationships as much as neighbourhoods and wider society. Alongside these similarities we also discuss important differences. Participants preferred to socialise with people from similar cultural backgrounds where they shared taken-for-granted social customs and knowledges. This is in the context where racism, poverty and inequalities clearly impeded already minoritised participants' sense of social connection. Key structural ways to improve social connectedness should focus on factors that enable cohesion between levels of connection, including stable neighbourhoods serviced with accessible public transport, liveable pensions and inclusivity of cultural diversity.

(1) This study aims to examine the prevalence of depression and its correlation with Acculturative Stress and Social Connectedness among domestic and international students in an international university in Japan. (2) Methods: A Web-based survey was distributed among several classes of students of the university, which yielded 268 responses. On the survey, a nine-item tool from the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Social Connectedness Scale (SCS) and Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS) were used together with socio-demographic data. (3) Results: The prevalence of depression was higher among international than domestic students (37.81% and 29.85%, respectively). English language proficiency and student age (20 years old) showed a significant correlation with depression among domestic students (β = −1.63, p = 0.038 and β = 2.24, p = 0.048). Stay length (third year) also displayed a significant correlation with depression among international students (β = 1.08, p = 0.032). Among international and domestic students, a statistically significant positive correlation between depression and acculturative stress, and negative associations of social connectedness with depression and acculturative stress were also found. (4) Conclusions: The

Technology is entwined in 21st Century society, and within the lives of people across all ages. The Technology In Later Life (TILL) study is the first piece of work contributing to the impact, behavior, and perception of technology use, by adults aged ≥70 years, residing in rural and suburban areas. TILL is an international, multi-centred, multi-methods study investigating and conceptualizing how various technologies impact the lives of older adults; residing in urban and rural locations in the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada. This in-depth study recruited 37 participants via a multi-methods approach. Analysis of the findings ascertained two overarching themes: facilitators of technology use (i.e., sharing of information and feeling secure), and detractors of technology (i.e., feelings of apprehension of use). Proposed recommendations include promotion of technology from a strengths-based perspective focusing on positive opportunities technology to improve health and wellbeing, creating a peer support network to assist with learning of new technology, and the need to examine further how intergenerational relationships may be enhanced through the use of technology. The distinction of these themes narrates to the originality of this initial study and milieu of recruited participants, intersecting across the fields of gerontology, geography, social sciences, and gerontechnology.

This study examined the role of perceived discrimination, social connectedness, age, gender, years of study in the US, English language competency, and social contact patterns on adjustment difficulties among a sample of 229 Turkish international students studying in the United States. Findings indicated that students who reported higher levels of social connectedness, lower levels of perceived discrimination, more years of study in the US, and higher levels of English language competency reported lower levels of adjustment difficulties. Other results showed that (lack of) social connectedness and perceived discrimination were predictors of adjustment difficulties. In addition, results indicated that students who socialized with individuals from the US had lower levels of adjustment difficulties than did those who socialized with coculture members. Implications are discussed and suggestions for interventions are provided.Cette étude examinait le rôle de la discrimination perçue, de l'appartenance sociale, de l'âge, du genre, du nombre d'années de scolarité aux États-Unis, des compétences langagières en anglais et des patrons de contact social dans l'émergence de difficultés d'adaptation chez un échantillon de 229 étudiants internationaux turcs poursuivant leurs études aux États-Unis. Les résultats ont indiqué que les étudiants qui rapportaient des niveaux plus élevés d'appartenance sociale et de compétence pour la langue anglophone, des niveaux plus faibles de discrimination perçue et plus d'années de scolarité aux États-Unis rapportaient moins de difficultés d'adaptation. D'autres résultats ont montré que la faible appartenance sociale et la discrimination perçue étaient des prédicteurs des difficultés d'adaptation. De plus, les résultats ont révélé que les étudiants qui socialisaient avec les résidents des États-Unis présentaient moins de difficultés d'adaptation que ceux qui socialisaient avec les membres de leur propre groupe culturel. Les implications pratiques de ces résultats sont discutées et des pistes d'intervention sont proposées.El presente estudio examinó el papel de la discriminación percibida, la vinculación social, la edad, el género, el año de estudio en los EE.UU., el dominio del idioma inglés y los patrones de contacto social en las dificultades de adaptación en una muestra de 229 estudiantes internacionales turcos que estudiaban en los Estados Unidos. Los resultados indicaron que los estudiantes que referían presentar mayores niveles de vinculación social, menores niveles de discriminación percibida, más años de estudio en los EE.UU. y mayores niveles de dominio del idioma inglés presentaron niveles más bajos de dificultades de ajuste. Otros resultados mostraron que la conexión social y la discriminación percibida fueron predictores de las dificultades en la adaptación. Además, los resultados también indicaron que los estudiantes que socializaban con los estadounidenses tenían menores niveles de dificultad en la adaptación que los que socializaban con los miembros de su propia cultura. Se discuten las implicaciones de estos resultados y se proveen sugerencias de intervención.

