Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Housing As A Community Asset, Milan Wall

Heartland Center for Leadership Development Materials

Slides of a presentation, Housing as a Community Asset, presented by Milan Wall, Co-Director of the Heartland Center for Leadership Development, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA, created December 19, 2007.

How Would You Describe Housing in Your Community?

Marital Satisfaction And Depression: A Replication Of The Marital Discord Model In A Latino Sample, Cody S. Hollist, Richard Miller, Olga G. Falceto, Carmen Luiza C. Fernandes

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

The Marital Discord Model of Depression maintains that marital discord is an important antecedent in the development of depression. Although empirical evidence supports this premise, none of this research has been done with Latinos. The purpose of this study was to test the longitudinal relationship between marital satisfaction and depression among 99 Brazilian women. Using structural equation modeling, results indicated that marital satisfaction was a strong predictor of depression 2 years later. Marital satisfaction was also related to co-occurring depression. These results provide evidence that the Marital Discord Model of Depression is an appropriate theoretical model for the conceptualization of …

Nurturing Care For China’S Orphaned Children, Janice N. Cotton, Carolyn P. Edwards, Wen Zhao, Jerònia Muntaner Gelabert

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

As the number of children orphaned or abandoned worldwide rises, we worry about their rights and welfare. Children without parents or loving guardians are vulnerable to neglect, poor health care, and diminished education. Many come to live in institutions where they may experience a host of long-term problems, including malnutrition, growth retardation, sensory processing difficulties, behavioral and attachment disorders, and cognitive and language delays (e.g., Rutter, Quinton, & Hill 1990; Judge 1999; Zeanah 2000; Beckett et al. 2002). Yet, people are finding helpful solutions. Half the Sky Foundation (HTS) conducts infant nurture and preschool enrichment programs that dramatically enhance the …

Board Of Directors Training, Heartland Center For Leadership Development

Heartland Center for Leadership Development Materials

Board of Directors Development

Roles and Responsibilities

Time Devoted to Six Basic Elements

Obstacles

Strategies

Ethics

Recruitment

Frequency Of Heavy Drinking And Perceived Peer Alcohol Involvement: Comparison Of Influence And Selection Mechanisms From A Developmental Perspective, Gilbert R. Parra, Jennifer L. Krull, Kenneth J. Sher, Kristina M. Jackson

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

The present study investigated social influence and selection explanations for the association between frequency of heavy drinking and perceived peer alcohol involvement in emerging and early adulthood. Participants were 489 young adults recruited from a university setting who were taking part in an 11-year longitudinal study, which includes 6 waves of data. Piecewise latent growth curve analyses indicated that patterns of change from ages 18 to 30 for both frequency of heavy drinking and perceived peer alcohol involvement are best represented by two distinct developmental periods (i.e., college and post-college years). Several models were compared to identify a framework that …

Student Resistance In Sociology Classrooms: Tools For Learning And Teaching, Helen A. Moore

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

In this paper I focus on two arenas of student resistance that have come under closer sociological analysis. I do this to illustrate that teaching will always be difficult, but that we have more opportunities and challenges in these interesting times. One of those challenges just might be to expand our definitions of student resistance in order to further develop our own thinking about teaching and learning. The first form of student resistance I consider to be the “classic” form in which teachers focus on classroom disruptions and why their educational messages are not absorbed by students; the second is …

Students Learn About Documentation Throughout Their Teacher Education Program, Carolyn P. Edwards, Susan Churchill, Mary Gabriel, Ruth Heaton, Julie Jones-Branch, Christine Marvin, Michelle Rupiper

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

Study groups and learning circles can offer a systematic way for early childhood teachers to interact about their work and create a culture of professional development. This paper describes how faculty systematically followed a collaborative co-inquiry process in order to improve a new early childhood interdisciplinary teacher preparation program. The team met on a regular basis throughout one academic year, with the stated objective of infusing observation/documentation knowledge and skills in a coherent and systematic way throughout the students’ program of studies. The group created a template of the cycle of inquiry, which could apply to all courses, and analyzed …

Where Do Rural Nebraskans Plan To Retire?, David J. Peters, Randolph L. Cantrell, Miguel A. Carranza, Bruce B. Johnson, Rebecca J. Vogt

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Key Findings

• Younger people in their 20s are unsure of their plans to move in retirement (65%). Those in their 30s and 40s are also unsure (about 55%), but are also more likely to stay where they currently live (about 35%) than younger people.

• Plans to move become more definite as people get older. Those in their 50s and early 60s either do not plan to move (45%) or are still unsure (40%), while those 65 and older overwhelmingly plan to stay where they are (62%) rather than being unsure of their plans to move (20%).

• Only …

Rural Nebraskans Working In Retirement, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell, Miguel A. Carranza, Bruce B. Johnson, David J. Peters

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Key Findings

• Employment is an important part of retirement and retirement planning for rural Nebraskans.

