Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Beliefs About Development Versus Environmental Tradeoffs In The Puget Sound Region, Thomas G. Safford, Matthew Cutler, Megan M. Henly, Karma Norman, Phillip Levin

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Using data from a phone survey of 1,980 Puget Sound residents conducted in 2012, this fact sheet outlines residents’ views about the importance of environmental protection as well as their opinions about energy development, protection of wild salmon, and land use regulation. Seventy-four percent of Puget Sound residents believe that protecting the environment should be a priority even if it means limiting economic growth. The majority of residents favor both increased use of renewable energy (82 percent) and protecting wild salmon (75 percent). Residents are more divided about curbing development, with those from rural areas being more apt to prioritize …

Public Perceptions Of Environmental Management In The Puget Sound Region, Thomas G. Safford, Matthew Cutler, Megan M. Henly, Karma Norman, Phillip Levin

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Using data from a phone survey of 1,980 Puget Sound residents conducted in 2012, this fact sheet describes public perceptions of different environmental interventions. Puget Sound residents widely support a range of proposed interventions designed to protect and restore the marine environment. These proposals include restricting boating and shipping activities to protect marine mammals such as killer whales and sea lions; more strongly enforcing existing environmental rules and regulations; spending government money to restore the environment for fish and wildlife; and providing tax credits to businesses that voluntarily reduce their environmental impact. Residents are divided about whether existing environmental regulations …

Urban-Rural Differences In Concern About The Environment And Jobs In The Puget Sound Region, Thomas G. Safford, Matthew Cutler, Megan M. Henly, Karma Norman, Phillip Levin

The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars' Repository

Using data from a phone survey of 1,980 Puget Sound residents conducted in 2012, this fact sheet examines the severity of different environmental problems and compares the strength of concern about the lack of jobs and beliefs about the environment. Too few jobs and the loss of wildlife habitat were the two community issues most likely to be ranked as important problems among residents of Puget Sound. Environmental concern is higher among urban than rural residents, while those in rural areas are more likely than urbanites to believe the lack of jobs is a threat to their community.

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Hong Kong Happiness Index Survey 2012, Lok Sang Ho

Hong Kong Happiness Index 香港快樂指數調查

The “Hong Kong Happiness Index Survey 2012” indicates a slight slip of Hong Kong people’s happiness index to 70.5, from 71.3 last year on a scale of 0-100. As before, females continue to command a premium over males in happiness, and older people tend to be happier.

Both work pressures, particularly excessively long hours, and financial pressures are important causes of unhappiness among Hong Kong people. According to the survey results, low-income families are generally less happy than those better off. The lowest happiness score, at 66.9, however, goes to the sandwich class with monthly income from HK$30,000-39,999 per month. …

Mountain Monitor-3rd Quarter 2012, Mark Muro, Kenan Fikri

Mountain Monitor Quarterly

The major metropolitan areas of the Intermountain West finally put the housing bust behind them in the third quarter of 2012 and in most places made solid progress. House prices rose in all 10 major metropolitan markets in the months from June to September for the first time since the recession began. Likewise, output growth accelerated and the unemployment rate continued to fall. Unfortunately none of this prevented the region’s already feeble jobs recovery from slowing.

Implications To The Traditional Higher Education Model In A Time Of New Economic And Demographic Realities, Phillip Imel

Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the world’s developed countries the tendency is to a decreasing or stagnant, aging population. Traditional higher education has occurred early in life with little retraining in adulthood. The current demographic and economic realities demand a change in the role of traditional higher education as it must be more flexible and portable. Higher education must play a central role in the lifelong learning process as new technologies become available. Changes will occur with or without the approval of the established higher education hierarchy as businesses and governments demand quicker, cheaper, and better delivery methods to the current system. Technology is …

Professional Deceit: Normal Lying In An Occupational Setting, Janet M. Ruane, Karen Cerulo

Department of Sociology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Normal lies are those that social actors legitimate as appropriate means to desirable outcomes. Such lies have been acknowledged in the literature as tools for maintaining social order. Yet, little has been done to document the social structural sources of normal lying. This paper offers a first step in filling this research gap, examining aspects of occupational structure and their connection to the practice of normal lying. Specifically, we discuss four dimensions of occupational structure — occupational rewards and entry requirements, occupational loyalties, social control styles within an occupation, and an occupation's level of professionalization — and we explore the …

The Economic Impact Of Latin American & Other Immigrants Iowa, Nebraska And The Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area, Christopher Decker, Jerry Deichert, Lourdes Gouveia

Latino/Latin American Studies Reports

Although recent research from the Pew Hispanic Center suggests that the rate of recent immigration to the United States has slowed considerably, other studies clearly show that immigrants make substantial economic contributions to the communities in which they settle.

