Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons^™

Birth Cohort Changes In The Association Between College Education And Religious Non-Affiliation, Philip Schwadel

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This article examines the changing association between higher education and reporting no religious affiliation in the United States. I argue that increases in higher education have led to a decline in the individual-level effect of college education on religious non-affiliation. Results from hierarchical age-period-cohort models using more than three and a half decades of repeated cross-sectional survey data demonstrate that the strong, positive effect of college education on reporti ti ng no religious affiliation declines precipitously across birth cohorts. Specifically, a bachelor’s degree has no effect on non-affiliation by the 1965–69 cohort, and a negative effect for the 1970s cohorts. …

Parenting Behaviors, Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, And Problem Behavior: The Role Of Self-Esteem And School Adjustment Difficulties Among Chinese Adolescents, Cixin Wang, Yan Ruth Xia, Wenzhen Li, Stephan M. Wilson, Kevin Bush, Gary Peterson

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

Cross-sectional data from 589 Chinese adolescents were used to investigate whether parenting behaviors are directly or indirectly (through self-esteem and school adjustment difficulties) associated with adolescent depressive symptoms and problem behavior. Structural equation modeling results showed that school adjustment difficulties fully mediated the relations between two parenting behaviors (parental punitiveness and paternal monitoring) and adolescent problem behavior and partially mediated the relation between maternal monitoring and adolescent problem behavior. Adolescent self-esteem partially mediated the relations between maternal punitiveness and adolescent depressive symptoms and fully mediated the relations between parental support and adolescent depressive symptoms. Parental love withdrawal was not significantly …

Tracing The Origins Of Success: Implications For Successful Aging, Nora M. Peterson, Peter Martin

French Language and Literature Papers

Purpose of the Study: This paper addresses the debate about the use of the term “successful aging” from a humanistic, rather than behavioral, perspective. It attempts to uncover what success, a term frequently associated with aging, is: how can it be defined and when did it first come into use? In this paper, we draw from a number of humanistic perspectives, including the historical and linguistic, in order to explore the evolution of the term “success.” We believe that words and concepts have deep implications for how concepts (such as aging) are culturally and historically perceived.

Design and Methods: We …

Does Being An Only Child Affect The Attitudes Of Chinese Students?, Yuwei Wei

Senior Theses

Three decades has passed since China started implementing regulations and policies for population control. Today, the ever-famous “One-Child Policy” is starting to not only lose its popularity, but also its effectiveness in spurring economic growth. This paper will discuss the heavy social cost the last generation had to pay for the growth of economy and the slowing down of population growth, as well as the challenges in social adaptation young adults face today. As part of the literature review, this paper examines the issue of the “Upside down pyramid” and analyzes the family planning policy’s impact on China’s demography. The …

Jesus Lives, But Should He Live In My Front Yard?, Christin N. Taylor

English Faculty Publications

As I drove home from church, I eyed the bright foam sign my 6-year-old daughter held. “Jesus is Alive” it read in kid scrawl. “We’re supposed to put them in our yards!” Noelle beamed, eyeing her creation proudly through pink-rimmed glasses.

I imagined our wide, open yard in Pennsylvania, the green grass stretching without fences from one neighbor to the next. Our best friends in the neighborhood, secular humanists, would easily see it. I cringed. What would they think? [excerpt]

Refugee Self-Reliance In Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda, Erik Svedberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

One of the key tenets of Ugandan refugee policy is the Self-Reliance Strategy (SRS), a policy that expects refugees to economically support themselves by utilizing a given plot of land to develop a livelihood based on subsistence agriculture. Although many have hailed this policy as being progressive and beneficial for the refugees, others have pointed out the flaws and deficiencies in the policy and in its implementation. The research utilizes a case-study of Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Western Uganda to assess the implementation and impacts of the SRS in Uganda. Semi-structured interviews with refugees, settlement officials, aid workers, and academics …

Limits To Literacy: The Perceived Relationship Between Functional Literacy And Political Empowerment Amongst The Forest-Dwelling Van Gujjars, Nicola Soekoe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The failure of countrywide basic literacy campaigns to enhance social mobility has led to the promotion and development of localized, comprehensive functional literacy campaigns. These campaigns are particularly applicable to marginalized groups; as they aim to empower communities by providing them with the necessary skills to navigate their socioeconomic and political environments. This qualitative study examines the long-term impact of one such functional literacy campaign on the semi-nomadic pastoral Van Gujjar community. I use the Assets, Opportunity Structure, and Degrees of Empowerment (DOE) method to investigate community members’ perceptions of the level of political empowerment that followed their participation in …

