Female Connectors in Social Networks: Catharine Minnich (Died 1843, Pennsylvania)

The thesis of the article is that taking a social network approach to genealogical problems of origin and parentage can, where applicable, result in two noteworthy benefits. The first benefit is that it may more quickly and effectively lead to matrilateral kin by helping to reconstruct a kinship network. The second benefit is that it will lead to a deeper understanding of social circles in which a husband and/or wife participate. This approach turns the usual genealogical practice of unravelling a female’s position in a cluster in relation to her husband on its head—the male’s position in a social network is reconstructed by backtracking one of his significant females (wife, mother, or sister). As background, the article briefly discusses networks, the importance of women as connectors in kinship networks, and cultural practices of kinship, in this case, eighteenth-century Germany/United States. It then presents a case study of Catharine Minnich, a Pennsylvania woman of German descent. In addition to analyzing relations by blood and marriage, it recognizes the important role of baptismal sponsors in aligning a multi-family network.

Scales

This chapter rethinks scales as an opportunity for sustainability studies to engage with decolonial strategies that stand against the confinement of Southern studies as local knowledge, compared to the Western knowledge that is seen as universal. Examples of plurinational ‘scale-jumping’ in Ecuador and kinship networks in Northeast Madagascar redefine the ordering of scales to redress complicated histories of ecological and social colonization.

Using Social Networks to Sample Migrants and Study the Complexity of Contemporary Immigration: An Evaluation Study

We test the effectiveness of a link-tracing sampling approach, Network Sampling with Memory (NSM) to recruit samples of rare immigrant populations with an application among Chinese immigrants in the Raleigh-Durham Area of North Carolina. NSM uses the population network revealed by data from the survey to improve the efficiency of link-tracing sampling, and has been shown to substantially reduce design effects in simulated sampling. Our goals are: (1) to show that it is possible to recruit a probability sample of a locally rare immigrant group using NSM and achieve high response rates; (2) to demonstrate feasibility of collection and benefits of new forms of network data that transcend kinship networks in existing surveys and can address unresolved questions about the role of social networks in migration decisions, the maintenance of transnationalism, and the process of social incorporation; (3) to test the accuracy of the NSM approach to recruit immigrant samples by comparison with the American Community Survey (ACS). Our results indicate feasibility, high performance, cost-effectiveness and accuracy of the NSM approach to sample immigrants for studies of local immigrant communities. This approach can also be extended to recruit multi-site samples of immigrants at origin and destination.

A Typology of Food Environments in the Pacific Region and Their Relationship to Diet Quality in Solomon Islands

Extensive literature describes the importance of food environments (FEs) as a driver of food choices and nutrition outcomes; yet existing FE frameworks do not adequately capture the diversity of FEs relevant to the Pacific Region. This limits identification of opportunities in food systems to reduce the multiple burden of malnutrition. We present a conceptual typology of FEs including six primary FEs relevant in the Pacific; wild; cultivated; kin and community; informal retail; formal retail; and food aid and services. We then apply this typology to food acquisition data from Solomon Islands 2012/13 Household Income and Expenditure Survey and analyse the relationship between FEs and diet quality. The cultivated FE accounts for 60% of the quantity of food acquired nationally, followed by wild (15%), kin and community (9%), and formal and informal retail FEs (8% each), with wide variation between urban and rural households, provinces and wealth groups. Reliance on different FEs is a significant predictor of diet quality and affirms the importance of subsistence fisheries and agriculture, and community and kinship networks. Integration of a FE typology such as the one presented here in commonly conducted household expenditure surveys offers significant opportunity to advance our understanding of food system leverage points to improve nutrition and health.

Bližšia košeľa ako kabát? Sociálne siete rodiny a komunity seniorov v slovenských mestách

The quality of social networks influences the quality of life in old age because the absence of them leads to social exclusion and loneliness, which are, according to the literature, the most serious concerns perceived by seniors. We focused on the social networks of seniors and loneliness in the urban environment. We were interested in how seniors reflect their social networks. Do they place emphasis on family or community networks? The paper was based on a mixed-method with a questionnaire on a sample of 1,026 seniors living in cities in Slovakia in combination with in-depth interviews. In connection to the assumption of the influence of long-term patterns of family structures on intergenerational relationship and relationships with friends, it was found that there is a preference for family networks. Friendship networks are long-lasting, transforming and, unlike kinship networks, do not extend geographically beyond city boundaries.

Working with(in) kinship: value in Italian family businesses

In Italy, living close to or even within a place of business is not in and of itself unusual. Forms of housing in Italy are similar to many other European countries in that people primarily live in mixed-use spaces. It is common to have an apartment above cafés, bars, and bakeries. In this article, I examine how this form of mixed-use residence shapes market practices, decision-making, and labour relations among owners and workers. I argue that the spaces in which employees participate in the market economy also mirror their commitments to family. By examining workspaces across two food certifications in Milan, Italy – a Made in Italy certification (Food Italy) and a halal certification (Halal Italia) – I argue that Italian kinship networks structure how workers in each business operate. This intervention contributes to a larger literature on the cultural dimensions of capitalism.