Sociology Commons^™

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 …

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

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 standard definitions will …

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 Program: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

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 …

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 …

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 …

Family Income And Attitudes Toward Older People In China: Comparison Of Two Age Cohorts, Xiaolin Xie, Yan Ruth Xia, Xiaofan Liu

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

Three hundred and five traditional college students and 159 baby boomers (40–55 years old) in China participated in the study with Kogan’s Attitude toward Old People [Kogan (1961) Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 62(1), 44–54] being used. Results from ANOVA showed overall, baby boomers held more positive attitudes toward older people than college students. There was a significant interaction effect between cohorts and family income; that is, the lower family income group in both samples did not differ significantly from each other, it was in the higher family income group that difference was revealed. Baby Boomers in the …

Moving To The Rural Great Plains Point Of Origin Differences In The Decision Making Process, Randolph L. Cantrell, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel, Bruce B. Johnson, Charlotte Narjes, Rebecca J. Vogt

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Census data demonstrate that the movement of population in the rural Great Plains is not one-way. People do indeed move into as well as out of the region. Past research has identified perceptions of the quality of life in rural areas as an important consideration in the decision to migrate to such areas. However, those studies have not segmented the population of migrants in such a way as to fully inform efforts to recruit new residents. Using data collected from a survey of new Nebraska Panhandle residents, this study describes the motivations of recent migrants from both metropolitan and non-metropolitan …

Beyond Hispanic/Latino: The Importance Of Gender/Ethnicity-Specific Earnings Analyses, Rosalie Torres Stone, Julia Mcquillan

Bureau of Sociological Research: Faculty Publications

The effect of economic change on the Latino to non-Latino White earnings gap has been well documented; however much of this research has focused on Latinos as a general category with little focus on subgroup variations. Despite varied histories and demographic characteristics Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans, the largest Hispanic subgroups, have usually been combined in analyses of earnings gaps. Consequently, we know little about differential effects of the “new economy” on earnings by subgroup across labor markets. Using a sample consisting of Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and non-Hispanic Whites residing in 106 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) from the 2000 …

Attrition Bias, Richard B. Miller, Cody S. Hollist

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

Attrition bias is one of the major threats to multiwave studies, and it can bias the sample in two ways. First, attrition bias can affect the external validity of the study. If some groups of people drop out of the study more frequently than others, the subsequent longitudinal sample no longer resembles the original sample in the study. As a result, the remaining sample is not generalizable to the original population that was sampled. For example, a longitudinal sample examining the grieving process of women following the death of a spouse may fail to retain those participants who have become …

Psychological Distress By Type Of Fertility Barrier, Mary Casey Jacob, Julia Mcquillan, Arthur L. Greil

Bureau of Sociological Research: Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: We examined fertility-specific distress (FSD) and general distress by type of fertility barrier (FB).

METHODS: In a random sample telephone survey, 580 US women reported their fertility intentions and histories. Six groups of women were identified: (i) no FBs, (ii) infertile with intent, (iii) infertile without intent, (iv) other fertility problems, (v) miscarriages and (vi) situational barriers. Multiple regression analyses were used to compare groups with FBs.
RESULTS: Sixty-one percent reported FBs and 28% reported an inability to conceive for at least 12 months. The infertile with intent group had the highest FSD, which was largely explained by (a) …

Gender Identity Disorder, Jennifer Mckitrick

Department of Philosophy: Faculty Publications

According to the DSM IV, a person with GID is a male or female that feels a strong identification with the opposite sex and experiences considerable stress because of their actual sex (Task Force on DSM-IV and American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The way GID is characterized by health professionals, patients, and lay people belies certain assumptions about gender that are strongly held, yet nevertheless questionable. The phenomena of transsexuality and sex-reassignment surgery puts into stark relief the following question: “What does it mean to be male or female?” But while the answer to that question may be informed by contemplation …

