Sociology Commons^™

Leaving The Good Life: Predicting Migration Intentions Of Rural Nebraskans, Rebecca Filkins, John C. Allen, Sam Cordes

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Much has been written about the population turnaround in the nonmetropolitan United States in the 1990's. While only 45% of the nonmetropolitan counties experienced population growth during the 1980's, it was estimated that nearly 74% of the these counties grew between 1990 and 1994 (Johnson, 1996). However, over one-half of Nebraska’s nonmetropolitan counties have continued to experience population declines between 1990 and 1997 (Population Estimates Program, Population Division, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC). The question then remains, “Why are people moving from nonmetropolitan counties in Nebraska?” This paper attempts to answer that question by analyzing the migration intentions …

First-Class Versus Pre-Canceled Postage: A Cost/Benefit Analysis, R. Filkins, John C. Allen, Sam Cordes

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

This paper examines the costs and benefits of using first-class postage compared to non-profit, pre-canceled postage in inducing response to a self-administered mail questionnaire. An experiment was conducted with the outgoing postage for the 1998 Nebraska Rural Poll. Twenty-five percent of the outgoing questionnaires were mailed with first-class postage, with the remaining seventy-five percent having non-profit, pre-canceled postage affixed. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in response rates between the two groups, there were no differences in demographic characteristics between the two postage groups, and the use of non-profit, pre-canceled postage resulted in substantial cost savings.

Nebraska’S Changing Agriculture: Perceptions About The Swine Industry, John C. Allen, Rebecca Filkins, Sam Cordes, Eric Jarecki

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

The livestock industry has been restructuring during the past several decades, resulting in fewer and larger farms as well as some vertical integration. One particular livestock sector, hogs, has received much attention in Nebraska during the past year. An increase in the applications for new hog confinement facilities has caused concern for some rural residents. Some are worried about environmental damage, while others are concerned about economic implications for smaller farms. However, supporters of these facilities point to additional jobs and other economic benefits they can bring to a community. Given these issues, how do rural Nebraskans feel about large-scale …

Depression And The Long-Term Risk Of Pain, Fatigue, And Disability In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Judith Fifield, Howard Tennen, Susan Reisine, Julia Mcquillan

Bureau of Sociological Research: Faculty Publications

Objective. To determine whether a previous episode of major depression leaves a “scar” that places previously depressed patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at risk for experiencing high levels of pain, fatigue, and disability.

Methods. A cohort of 203 patients with RA was randomly selected from a national panel and interviewed by phone about pain, fatigue, depressive symptoms, disability, and history of major depression.

Results. Excluding patients who met the criteria for current major depression, patients with both a history of depression and many depressive symptoms at the time of the interview (dysphoria) reported more pain than those without current dysphoria, …

Rural Nebraskans’ Perceptions Of Tax Restructuring And Local Schools, John C. Allen, Rebecca Filkins, Sam Cordes, Eric J. Jarecki

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

School finance in Nebraska has been altered dramatically in recent years. School districts have been required to reduce their property tax levy to $1.10 per $100 in valuation this year. In addition, the formula for state aid has been changed. Many schools are scrambling to make changes to reach this levy lid. Some are considering cutting programs, cutting staff or even consolidation to deal with the limited funding. Many of these changes in school funding have resulted from a demand by Nebraskans for lower taxes and controlled government spending. Given these issues, how do rural Nebraskans feel about the current …

Community Life In Rural Nebraska: Trends And Comparisons, John C. Allen, Rebecca Filkins, Sam Cordes, Eric Jarecki

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Nebraska’s rural communities have undergone many changes in recent years. The development of a global economy and pressures to consolidate services and government offices are some of the challenges that rural communities are currently facing. How have these changes affected rural Nebraskans’ perceptions of their communities? Do their perceptions differ by the size of their community, the region in which they live, or by their occupation?

This report details results of 4,196 responses to the 1998 Nebraska Rural Poll, the third annual effort to take the pulse of rural Nebraskans. Respondents were asked a series of questions about their community …

Rural Nebraskans’ Quality Of Life: Trends And Contributing Factors, John C. Allen, Rebecca Filkins, Sam Cordes, Eric J. Jarecki

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Nebraska’s economy and population have shown growth during recent years. Agricultural producers are experiencing change as well with the implementation of a new farm program. How have these changes affected rural Nebraskans at a local level? How do they perceive their quality of life? Do their perceptions differ by the size of their community, the region in which they live or by their occupation?