Livelihood Strategies Of People In The Himalayan Region Of Nepal: A Study In The Villages Of Eastern Manang, Prashanta Chhetri

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This is a study on the changing livelihood strategies of people in Manang -a district that lies on the northern side of Annapurna Himals. I have focused my study on the villages in the eastern part of lower Manang. Primarily, my study has been done in these villages: Besisahar, Khotro, Nachai, Tachai, Tilche, Dharapani, Yak Kharka, Surki Khola and Bhimthang. As defined locally, these villages fall under the region of Nyishang and Gyasumdo in the Manang district. In this paper I talk about the shifts made by the people in their livestock keeping/raising from yaks to dzhopas to mules, depending …

Ayllu,Migracion Politica Desde Abajo En Bolivia: Perspectivas Desde El Ayllu Bombo, Oruro, Lucas Rénique

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto consta de una investigación acerca del ayllu hoy en día. Los ayllus son gobiernos-agrupaciones familiares, sociales, económicas y culturales con una base territorial que persisten desde antes del imperio Incaico en la región andina de Bolivia y Perú. El estudio se enfoca en el ayllu Bombo, un ayllu en proceso de reconstrucción con territorio en la Provincia Dalence, Oruro pero cuyos miembros en su mayoría radican en la mina Huanuni, Cochabamba, El Alto y otros lugares de Bolivia y el mundo. Intento entender la naturaleza de las transformaciones socio-políticas en este ayllu ocasionadas por la migración y extractivismo …

Planning Sustainable Food Hubs: Thinking Beyond Economic Viability To Democratize Local Food Access, Ashley Bahlkow

Capstone Collection

In light of an increasing awareness of the detrimental public health impacts of conventional food systems, the New Hampshire Endowment for Health (NHEH) funded a food hub feasibility study to develop a local food hub in the southeastern region of New Hampshire. The study centered on conceptualizing a food hub that would be both viable from a small business standpoint as well one that would increase access to local food, especially for marginalized communities in the city of Manchester--the major population center in the region.

The project work plan contained several activities for determining feasibility, which were completed over the …

Research Brief: "The Demographics Of Military Children And Families", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study examines the the demographics of military families, which can be used to can assist in better serving their needs, reducing their stress, and increasing their happiness with military life. The diversity of these families significantly impacts their interaction with their social networks and societal institutions, and would benefit from policy that creates additional programs aimed at helping military children through critical military transition points. Additional research is needed on how younger children operate in military families, and the impact of supports available for spouses caring for younger children during deployments and separation from their spouse.

The Changes In Mainland Chinese Families During The Social Transition: A Critical Analysis, Anqi Xu, Yan Ruth Xia

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

Modernization theory offers possible explanations for family changes related to advances in science and technology, and socio-economic development in industrial societies. Modernization impacts family structure, relationship, values and beliefs. Families become nuclear while people become mobile and the society becomes urban. Economic development provides employment opportunities outside the birthplace. Away from kinship network, a nuclear family is less influenced and controlled by elder members in the extended family in fulfilling its traditional roles and obligations (Parsons, 1943). The changes occur in all societies although they may vary in pace across societies (Goode, 1982). Modernization theory is criticized for valuing Western …

Family Policy In China: A Snapshot Of 1950–2010, Yan Ruth Xia, Haiping Wang, Anh Do, Shen Qin

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

The Chinese family policies are shaped by the country’s political, socioeconomic, and cultural contexts and have evolved over the years. China has passed its most significant family policies and laws in marriage; child rearing; child, women, and elderly protection; family planning; and health care in the past 60 years. This chapter will cover the most important laws and policies that affect Chinese families from 1950 to 2010. The discussion focuses on policy development, implementation and analysis, and the challenges China faces in relation to these policy issues.

Baseline Survey Of Nigerian Media Coverage Of Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health And Hiv And Aids Related Issues, January 1st–December 31st, 2012, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

To promote more informed public dialogue on youth vulnerabilities, responses to HIV/AIDS, and positive changes in relevant policies and programs via learning and advocacy interventions at the state and national levels in Nigeria, the Population Council commissioned a study of the print and electronic media’s coverage of HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health–related issues among youth aged 15–24 years in Nigeria for the period January 1 to December 31, 2012. The study entailed a content analysis of four national and two regional newspapers, and an online forum that is one of the most frequently visited social media sites in Nigeria. …

