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The Cultural Context of Social Support and Support Networks
Author(s) -
Jacobson David
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
medical anthropology quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.855
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1548-1387
pISSN - 0745-5194
DOI - 10.1525/maq.1987.1.1.02a00030
Subject(s) - social support , perspective (graphical) , meaning (existential) , context (archaeology) , sociology , social psychology , psychology , social environment , epistemology , social science , psychotherapist , computer science , philosophy , artificial intelligence , biology , paleontology
Social support promotes mental and physical well‐being. Yet research on it and on the social networks in which it occurs remains problematic. Focusing on the role that culturally based assumptions and expectations play in defining the meaning of social support and in the mobilization of support networks begins to clarify unresolved questions. Studies of support and support networks among the elderly exemplify this perspective.