This report focuses attention on the quantitative economic impact of first-generation, foreign-born individuals on the Omaha-Council Bluffs economy as well as the Nebraska and Iowa state economies in 2010.

Information On Small Populations With Significant Health Disparities: A Report On Data Collected On The Health Of Asian Americans In Massachusetts, Carolyn Wong, Hannah Hosotani, John Her

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

An analysis of publicly available sources of data on Asian Americans in Massachusetts with recommendations on ways to improve this collection of data.

Our report begins with a discussion of the important issues of data collection and reporting and then discusses the particular challenges of collecting and reporting on data in Massachusetts. Profiles of major datasets based on records for administrative entities are presented such as the Massachusetts Cancer Registry, hospital discharges, MassHealth, and Medicare, and mortality and natality records. This is followed by a description of major datasets based on population surveys such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance …

How Do Latino Groups Fare In A Changing Economy? Occupation In Latino Groups In The Greater New York City Area, 1980-2009, Stephen Ruszczyk

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This study examines demographic and socioeconomic factors of racial/ethnic groups in New York City between 1980 and 2009 – particularly the Latino population.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: Trends from 1990 continued in 2000, with numbers of Puerto Ricans in production dropping to only 14% of that group. More than a fifth of Puerto Ricans worked in management and professional …

Demographic, Economic, And Social Transformations In Bronx Community District 5: Fordham, University Heights, Morris Heights And Mount Hope, 1990 – 2009, Astrid Rodríguez

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report analyzes demographic and socioeconomic characteristics among the five largest Latino nationality groups during 1990-2009 in the NYC Community District 5 of the borough of the Bronx, which comprises the neighborhoods of Fordham, University Heights, Morris Heights and Mount Hope.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: Dominicans are the largest Latino subgroup in the Bronx’s Community District 5, accounting for …

Sexual And Reproductive Health Care Access And Utilization By Mexican Immigrant Women In New York City – A Descriptive Study, Gabriela Betancourt

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This study examines reproductive health care access and utilization by Mexicans in New York City.

Methods: This report uses data collected by Planned Parenthood of New York City (PPNYC) as part of a larger sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs assessment. We analyzed various demographic factors and barriers to describe SRH access and utilization of services among Mexican immigrant women residing in New York City (NYC). We purposely sampled 151 adult women seeking assistance from the Mexican Consulate of New York City and other community-based organizations (CBOs). Women choosing to participate were administered an anonymous survey. Data collected included …

Is Spanish-English Bilingualism Truly An Economic Benefit In New York?, Lionel Chan

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report explores if there is truly a trend in income levels for Latinos who speak both English and Spanish compared to those of Latinos who speak English only in New York City.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: When taking into account language variables to analyze the income levels of Latinos, one notices a minor difference between bilingual Latinos and …

Prelude To A Master Plan: Ware, Massachusetts, Belen Alfaro, Bruno Carneiro, Margaret Engesser, Kathryn E. Fox, Evadne R. Friedman, Timothy Inacio, Anita Lockesmith, Christina Mills, Stephanie Molden, Meagen Mulherin, Russell Pandres, Vinicius Pereira, Brian Reid, Pedro Soto, Jennifer Stromsten

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

Prelude to a Master Plan offers ideas, recommendations, and a toolkit to help the town chart its own path towards that future. While the teams and individual students worked to ‘drill down’ into specific topic areas, the Studio defined three basic areas in order to think about how the various assets, challenges and ideas undermine or reinforce one another. The report is loosely organized in those terms: addressing the outlying rural areas and issues specific to these places, considering one of the key growth areas that has extended from town and the conflicts that arise from the many uses occurring …

Chogyal's Sikkim: Tax, Land & Clan Politics, Hong Tran

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

During the Chogyal (Tib. chos rgyal1) reign, the first and last monarchy in Sikkim, land and various forms of taxes derived from land ownership were powerful instruments of the ruling class, namely the Chogyal family, the aristocratic clans, and the royal lamas. It is the objective of this paper to examine the institution of land ownership and taxation as a reflection of the deeply seated and potent clan politics of Sikkim. Through available records and literature as well as interviews with head lamas, monastic affiliates and the Sikkimese public, using a combination of narratives and analysis, this author hopes to …

Asian Americans In Massachusetts: A Census Profile, Shauna Lo

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The report utilizes data from the 2010 Decennial Census, 2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, and the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-year estimates to provide detailed demographic and socioeconomic data for Asian Americans as well as for Chinese, Indians, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Koreans, Filipinos, and Japanese Americans in the state. Many of the tables also provide comparative data on Whites, Blacks and African Americans, and Latinos.

