Social Relations in Childhood and Adolescence: The Convoy Model Perspective

Abstract

Research on the development of social relations has been largely fragmented along role-specific lines and dominated conceptually by attachment theory. The Convoy Model is presented as an alternative to traditional approaches that fail to capture the complexity of social relationships across time and context. Research based on the model converges with that of other investigators to indicate that children benefit from the presence of multiple relations that play diverse roles in their lives, although the importance of specific relations may vary across individuals. A broader conceptualization of social relations is needed to address the place of attachment figures within a larger network of developmentally significant relations.

Apoyo social, clima social y percepción de conflictos en un contexto educativo intercultural

“…Por ello es fundamental analizar el apoyo social desde la perspectiva de las distintas fuentes y los diferentes contextos, como indican los modelos ecológicos y sistémicos (Bronfenbrenner, 1979;Franco y Levitt, 1998;Levitt, 2005). La presente investigación se basó en un marco ecológico (Bronfenbrenner, 1995), que subraya la importancia del desarrollo de las relaciones sociales de los jóvenes a través de microsistemas claves tales como el hogar y la escuela.…”

The Role of Attachment in Faculty Mentoring

“…Dominant focus on attachment styles as traits has led to a relative neglect of the way that current relationship patterns continue to influence personality and internal working models (Kobak, 1994;Levitt, 2005;Lewis, 1997). Shaver (1987, 1990) provide a way of thinking about how adult attachment relationships develop, the functions that they would normally serve, and security of relationships.…”

“…Behavioral researchers (Gewirtz & Pelaez-Nogueras, 1987 who explain infant behavior through a social conditioning approach believe that behaviors occur as a function of the context in which they are embedded. Similarly, developmental researchers (Kahn & Antonucci, 1980;Levitt, 2005;Lewis 1997) who articulate attachment theory with research on social networks and social support maintain that personal relationships, developed and nurtured throughout life, form the environment in which the individual develops. Thus, future research on attachment and faculty mentoring should also consider contextual variables such as academic departmental culture and university culture.…”

The Impact of Friends on Newly Immigrant Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Adjustment

“…The capacity of immigrant children and adolescents to cope with the important transitional circumstances of immigration is thought to be facilitated by the presence of social support (Levitt, 2005;Levitt, Lane, & Levitt, 2005). Although the school adaptation of immigrant youth has received more attention in the literature, findings on the behavioral and emotional adjustment of immigrant children and adolescents are mainly focused on parent-child relationships.…”

“…Research points out that peer relations increase in importance in adolescence and friend support is related to child and adolescent well-being (Levitt, 2005). Similarly, literature suggests that interactions with peers influence the social, emotional, and cognitive functioning of children beyond the impact of family, school, and neighborhood (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 2006).…”