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Social Integration and Support

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Book cover Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health

Part of the book series: Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research ((HSSR))

Abstract

The importance of social relationships in the lives of human beings is an idea as old as the written word. In Genesis (2:18), the Lord judges, “It is not good that [one] be alone,” and philosophers from Aristotle to Martin Buber have emphasized that the essence of human existence is expressed in our relations with others. In sociology, patterns of human contact, processes of social interactions, and the subjective valences of personal relationships have been central foci of theory and research since the inception of the field. Over the last quarter century, a substantial portion of the variegated sociological literature in this area has focused on the role of the presence and quality of social relationships in health and illness. Social support has become the most widely used phrase to refer to the salutary content of these relationships.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, 33146, USA

    R. Jay Turner

  2. Division of Sociomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10032, USA

    J. Blake Turner

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  1. R. Jay Turner
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 90095-1772, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Carol S. Aneshensel

  2. Division of Sociomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, Columbia University, 10032, New York, New York, USA

    Jo C. Phelan

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Turner, R.J., Turner, J.B. (1999). Social Integration and Support. In: Aneshensel, C.S., Phelan, J.C. (eds) Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-36223-1_15

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