Evaluating The Role Of Latinidad And The Latino Threat In The State Of Missouri, Joel Jennings, J.S. Onésimo Sandoval

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences

Growing Latino populations in midwestern cities of the United States are leading to the creation of contested ethnic spaces and urban landscapes. In this article we examine the historical, demographic, and social contexts associated with a growing sense of Latinidad and the countervailing Latino threat narrative in Kansas City and St. Louis, the two largest metropolitan areas in Missouri. Latinidad, or a notion of belonging based on ethnic identity in Missouri, is being challenged by nativist discourses that frame the growing Latino population as a threat. We highlight the different historical trajectories and geographical characteristics that have created distinct demographic …

“Heaven And Earth” Samoan Indigenous Religion, Christianity, And The Relationship Between The Samoan People And The Environment, Grace Wildermuth

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines Samoan indigenous religion and the relationship between Samoans and the environment before and after the introduction of Christianity. It looks at how Christian beliefs and the cultural perspectives of European missionaries affected Samoa’s environment. It then considers Samoan indigenous religious values that may be helpful to combat current environmental problems. Primary and secondary sources were used, including interviews with both theologians and environmentalists. Samoan indigenous religion promoted a sustainable relationship with the land but Christianity and the cultural lens through which it was delivered had negative environmental effects. Samoa retains a deep environmental knowledge in the memories …

Changing Paradigms: Community Policing In Calabar, Isael Gonzalez Goodman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

On April 27, 2011 the first community base of Salavador was installed in the neighborhood of Calabar representing a new model of policing focusing more on prevention rather than repression. Before the arrival of the base, Calabar was a community where many feared to enter. Constant shootings between rival gangs and sporadic police invasions made it a dangerous places to live in. Since the implantation of the base a new era for the community has begun and people can now walk up and down the streets of their neighborhood freely without fear of being struck by stray bullets. Additionally, the …

La Reconstrucción De Identidad A Través Del Proceso Migratorio: Una Exploración La Experiencia Migrante En El Norte De Chile Para Los Jóvenes Adolescentes Del Países Andinos Fronterizos En Aportación De Espacios Trans-Fronterizos De Expresión Identitaria, Allison Ipsen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This investigation explores the lived experience of youth of indigenous Aymara ancestry migrating to the north of Chile from its Andean border countries, specifically that of four Bolivian grade school students living in the pueblo of Putre. My central objective in this project was to understand their experience and contribute to a safe space of conversation that strengthens the development and expression of their identity. I aimed to create this open, collaborative space so that they could take a step back from their current situation in which they have had to reconstruct their identities, and holistically consider their realization of …

Africans In A Country “Without Blacks”: Challenges And Accomplishments Of The Integration Of Recent African Immigrants In Argentina - Africanos En Un País Donde “No Hay Negros”: Los Logros Y Desafíos De La Integración De Los Recientes Inmigrantes Africanos En La Argentina, Stephan Grabner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For nearly two centuries, Argentina has constructed a national identity which manages to remain culturally and ethnically homogeneous by ignoring the vibrant community of Afro-Argentineans and their rich contributions to society. However, recent waves of African immigrants and the growing self-awareness of the Afro-Argentinean community are raising questions about what it means to be Argentinean in the context of increasing global mobility. The new focus on human rights visible in Argentine politics over the past decade has brought about changes which seem to indicate a transition towards a more multicultural society. Despite widespread ignorance and racism which permeate all levels …

A Necessary Effort: The Construction Of A Binational Immigration Policy For Nicaraguan Immigrants In Costa Rica, Irma Castañeda

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Although the experiences of Nicaraguan immigrants to Costa Rica have been well-studied, the investigation of this topic through the lens of the construction of public policies is missing. Through the testimonies of Nicaraguans that emigrated or still live and work in Costa Rica, I learned that immigrants, especially those that are undocumented, are vulnerable to the violation of their rights, for example, through the lack of access to public services or mistreatment by their bosses. Because of these violations, it is necessary to examine the topic of the immigration policies of both countries because they influence the treatment and integration …

Children And Happy Growing Up 香港學童快樂地成長嗎? 2012, Lok Sang Ho

Hong Kong Children Happiness Index 香港兒童快樂指數調查

A caring and loving relationship between parents, and parents’ respect for children’s views and privacy are what Hong Kong children value the most in defining their happiness. While financial well-being is clearly important, it is far less important than having a warm, loving family that promotes effective communication and avoids strongly worded rebukes and disciplinary actions, according to the results of the latest happiness survey conducted by the Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) of Lingnan University.

