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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
A.D. Johnson, Social and Behavioral Sciences Dept., UNT-Health Science Center at Fort Worth, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 76107, 817-938-6735, ADJ246@aol.com
Social Cohesiveness in the 21st Century-Dimensions of Acculturation
Objective: To measure social cohesiveness in family/community structures
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to provide social cohesiveness measures to families and communities for interaction feedback to assist in increasing awareness and the promotion of socially cohesive choices including the development of socially cohesive sensitive policy and infrastructure development.
Methods: Instrument currently being designed aims to track communications (non-verbal & verbal) in accordance with working definition of social cohesiveness stated as follows: The frequency, duration, and degree to which someone communicates and shares personal information relative to an individuals perceived level of basic needs and personal security. Additionally, the type(s) of needs that a respondent provides (perceived to provide) is another relative factor in social cohesiveness determination.
Discussion: For years phrases such as “family values” have been used to aid politically correct agendas for mass appeal. However, few have been able to adequately point out changes which threaten the stability of family, community structure and function which appear to be more prevalent among U.S. metropolitan areas than historical accounts. This research attempts to define social cohesiveness more specifically than previous works and applies that definition to instrument design and measurement. This data is intended for use by families and communities as a type of interaction feedback to empower families through increased awareness and knowledge of likely cause and effect relationships that are due to environmental factors, social structures and individual/group situational interaction typology. Dissemination methods recommended are primarily community-based.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Family Involvement, Community Involvement
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.