It is the nature of the visual artist to explore and examine both the world around and the self within, and also to experiment with new advancements in available materials. The subject of the self has been one that has been explored since the days of Aristotle; artists have commonly explored the subject through the means of self-portrait and portraiture. The artist is aware of the context in which they live and they are making work in response to this experience. If this is the case then as a visual practitioner within today’s contemporary culture it seems appropriate to explore cultural trends that exist within society. This dissertation is the result of extensive research conducted in the field of social media and the way it has affected both the way in which we explore and present the self and also how we connect with others through these new platforms.
Chapter one discusses the emergence of social networking, particularly Facebook. This first chapter attempts to dissect the way in which the emergence of this new technology has affected the way in which we accept and utilise the online interface as a site of self exploration and presentation. This leads to the second chapter in which the phenomenon of the selfie is discussed. The instantaneous nature of the selfie makes it an accessible way of communicating the self and connecting with others in a visual way. But what is the difference between a selfie and a self-portrait created by an artist? Chapter three looks at a more abstract version of the online visual self; the avatar. It will discuss how this serves as a tool of self exploration and also what effect it has on the way in which we connect with others. It is intended that through these discussions an argument will be made which will illustrate the deconstructive nature of this method of self exploration and presentation. It is the initial perception that the internet has provided a platform for masses to be more connected, more expressive and more visually communicative than ever, but I suggest that this is at the expense of what makes us human. To what extent are we in control of what’s online and to what extent are we influenced by it?

Over the past two decades, young people's engagement in online activities has grown markedly. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between two specific online behaviors (i.e., cyberbullying perpetration, problematic social media use) and their relationships with social connectedness, belongingness, depression, and self-esteem among high school and university students. Data were collected from two different study groups via two questionnaires that included the Cyberbullying Offending Scale, Social Media Use Questionnaire, Social Connectedness Scale, General Belongingness Scale, Short Depression-Happiness Scale, and Single Item Self-Esteem Scale. Study 1 comprised 804 high school students (48% female; mean age 16.20 years). Study 2 comprised 760 university students (60% female; mean age 21.48 years). Results indicated that problematic social media use and cyberbullying perpetration (which was stronger among high school students) were directly associated with each other. Belongingness (directly) and social connectedness (indirectly) were both associated with cyberbullying perpetration and problematic social media use. Path analysis demonstrated that while age was a significant direct predictor of problematic social media use and cyberbullying perpetration among university students, it was not

This literature review focuses on the relationship between everyday mobile messaging and social connectedness. It highlights studies in which people use mobile messaging, like texting and mobile multimedia messaging, as a means of cultivating and maintaining social relations.  The literature review will delve into the relevance of social connectedness for person-to-person texting and bulk messaging in the form of organizational texting.  Included is a review of research studies and their methodologies on how mobile messaging, like SMS texting has been repurposed within organizations for a variety of service objectives, including mobile learning. The concept of social connectedness, as fostered by mobile phone messaging is important in people’s lives as it reflects their continuous and affective interactions and experiences, sense of belonging with a single friend, family member or a group. The cultivation of social connectedness can be used as an agent for socio-emotional goals that can feed healthy outlooks for various constituents like learners of all ages to senior citizens.  The potential constructive impact for
people in these communities range from feelings of belonging, perceived usefulness to academic success.

Chinese learners have frequently demonstrated academic achievement that outshines their Western counterparts; but research has suggested that various nurturing, teaching, and learning conditions in the Chinese context are often considered unfavorable to learning in the West. Against this background, the chapter revisits the paradox of Chi-nese learners by drawing upon research and current theories of motivation and learning. Through a cultural lens, the authors discuss pertinent personal and social-contextu-al factors influencing Chinese learners' academic success. In particular, attention is directed to learners' self-efficacy and connectedness. The chapter offers a consolidated picture of how Chinese learners are actually nurtured, and identifies some culturally sensitive notions in the research literature. The arguments here should alert researchers and practitioners to some key cultural differences when interpreting research and practice.

Consistent with predictions derived from the self-expansion model, this three-year longitudinal study found that: participation in more college groups during sophomore year predicted increases in inclusion of the college community in the self at the end of junior year, which further predicted increases in satisfaction with the college experience at the end of senior year (full mediation). This study offers college community connectedness as a theoretically-grounded mechanism to explain why extra-curricular involvement is such an important piece of the college experience, confirming what student affairs professionals already know: connectedness matters.