This study was commissioned by the Early Childhood Development Research Foundation and sponsored by Henderson Land Group. Conducted between November 2011 and January …

A Call To Integrate Religious Communities Into Practice: The Case Of Sikhs, Muninder Kaur Ahluwalia, Anjali Alimchandani

Department of Counseling Scholarship and Creative Works

Sikhs, an ethnic and religious minority group in the United States, have seen a significant shift in their social location since 9/11. They have experienced harassment and violence beyond race and ethnicity to the visible markers of the religion (e.g., turbans). In this article, we address how counseling psychology is uniquely positioned to work with Sikhs given these circumstances. We provide an overview of Sikh Americans, including specific experiences that may affect treatment such as race-based traumatic injury, identification as a part of a visible religious minority group, and the impact of historic community-level trauma. We discuss recommendations for practitioners …

Mountain Monitor-2nd Quarter 2012, Mark Muro, Kenan Fikri

Mountain Monitor Quarterly

Data for the second quarter of 2012 reveal that the large metropolitan areas of the Mountain region were undergoing some of both the strongest and weakest economic recoveries in the nation—even as the pace of recovery across the region as a whole slackened. The result is a new geography. Crash-blasted Boise and Phoenix, along with Utah’s metropolitan areas, are now recovering relatively strongly while Colorado’s metropolitan areas and Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and Tucson struggle.

Age, Period And Cohort Effects On Social Capital, Philip Schwadel, Mike Stout

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Researchers hypothesize that social capital in the United States is not just declining, but that it is declining across generations or birth cohorts. Testing this proposition, we examine changes in social capital using age-period-cohort intrinsic estimator models. Results from analyses of 1972–2010 General Social Survey data show 1) that informal association with neighbors declined across periods while informal association with friends outside of the neighborhood increased across birth cohorts; 2) that formal association was comparatively stable with the exception of relatively high levels of formal association among the early 1920s and early 1930s birth cohorts; and 3) that trust declined …

Social Issues, Authoritarianism, And Ideological Conceptualization: How Policy Dimensions And Psychological Factors Influence Ideological Labeling, Christopher J. Devine

Political Science Faculty Publications

Ideology's crucial theoretical and empirical role in explaining political behavior makes it imperative that scholars understand how individuals conceptualize and apply ideological labels. The existing literature on this topic is quite limited, however, because it relies almost exclusively upon data from the 1970s and 1980s, and it does not examine how psychological factors influence conceptualizations of ideological labels. This article uses data from two original laboratory experiments to test the relative impact of four major policy dimensions on participants' evaluations of candidate ideology and to test authoritarianism's role in shaping ideological conceptualization. These analyses indicate that individuals most often define …

Perceptions Of Conservation And Ecotourism In The Taita-Taveta County, Kenya, Andrea Falcetto

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This is a qualitative study examining conservation attitudes and resource use of 63 individuals in Kasigau, Kenya. Community members described their perceptions of conservation, the resources that they use, the location and availability of these, their support for the protection of Mt. Kasigau, their likes and dislikes of plant and animal species, and their support of ecotourism in Kasigau. All individuals listed conservation behaviors and agreed that protecting Mt. Kasigau is important. Many recognized the mountain as the only source of water. Some resources were limited, especially at certain times of the year. All interviewed community members except one would …

Bosnian Refugees In Bowling Green, Kentucky: Refugee Resettlement And Community Based Research, Elcin Celik

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

To understand the reasons for the increase in recent years of the Bosnian population in Bowling Green, Kentucky and their adaptation problems as refugees in their host country, this study focused upon the Bosnian community in Bowling Green and addressed what the role of their challenges is in the shaping of refugees’ new life in their host country. Extensive literature review helped to emerge that for an understanding of the situation of the refugees, their interaction in the host country is more meaningful topic for research.

This study employed qualitative research methods, drawing from existing empirical studies addressing resettlement in …

Profiles Of Asian American Subgroups In Massachusetts: Vietnamese Americans In Massachusetts, Shauna Lo, Thao Tran

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Vietnamese Americans are the third largest Asian American subgroup in Massachusetts. In the 2010 decennial census, the Vietnamese American population in the state numbered 47,636, an increase of nearly 30% since 2000.

The largest concentration of Vietnamese Americans is in the city of Boston, while Worcester also has a significant population. There are also sizable communities of Vietnamese Americans just to the north and south of Boston—to the north in Malden, Everett, Medford, Revere, Chelsea, and Lynn, and to the south in Quincy, Randolph, and Braintree.

The greatest area of growth of Vietnamese Americans in the state is to the …