• Many rural Nebraskans who are not yet retired expect to work past the traditional retirement age of 65, especially those age 40 to 64 and farmers and ranchers.

• Motivations for working past the traditional retirement age include to meet basic income needs and to keep both physically and mentally active.

• Retirees are more likely to work for enjoyment while persons who are not yet retired expect to work for basic income needs.

• Most rural Nebraskans are anticipating some form of …

Newcomers To The Nebraska Panhandle: How Do We Keep Them Here?, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bruce B. Johnson, Charlotte Narjes, Rebecca J. Vogt

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Key Findings

• Most new residents considered other locations before choosing their current location.

• Most new residents view their new communities as friendly, trusting, and supportive.

• Many new residents are involved in their new community, but are not as engaged as they were in their previous community.

• Many new residents are either not planning to stay in their current community or aren’t sure of their plans.

• Younger persons are more likely than older persons to be planning to leave or to be unsure of their plans.

• The feeling of belonging in the community has the …

Retirement Plans And Perceptions Among Rural Nebraskans, David J. Peters, Randolph L. Cantrell, Miguel A. Carranza, Bruce B. Johnson, Rebecca J. Vogt

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

• Most rural Nebraskans indicate an ideal retirement age of between 55-64 years (about 55%), or an ideal age of between 65-70 years (under 30%).

• However, only one-third of those ideally retiring between ages 55-64 think they will have sufficient income to do so, while nearly one-half of those ideally retiring between ages 65-70 think they will have enough retirement income.

• Over 40 percent of rural Nebraskans say they plan to work during retirement. People in their 40s and 50s are more likely to plan on working than those in their 20s and 30s.

• A majority of …

Rural Nebraskans And Health Care In Retirement, Randolph L. Cantrell, Miguel A. Carranza, Bruce B. Johnson, David J. Peters, Rebecca J. Vogt

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

• Rural Nebraskans are concerned about health and health care during their retirement.

• Concerns over health care needs are likely to influence where older Nebraskans choose to reside.

• The perceived need to provide personal health insurance for oneself is likely to keep older rural Nebraskans in the labor force.

• Upon retirement, rural Nebraskans expect to finance their health care in a variety of ways, but expect to rely most heavily upon Medicare.

• Reliance upon family and friends for any level of health care support is seen as an unlikely option by most rural Nebraskans.

Rural Nebraskans And Retirement Income, Bruce B. Johnson, Randolph L. Cantrell, Miguel A. Carranza, David J. Peters, Rebecca J. Vogt

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

• Most rural Nebraskans are concerned about adequate income for their retirement years.

• Social security is only one of many retirement income sources that rural Nebraskans are employing.

• Planning on continuing employment, either full or part-time, into the retirement years as an income source is the rule rather than the exception.

• Few rural Nebraskans plan to leave a portion of their estate to their community organizations and causes, even though they may think favorably about their community.

Newcomers To The Nebraska Panhandle: Who Are They?, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bruce B. Johnson, Charlotte Narjes, Rebecca J. Vogt

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Key Findings

• New residents bring many assets to the Panhandle region: high levels of education, children, professional occupation skills, entrepreneurial backgrounds, and volunteer and community leadership experience.

• New residents come from many different locations, arriving from 38 different states.

• Most new residents come from other parts of Nebraska or from the adjacent states of Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota and Kansas.

• The majority of new residents moved to the Panhandle from a metropolitan county.

• While one quarter of new residents moved to the Panhandle alone, most brought either a spouse/partner or children with them.

• A …

Newcomers To The Nebraska Panhandle: Why Did They Move Here?, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bruce B. Johnson, Charlotte Narjes, Rebecca J. Vogt

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Key Findings

• New residents rated the high cost of living and urban congestion as the top reasons for leaving their previous community.

• The top rated reasons newcomers move to their current communities involve community quality of life amenities: to find a simpler pace of life, to find a less congested place to live, and to be closer to relatives. Other reasons for moving to the Panhandle include the decreased cost of living, the quality of the natural environment and to find a higher paying job.

