2002 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

The Change of the Friendship Network From Mliddle -aged stage to Aged stage

Research Project

Project/Area Number	13680140
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	家政学一般(含衣・住環境)
Research Institution	Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University Junior College
Principal Investigator	MAEDA Naoko Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University Junior College The Department of Human Living Associate Professor, 生活学科, 助教授 (50320966)
Project Period (FY)	2001 – 2002
Keywords	Aging / Friendship Network / Gender
Research Abstract	This study investigates the effect of aging on the friendship network of men and women empirically. The data are taken from the survey of people born 1931 to 1960, the generation who share the life course pattern "For the man reverse-U character labor force participation pattern and for the woman M character labor force participation pattern". We analyzed the structure and function of friendship relations the relation between the structure of triads and the availability of emotional support, and the effect of aging on the function of friendship. All these analyses were done by gender. The analyses revealed the following three points. (1)There are gender differences on the structure and function of friendship relations. (2)There were no relation between the structure of triad and the availability of the emotional support among men, but, there were a positive relation among women. (3)There is a gender difference on the effect of aging on the friendship function.

(2 results)