Providers’ Perspectives On Troublesome Overusers Of Medical Services, Richard Bischoff, Cody S. Hollist, Joellen Patterson, Lee Williams, Layne Prest, Matthew D. Barkdull

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

The purpose of this study was to better understand providers’ perspectives of and experiences with frequent users of medical services. Focus group interviews were con¬ducted with physicians in San Diego, California, and Omaha, Nebraska. Indicators of problematic patient overuse of medical services were identified as well as the common physician experience of overuse that is troublesome and problematic. Qualitative data analysis revealed that physicians did not consider patient overuse, by itself, to be problematic. Overuse became problematic and troublesome when patient behavior violated the physician-patient relationship of trust. All participants described a distinct negative physiological reaction to these patients.

When Disability Enters A Teacher’S Life, Must The Teacher Stop Teaching?, Laura L. B. Border

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

Disabilities are usually discussed in academe in the context of the undergraduate student population; nevertheless, graduate students and faculty also represent a certain percentage of persons with disabilities. This essay presents a case study and an analysis of a consultation with a graduate instructor, inviting us to examine the issues of disability in the life of a teacher.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of Children: What Do We Know And What Do We Do About It?, U.S. Department Of Justice

Human Trafficking: Data and Documents

Much investigation remains to be done regarding the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). As with other “low visibility” crimes, there is a lurking “dark figure” of unreported cases. Moreover, little reliable information exists about the types of people who exploit children in this way.

Finding A Path To Recovery: Residential Facilities For Minor Victims Of Domestic Sex Trafficking, Heather J. Clawson, Lisa Goldblatt Grace

Human Trafficking: Data and Documents

This is the first in a series of Issue Briefs produced under a contract with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), to conduct a study of HHS programs serving human trafficking victims. Funded in fall 2006, the purpose of this 12-month exploratory project is to develop information on how HHS programs are currently addressing the needs of victims of human trafficking, including domestic victims, with a priority focus on domestic youth. This project also consists of reviewing relevant literature, and identifying barriers and promising practices for addressing the …

Combating Modern Slavery: Reauthorization Of Anti-Trafficking Programs, U.S. House Of Representatives Committee On The Judiciary

Human Trafficking: Data and Documents

This is an incredible and an unusual kind of hearing because of the promise of freedom of the 13th amendment, a promise written from the suffering of all of those who have been held in bondage. Sadly, involuntary servitude lives on in this country long after Emancipation Day. Freedom can only be advanced through sustained determination. The Civil Rights Movement could only occur after the change of peonage and exploitation had been broken in the late 1940’s by the NAACP and, as well, the FBI and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Section all working together. The same type of collaboration …

Crossing The Border: Immigrants In Detention And Victims Of Trafficking Part I And Ii, U.S. House Of Representatives Committee On Homeland Security

Human Trafficking: Data and Documents

Today’s hearing is the first in a two-part series that will examine the issues surrounding the treatment of migrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And the first of the series, this hearing today, we will have two panels, which will primarily focus on the issue of detention. I would like to begin by thanking our witnesses: Mr. John Torres, Mr. Richard Seiter, Ms. Michelle Brane´, Ms. Christina Fiflis, and Mr. Michael Cutler. And thank you for joining us today to discuss these important issues. With the end of the ‘‘catch and release’’ program, the Department of Homeland Security faces a …

Attorney General’S Annual Report To Congress On U.S. Government Activities To Combat Trafficking In Persons Fiscal Year 2006, U. S. Department Of Justice

Human Trafficking: Data and Documents

Trafficking in persons (TIP), or human trafficking, is a regrettably widespread form of modern-day slavery. Traffickers often prey on individuals, predominantly women and children in certain countries, who are poor, frequently unemployed or underemployed, and who may lack access to social safety nets. Victims are often lured with false promises of good jobs and better lives, and then forced to work under brutal and inhuman conditions. It is difficult to accurately estimate the extent of victimization in this crime whose perpetrators go to great lengths to keep it hidden. Nonetheless, the United States has led the world in the fight …