• Families cite the better environment in which to raise children and better …

Onset Of Conduct Disorder, Use Of Delinquent Subsistence Strategies, And Street Victimization Among Homeless And Runaway Adolescents In The Midwest, Xiaojin Chen, Lisa Thrane, Les B. Whitbeck, Kurt D. Johnson, Dan R. Hoyt

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This study examines the effects of childhood-onset conduct disorder on later antisocial behavior and street victimization among a group of homeless and runaway adolescents. Four hundred twenty-eight homeless and runaway youth were interviewed directly on the streets and in shelters from four Midwestern states. Key findings include the following. First, compared with those who exhibit adolescent-onset conduct disorder, youth with childhood onset are more likely to engage in a series of antisocial behaviors such as use of sexual and nonsexual survival strategies. Second, youth with childhood-onset conduct disorder are more likely to experience violent victimization; this association, however, is mostly …

Chinese Family Strengths And Resiliency, Anqi Xu, Xiaolin Xie, Wenli Liu, Yan Ruth Xia, Dalin Liu

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

Chinese family and marriage strengths and challenges are delineated in this article, including equity in marriage, affection, the ability to adapt to changes, mutual trust, compatibility, harmony, and family support. Despite the fact that Chinese households are getting smaller as a result of governmental policy and the broadening of housing markets, families remain crucial support networks, especially in the areas of socialization and intergenerational relationships. Current research on Chinese marriages and families is cited, outlining attitudinal changes regarding mate selection, divorce, and childbirth between genders, between older and younger generations, and between urban and rural residents.

Impacts Of Parents’ Divorce On Chinese Children: A Model With Academic Performance As A Mediator, Anqi Xu, Jiehai Zhang, Yan Ruth Xia

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

The study examined the impact of parents’ divorce on Chinese children’s well-being. A Chinese theoretical model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling. The sample consisted of 940 Chinese children aged 6-16. The well-being of children from divorced families was compared with that of two-parent and widowed families. The results showed that children’s academic performance mediated the negative impact of divorce on children’s well-being. The societal discriminating attitude towards divorce and single-parent families had a strong negative effect on the children’s well-being. Parenting skills of the custodial parent had more influence on the children’s well-being than the marital conflicts prior to …

Perceptions Of Individual And Community Well-Being Among Rural Nebraskans, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell, Miguel A. Carranza, Bruce B. Johnson, David J. Peters

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Many rural communities have experienced population growth during the past decade and the state has experienced relatively stable economic conditions during the past year. How do rural Nebraskans feel about their community? Are they satisfied with the services provided? Are they planning to move from their community next year? How do rural Nebraskans perceive their quality of life? Do their perceptions differ by community size, the region in which they live, or their occupation?

This report details 2,680 responses to the 2007 Nebraska Rural Poll, the twelfth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of …

Poverty Duration, Maternal Psychological Resources, And Adolescent Socioemotional Outcomes, Bridget J. Goosby

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This study seeks to assess the impact of maternal psychological well-being on the depression and anxiety levels and social withdrawal in a sample of young African American and Caucasian adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14 (N = 854) using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 child sample. Analyses using structural equation modeling found (a) that the duration of time mothers spend in poverty strongly predicts maternal mastery and depressive symptoms and (b) that the effects of poverty duration on adolescent outcomes are mediated primarily by maternal depression and sense of mastery even after controlling for …

A Dimensional Model Of Psychopathology Among Homeless Adolescents: Suicidality, Internalizing, And Externalizing Disorders, Kevin A. Yoder, Susan L. Longley, Les B. Whitbeck, Dan R. Hoyt

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The present study examined associations among dimensions of suicidality and psychopathology in a sample of 428 homeless adolescents (56.3% female). Confirmatory factor analysis results provided support for a three-factor model in which suicidality (measured with lifetime suicidal ideation and suicide attempts), internalizing disorders (assessed with lifetime diagnoses of major depressive episode and post-traumatic stress disorder), and externalizing disorders (indicated by lifetime diagnoses of conduct disorder, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse) were positively intercorrelated. The findings illustrate the utility of a dimensional approach that integrates suicidality and psychopathology into one model.

Infertility And Life Satisfaction Among Women, Julia Mcquillan, Roselie Torres Stone, Arthur L. Greil

Bureau of Sociological Research: Faculty Publications

Using data from a random sample of 580 midwestern women, the authors explore the association between lifetime infertility and life satisfaction. Past research shows lower life satisfaction among those seeking help for infertility. The authors find no direct effects of lifetime infertility, regardless of perception of a problem, on life satisfaction; however, there are several conditional effects. Among women who have ever met the criteria for infertility and perceive a fertility problem, life satisfaction is significantly lower for non-mothers and those with higher internal medical locus of control, and the association is weaker for employed women. For women with infertility …

Using Interviewer Observations To Improve Nonresponse Adjustments: Nes 2004, Andy Peytchev, Kristen Olson

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Variables used in nonresponse adjustments are sometimes associated with the response outcome and sometimes with survey variables. Both associations are paramount to the reduction of nonresponse bias in survey estimates. We demonstrate that it is only when both are present that adjustments change the point estimate of the mean from the unadjusted mean. We also set out to test whether the relatively low associations commonly found in survey data are sufficient to achieve this goal. There are many such auxiliary variables that can be used for nonresponse adjustment. We demonstrate augmenting nonresponse adjustments in the 2004 National Election Study using …

