Daily Social Support among Canberra Residents

　This paper reports a study that investigated perceived sources of daily support. To gather empirical evidence, a sample survey of women in four study areas of Canberra was conducted in 1986-1987. Three hundred and ninety-four women who were under 55 years of age and who were married or in a de facto relationship were interviewed. They responded to six hypothetical difficult situations by identifying the first source from which they would seek support. Analysis of the data has revealed the following ;
　(1) When respondents had their relatives in Canberra, they regarded their relatives as the chief source of daily support. However, there were many residents without local relatives in Canberra. For such respondents, their relatives were not so helpful in daily support. Incidentally, workmates were thought of as much less important providers of support than relatives, neighbours or friends.
　(2) Social networks were differentiated in that respondents tended to depend on types of people appropriate to individual difficult situations.
　(3) Dependable friends and workmates tended to live closer than dependable relatives.
　(4) Dependable relatives were usually limited to immediate family, such as parents (-in-law), brothers (-in-law) or sisters (-in-law).