Significant People in the Social Networks of Adolescents (From Social World of Adolescents: International Perspectives, P 141-165, 1989, Klaus Hurrelmann and Uwe Engel, eds. -- See NCJ-120206)

• NCJ Number: 120215
• Author(s): I Bo
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 25 pages
• Sale Source: Walter de Gruyter & Co
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: West Germany (Former)

Annotation

Using social network as the central approach, this study examined significant people in the lives of Norwegian teenage adolescents.

Abstract

The study assumed that important spheres of life, such as family, work, local environment, learning, and leisure, need to be interconnected to maximize socialization, and 37 female and 45 male students provided information on significant people in their social network. Results showed that parents knew as many as two-thirds of the adolescents' network members. Students touched base with about half of their network contacts daily, and 20 percent of network members were adults over 25 years of age. As a whole, relations dominated the networks of significant people; 38-40 percent of total network members belonged either to the nuclear or to the extended family. Father's work prestige was the strongest socioeconomic variable, indicating that more parental job prestige and education results in better adolescent network building skills. Family socioeconomic level contributed to school-related behavior. Students included in their networks people representing many ages and roles, but peers who constituted the single dominating group were secondary and tertiary network members. The most intimate network members were primarily core family, certain extended family members, and a close friend or two. 54 references, 7 tables.