Effect Of Interviewer Experience On Interview Pace And Interviewer Attitudes, Kristen M. Olson, Andy Peytchev

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Traditional statistical analyses of interviewer effects on survey data do not examine whether these effects change over a field period. However, the nature of the survey interview is dynamic. Interviewers’ behaviors and perceptions may evolve as they gain experience, thus potentially affecting data quality. This paper looks at how interview length and interviewer evaluations of respondents change over interviewers’ workloads. Multilevel models with random interviewer effects are used to account for the clustering of cases within interviewers and individual interviewer characteristics in the 1984, 1988, and 2000 National Election Studies. The 1984 and 1988 NES released sample in four replicates, …

Fitting Disposition Codes To Mobile Phone Surveys: Experiences From Studies In Finland, Slovenia And The Usa, Mario Callegaro, Charlotte Steeh, Trent D. Buskirk, Vasja Vehovar, Vesa Kuusela, Linda Piekarski

UNL-Gallup Working Papers Series

Blackwell Science Ltd Using mobile phones to conduct survey interviews has gathered momentum recently. However, using mobile telephones in surveys poses many new challenges. One important challenge involves properly classifying final case dispositions to understand response rates and non-response error and to implement responsive survey designs. Both purposes demand accurate assessments of the outcomes of individual call attempts. By looking at actual practices across three countries, we suggest how the disposition codes of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, which have been developed for telephone surveys, can be modified to fit mobile phones. Adding an international dimension to these …

Design Effects In The Transition To Web-Based Surveys, Don A. Dillman, Jolene D. Smyth

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Innovation within survey modes should always be mitigated by concerns about survey quality and in particular sampling, coverage, nonresponse, and measurement error. This is as true today with the development of web surveying as it was in the 1970s when telephone surveying was being developed. This paper focuses on measurement error in web surveys. Although Internet technology provides significant opportunities for innovation in survey design, systematic research has yet to be conducted on how most of the possible innovations might affect measurement error, leaving many survey designers “out in the cold.” This paper summarizes recent research to provide an overview …

Seam Effects Changes Due To Modifications In Question Wording And Data Collection Strategies. A Comparison Of Conventional Questionnaire And Event History Calendar Seam Effects In The Psid, Mario Callegaro

Survey Research and Methodology (SRAM) Program: Dissertations and Theses

A seam effect occurs in panel studies when within-wave changes are less frequent than between-wave changes (comparing data gathered from two different interviews). This study explores the changes in the magnitude of seam effects among labor force states (employment, unemployment, not in labor force) using the last seven waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics collected between 1995 and 2005. The panel underwent several changes: data were collected with conventional questionnaires (CQ) until 2001. The interval between waves was changed from one year to two years in 1997. The data regarding labor force transitions were collected with Event History …

Nurturing Care For China’S Orphaned Children: Half The Sky Foundation Baby Sisters And Little Sisters Programs, Carolyn P. Edwards, Janice N. Cotton, Wen Zhao, Jerònia Muntaner Gelabert, Jenny Bowen

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

As the number of the world’s orphaned and abandoned children continues to increase, worry escalates among those concerned about their rights and welfare. Yet, people are finding some helpful solutions. This paper describes an international foundation called Half the Sky’s success in providing infant nurture and preschool enrichment programs, in partnership with Chinese national and provincial governments, through a coherent blend of cultural practices in curriculum and program operation. Both programs foster emotional intelligence and self-esteem, in a way that promotes peace education. Half the Sky opened two pilot programs in 2000 and today operates in 30 institutions in 12 …

Fishbowls In The Field: Using Listening To Join Farmers, Ranchers, And Educations In Advancing Sustainable Agricultue, Elaine E. Cranford, Julie Kleinschmit

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

From 1992 to 2005, 586 research and development grants were awarded to farmers and ranchers in the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program’s North Central Region (NCR SARE). Two hundred were granted in the states of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, alone. Farm/ranch research ideas for crop and animal production, processing, and marketing were innovations in their communities and regions. They were also relevant to farmers’ and ranchers’ day-to-day lives, questions to which they needed answers, in part because the information was not accessible through traditional agricultural education means.

These farmer/rancher researchers learned a great deal from their …

Helping Respondents Get It Right The First Time: The Influence Of Words, Symbols, And Graphics In Web Surveys, Leah Melani Christian, Don A. Dillman, Jolene D. Smyth

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

We utilize and apply visual design theory to experimentally test ways to improve the likelihood that web respondents report date answers in a particular format desired by the researcher, thus reducing possible deleterious effects of error messages or requests for corrections. These experiments were embedded in a series of web surveys of random samples of university students. We seek to examine the sequential and cumulative effects of visually manipulating the size and proximity of the answer spaces, the use of symbols instead of words, the verbal language of the question stem, and the graphical location of the symbolic instruction. Our …