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Forwarded on behalf of Yoshi Kashima ...

Call for Papers

Asia-Pacific Journal of Social Psychology

Special Issue on Social Network Processes

Guest Editor:    Garry L. Robins, Department of Psychology, The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Melbourne</st1:placename></st1:place>

Editor:              Yoshi Kashima, Department of Psychology, The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Melbourne</st1:placename></st1:place>

Starting with Fritz Heider's ground breaking theorizing and the communication network research of 1940's and 1950's, social network processes have been an integral part of theoretical and empirical development in social psychology. Yet, despite the long history of research, social network processes have often been a neglected topic due partly to the lack of methodological tools and the difficulty of experimentation. However, with recent developments in social network theories and methodology, the significance of social networks in social processes has begun to be recognized in many areas of social science. People embedded in supportive social networks are often healthier than those who lack them; work-related behaviours in the organizational setting are often shaped by workers' social networks; the recent expansion of information technology has made people's social networks richer and more complex than before; and social networks often embed social capital that people can draw on to enhance their living standards (e.g., through education) and potentially shape their national socio-economic development. In this special issue, the relevance of social network processes for social psychology – especially for Asian social psychology – is explored and significant recent developments in social network research are canvassed. We call for such contributions from social psychologists and social network researchers around the world.

Potential topics include theoretical, empirical, and methodological issues surrounding social network research and data analysis, and varieties of applications of social network perspectives on such topics as physical and mental health, organizational behaviour, community psychology, information technology, and social capital.

The submission due date is <st1:date year="2006" day="30" month="6" w:st="on">30 June 2006</st1:date>. Please send all submissions to ajsp@psych.unimelb.edu.au, clearly stating that your submission is intended for the special issue on Social Network Processes. Enquiries may be sent to the editors: Garry Robins (garrylr@unimelb.edu.au) or Yoshi Kashima (ykashima@unimelb.edu.au), both of whom are at the Department of Psychology, the <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Melbourne</st1:placename>, Parkville 3010, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Victoria</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region></st1:place>.