Cutting language with a knifestrictly editorial

September 1, 2006

On a marvelously rainy first day of the loveliest four months of the year, I roll my eyes ...

One mechanism through which social capital is generated is social embeddedness in friendship networks. Not only does social embeddedness in friendship networks generate obligations and expectations for behavior, but it also encourages the transmission of information and norms and the employment of sanctions. For adolescents, friendship networks are unique social contexts that generate these different forms of social capital that can be used to fulfill adolescents’ particular needs for social acceptance, personal identity, and a sense of place in the adolescent hierarchy.

Need I say more? I'm sure I will.

Social embeddedness also encourages learning and behavioral norms and sanctions. For adolescents, friendship networks are unique social contexts that can fulfill particular needs for social acceptance, personal identity, and a sense of place.

Again, not poetry but perhaps ..