This report details results of 4,196 responses to the 1998 Nebraska Rural Poll, the third annual effort to take the pulse of rural Nebraskans. Respondents were asked a series of questions about their general well-being and …

Campus Racial Climate Policies: The View From The Bottom Up, Michelle Hughes, Rick Anderson, Julie Harms Cannon, Eduardo Perez, Helen A. Moore

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

We review the debates over campus multicultural goals from the perspective of university officials and again from the perspective of the policy target: students. We then assess a sample of student policy opinions and the role of campus experiences and diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in shaping those opinions. Often descriptive, this provides insights on working with diverse student populations. We focus our research on students because student voices are often unheard in education. Administrators are assumed to “know better” because of their years of campus experience or professional training.

Gender-Based Pay Gaps: Methodological And Policy Issues In University Salary Studies, Myra Marx Ferree, Julia Mcquillan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Methodology is often a point of contention in gender-based salary studies. Although this debate seems at first to be merely about technical issues, it also has an important conceptual dimension. We argue that there are two competing implicit conceptions of discrimination, one institutional and the other individual, that underlie many such debates. We first contrast the preferred methodologies advanced by each side, the policy capturing approach and the flagging approach, and explore the theoretical meaning of their statistical models. We then describe a practical application of both methodological approaches in one specific salary inequity study. In conclusion, we reflect on …

Review Of The Prairie Schoolhouse By John Martin Campbell, Sally Salisbury Stoddard

Great Plains Quarterly

John Martin Campbell, in this fine book consisting of sixty black and white, well conceived photographic plates and explicative text, has created an evocative picture of the prairie schoolhouses, the age from which they sprang, their environment, and the people for whom these formulaic structures fulfilled many functions. Older folks who grew up in the largely poor, rural areas of the vast American prairies will easily identify with Tony Hillerman's anecdote in the foreword, and they will surely experience a deep nostalgia and a profound sadness for the decay of the schoolhouse concept as well as the decay of the …

Generations Of Families: A Teaching Project And Photograph Exhibition, Carolyn P. Edwards, Kay Springate

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

"Generations of Families" was a collaborative project involving university and community partners. University of Kentucky students worked with public and private local agencies, leaders, and citizens to collect, catalog, label, and display treasured family photographs of local citizens. The final product consisted of five separate displays totaling hundreds of framed or mounted photographs. The project supported the development of cross-cultural competence and professional skills by Family and Consumer Sciences students. The project achieved significant impact, as measured by community response, exit interviews, and analysis of student journals.

Martineau In Current Introductory Textbooks: An Empirical Survey, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Harriet Martineau is now making significant appearances in introductory textbooks used in the u.s. and Canada. There was a time, not so long ago, when only the Hess, Markson, and Stein "intro text" made note of Harriet Martineau. Although ample room for progress remains, the situation is improving.

I made a comprehensive effort, during the 1997 meetings of the American Sociological Association in Toronto, Canada, to survey all introductory sociology textbooks that were prominently displayed by publishers in their booths in the Sheraton Exhibition Hall. Some ninety publishers displayed textbooks, journals, and sociological monographs. Of forty-three works clearly identifiable and …

Edward Alsworth Ross In Chicago, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

THE NAMES “Edward A. Ross” and “Chicago sociology” are not usually linked today in sociological accounts of the discipline, but the connections are nonetheless tangible. Ross’s work at Stanford, Nebraska, and Wisconsin is, perhaps, better known (Hertzler 1951; Hill forthcoming; Hinkle 1980; Howard 1988; Keith 1988; Weinberg 1972) and has overshadowed Ross’ ties to Chicago. The “symposium” presented below in this issue of SOCIOLOGICAL ORIGINS celebrates Ross’ place in Chicago sociology.

The record shows that Ross taught briefly in 1896 as a Visiting Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago, lectured informally to the University of Chicago Sociological Club, …

Coercive Sexual Strategies, Kimberly A. Tyler, Dan R. Hoyt, Les B. Whitbeck

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This study examines the use of coercive sexual strategies by men and the outcomes of these behaviors for women. Using a sample of 541 college undergraduates, data were gathered from men on their use of three types of coercive sexual strategies and from women on their experiences with these same forms of behaviors. For women, there is a positive association between being sexually active, having sexually permissive attitudes, drinking alcohol and being a victim of certain types of sexual coercive strategies. For men, sexually permissive attitudes and attitudes toward rape are found to be significant predictors of their use of …