For this coursework, I have chosen to analyse the digital bracelet scenario. There is a need for families and couples to connect with each other when in different locations and during the course of a day. While the market for digital watches and other digital jewellery is growing as we speak, there appears to be a lack of research and practice on the utlity of digital objects to enhance social connections, or to understand what the main needs or goals are in this domain. A digital bracelet should enhance ‘social touch’ between people when they are in different places. I will be investigating this scenario by undertaking research to enable me to analyse the tasks and requirements for it. I will be conducting online research as well as performing my own research on actual potential users through interviews. I will then analyse the data gathered from my research where I will examine the interaction between people using two methods from the course material. This will then be followed by design work where I will be drawing on my analysis and producing draft specification documents for my design. And finally, to conclude this coursework, I will be critiquing the analysis methods used and assess how I would adjust the process if I were to use it again in the future.

g is a powerful personal tool that sustains social
connectedness. Texting has surpassed mobile voice
calling in the USA [8]. However, the power of texting
remains untapped within work and educational arenas.
This gap exists because there is a dearth in
understanding the smaller yet crucial components that
are part of successful texting communication. What is
missing is an exploration of social connectedness
through socio-emotional and cognitive load lenses. The
latter facets have implications for the design and
success of new texting services. This position paper will
address this gap from three perspectives:
1) Understanding social connectedness of texting
2) Socio-emotional elements of texting (portable
communities, co-presence)
3) The cognitive elements inherent in texting
(temporal, element interactivity)

Creating compelling multimedia productions is a non-trivial problem. This is true for both professional and personal content. For professional content, extensive production support is typically available during creation. Content assets are well structured, content fragments are professionally produced with high quality, and production assets are often highly annotated (within the scope of the production model). For personal content, nearly none of these conditions exist: content is a collection of assets that are structured only by linear recording time, of mediocre technical quality (on an absolute scale), and with only basic automatic annotations. These conditions limit the options open to casual authors and to viewers of rich multimedia content in creating and receiving focused, highly personal media presentations. The problem is compounded when authors want to integrate community media assets: media fragments donated from a potentially wide and anonymous recording community. In this thesis we reflect on the traditional multimedia authoring workflow and we argue that a fresh new look is required. Our experimental methodology aims at meeting the requirements needed for social communities that are not addressed by traditional authoring and sharing applications. We focus on the particular task of supporting socially-aware multimedia authoring, in which the relationships within particular social groups can be exploited to create highly personal media experiences. Our framework is centered on empowering users in telling stories and commenting on personal media artifacts, considering the long-term social context of the user. The work has been evaluated through a number of prototype tools that allow users to explore, create, enrich and share rich multimedia artifacts. Results from our evaluation process provide useful insights into how a socially-aware multimedia authoring and sharing system should be designed and architected, for helping users in recalling personal memories and in nurturing their close circle relationships.

In his book, Counterfeit Community: The Exploitation of Our Longings for Connectedness,  John Freie proposes that in our search for connectedness as a modern society, the social media venue is "based on superficial, secondary relationships rather than primary relationships." This paper makes a case that Freie has over-categorized and overlooked the redeeming, beneficial, relevant social relationship qualities that social media brings to our world today.

While social connectedness is heralded as a key enabler of positive health and social outcomes for older people, rarely have they themselves had the opportunity to express their views about the concept. Working with a diverse group of Pacific, Māori, Asian and New Zealand European older adults, this paper explores what matters to older people when discussing social connectedness? We draw from individual, in-depth interviews with 44 older adults, and three group interviews comprising 32 older adults. Data were analysed using thematic and narrative analyses. The three themes identified were: getting out of the house, ability to connect and feelings of burden. Fundamental to social connectedness was participants’ desire to be recognised as resourceful agents able to foster relationships on the basis of mutual respect. Social connectedness was conceptualised as multi-levelled: relating to interpersonal relationships as much as neighbourhoods and wider society. Alongside these similariti...

Individuals who are low (compared with high) in attachment-related avoidance rely on social bonds to regulate distress, and the authors hypothesized that nostalgia can be a repository of such social connectedness. Studies 1-3 showed a positive association between loneliness and nostalgia when attachment-related avoidance was low, but not when it was high. Study 4 revealed that low-avoidance individuals derived more social connectedness from nostalgia than did high-avoidance individuals. Study 5 extended these findings and demonstrated that, in addition to being a source of social connectedness, nostalgia increased participants' perceived capacity to provide emotional support to others. As in the case of social connectedness, this beneficial effect of nostalgia was significantly stronger when attachment-related avoidance was low (compared with high).

This study reports on an effort to create a sustainable, blended, mobile and online educational system for a U.S. based national vocational program. The research looked at the current ecosystems within each of the eight city sites before determining an ecological diffusion of technology approach. Organic methods were used to manipulate the adoption of blended, mobile, as well as online teaching and learning. A field observation approach where the researcher identified current states of paper-based models and small pockets of online learning like wikis and blogs, with an inability to model or scale those digital tools. Leveraging a modeling approach, a mobile first eLearning portal was piloted in a staggered fashion, leading to a 100% adoption amongst staff and students. The intentionality behind the modeling approach was to expand adoption to 400% to address semi-and non-academic components of the program. Key results allowed the organization to align its curriculum across cities, and build master courses to offer its corporate partners with quality standards. The flexibility of the organic adoption approach also increased multi-screen access, extending the content delivery and engagement beyond the confines of time and physical space constraints. Be it mobile or computer, the organization transformed learning from a solely instructor-led approach, to accommodate 'flipped' learning engagements, as well as supportive digital and portable learning communities. Through simulations, the organization was also able to incorporate social collaboration, mLearning and interoperable learning tools that cultivated and accommodated differentiated learning and development styles.