Documentation Of Hiv Prevention Research And Programmatic Learnings From India—Selected Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles And Key Highlights: 2013-2014 (Volume 2), Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Over the past decade (2001–11), there has been a steady decline in adult HIV prevalence in India as a result of evidence-based, intensive, and scaled HIV-prevention programs. Findings from the implementation of programs have been widely documented and have been published both as reports and peer-reviewed journal articles. In “Documentation of HIV Prevention Research and Programmatic Learnings from India,” Volume 2, we bring together recent articles published in peer-reviewed journals on the lessons learned from the HIV-prevention program in India. The document is divided into four thematic sections, and research highlights are presented at the start of each section. This …

Balika Fact Sheet: Highlight On Livelihoods, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

There are few income-earning opportunities for adolescent girls in the Bangladeshi Association for Life Skills, Income, and Knowledge for Adolescents (BALIKA) study area, and livelihoods opportunities vary considerably by economic status and education. The ability to acquire livelihood-relevant skills, networks, and work experience during adolescence can be an important predictor of productive capacity later in life. However, across the study districts, the proportion of adolescent girls who are working is low. Most girls work as tutors or are engaged in the agricultural and poultry sector. Better-educated girls are more likely to be engaged in paid work. This BALIKA “Highlight on …

Adolescents In Rajasthan 2012: Changing Situation And Needs, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Rajib Acharya

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Several national policies and programs formulated since 2000 have underscored India’s commitment to addressing the multiple needs of youth. The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) program launched in 2014 helped provide the framework for services for young people’s health in general, and their sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and prevention and care of noncommunicable diseases, in particular. The earlier Youth in India: Situation and Needs 2006–2007 study was the first-ever subnationally representative study conducted to identify key transitions experienced by married and unmarried youth in India. Data have now become available from a repeated survey conducted in 2012 in …

Hiv/Aids Vulnerabilities, Discrimination, And Service Accessibility Among Africa's Youth: Insights From A Multi-Country Study, Babatunde A.O. Ahonsi, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Scott Geibel, Sam Kalibala, Jerry Okal, Babacar Mane, Nathi Sohaba, Julialynne Walker, Eric P. Green

HIV and AIDS

This report contains information from a study implemented between August 2011 and July 2012 that sought to provide a comprehensive, evidence-based picture of the HIV-related issues facing young people across Africa, and the prevailing legal, policy, and programmatic responses. The study was designed to establish a basis for a sharper focus on youth within the response to HIV on the continent. Researchers conducted country-specific analytical reviews of the relevant literature on factors associated with HIV risk-taking and health-seeking behaviors among young people aged 15–24 in six countries across Africa—Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda. In addition, qualitative and …

Formative Research To Develop An Intervention For Addressing Mental Health/Psychosocial Issues And Hiv Vulnerability Of Marginalized Adolescents In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Nrupa Jani, Katie D. Schenk

HIV and AIDS

Children and adolescents who migrate from rural regions to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia often flee their households to escape from abusive families, forced marriages, poverty, lack of economic opportunity and education, and other social problems. They are often met with equally harsh, if not worse, challenges when they arrive in Addis Ababa, including treacherous living situations, abusive working conditions with meager compensation, limited opportunities for education and socialization, and absence of family support. This study conducted a qualitative needs assessment to determine type and extent of mental health and psychological needs among adolescent migrants living in Addis Ababa in order to …

Pmtct Cascade Analysis In Côte D'Ivoire: Results From A National Representative Sample, Stephen S. Gloyd, Julia Robinson, Serge A. Dali, S. Adam Granato, Rebecca Bartlein, Seydou Kouyate, David Aka, Doroux A. Billy, Irma Ahoba, Ahoua Kone

HIV and AIDS

Without treatment, an HIV-positive pregnant woman has a 30–35 percent chance of transmitting the infection to her child. Early detection and appropriate treatment during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding can reduce those odds to less than 5 percent. Consequently, WHO and countries around the world have instituted prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programs, consisting of the “PMTCT cascade”: testing for HIV at the first antenatal visit; CD4 test of HIV-positive patients; antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis to mother throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding; ARV prophylaxis to child at delivery and throughout breastfeeding; HIV testing of child and initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) …

Provider Alerts And Reminders To Improve Tuberculosis Care Among People Living With Hiv In Kenya: Tb Tech Formative Report, Caricia Catalani, Eric P. Green, Lameck Diero, Jane Carter, Martin Were, Dennis Israelski, Adrian Gardner, Charity Ndwiga, Paul Biondich

HIV and AIDS

People living with HIV (PLHIV) have a 20-fold higher risk of dying from tuberculosis (TB) than the general population. Reducing TB morbidity and mortality among PLHIV requires identifying those with active TB and treating them, as well as preventing new TB infections among those not infected. WHO recommends screening all HIV-infected patients for symptoms of active TB infection, testing those who show symptoms, treating those with positive TB tests, and providing isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) for those who are either asymptomatic or whose TB test results are negative. WHO classifies Kenya among the “high burden” countries for TB and notes …

Retention Of Adolescents Living With Hiv In Care, Treatment, And Support Programs In Uganda, Livingstone Ssali, Sam Kalibala, Josephine Birungi, Aggrey Egessa, Jonathan Wangisi, Joanne Lyavala Okullu, Celestin Bakanda, Stephen Okoboi, Francis Obare

HIV and AIDS

Understanding the extent to which adolescents aged 10–19 years who are living with HIV are retained in HIV care, treatment, and support is important for informing the design of effective services for this population to better meet their needs across three main areas of HIV and AIDS programming: treatment; care and support; and prevention. Retention in HIV programs is, in turn, important for positive clinical outcomes including viral suppression and survival. In 2013–2014, The AIDS Support Organization and the Population Council undertook a study to generate evidence on factors associated with retention of adolescents in HIV and AIDS programs in …

An Overview Of The Hiv Prevention Landscape In Zimbabwe: Implications For Tenofovir Gel, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Zimbabwe has seen a tremendous shift in the HIV landscape in the last decade, particularly regarding prevalence. Yet many people, especially women, are still at high risk and efforts to identify and implement additional HIV-prevention options remain critical. Topical microbicides are a promising new technology that women can control or initiate, with a number of products tested in clinical trials over the past two decades. As research moves forward, decision-makers and other stakeholders need key background information to inform strategic decision-making regarding introduction of tenofovir gel and other new HIV-prevention products. The Population Council has designed a toolkit to assist …

Hiv/Aids Vulnerabilities, Discrimination, And Service Accessibility Among Nigeria's Youth, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

This report documents the findings of a study implemented between August 2011 and July 2012 that sought to provide a comprehensive, evidence-based picture of the HIV-related issues facing Nigerian youth and the prevailing legal, policy, and programmatic responses. The study was designed to establish a basis for a sharper focus on youth within the national response to HIV. Researchers conducted an analytical review of the relevant literature on factors associated with HIV risk-taking and health-seeking behaviors among young people aged 15–24 in Nigeria. In addition, qualitative and quantitative analyses enabled an evaluation of the factors associated with young people’s sexual …

Hiv/Aids Vulnerabilities, Discrimination, And Service Accessibility Of Nigeria's Youth: Summary Of Study Findings, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Nigerian youth, especially females, are disproportionately affected by HIV yet remain a neglected subpopulation in the response to HIV. Current HIV-prevention interventions are often not youth-friendly in design and implementation. Youth, therefore, fail to access these services which further worsens their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. This study, implemented between August 2011 and July 2012, sought to provide a comprehensive evidence-based picture of the HIV-related issues facing Nigerian youth and the prevailing legal, policy, and programmatic responses. Researchers conducted an analytical review of the relevant literature on factors associated with HIV risk-taking and health-seeking behaviors among young people aged 15–24 in Nigeria. …

Program And Policy Considerations For Tenofovir Gel In India: An Overview, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

The 2011 National Sentinel Surveillance estimated that 1.9 million people in India aged 15 and older were living with HIV. An estimated 39 percent are women. Given the urgent need for HIV-prevention options for women, a number of efforts are underway to prepare for introduction of tenofovir gel should it be shown to be effective. One of these is a guide to assist policymakers and program managers in identifying the most strategic opportunities for introducing tenofovir gel. The guide includes three related components: a landscape analysis, a discussion guide for key opinion leader interviews, and a program planning tool. The …

Reduce Contraception Discontinuation In Bangladesh By Improving Counseling On Side Effects, Fauzia Akhter Huda, Sabiha Chowdhuri

Reproductive Health

High rates of contraceptive discontinuation and method failure could cause Bangladesh to lose the progress made in increasing contraceptive use over the past 20 years. This policy brief concludes that if women are adequately counseled and supported to sustain their use of more effective contraceptive methods, they will need less medical attention, have fewer unintended pregnancies, and reduce the workload for medical clinics. Furthermore, if providers are adequately trained and supported in counseling and managing side effects and in helping women to switch methods when they do have a problem, the Family Planning Clinical Contraception Services Delivery Program would meet …

Confronting Disrespect And Abuse During Childbirth In Kenya: The Heshima Project, Population Council

Reproductive Health

No woman should be hit, yelled at, or abused in any way during childbirth. However, laboring women in Kenya and elsewhere may experience inhumane treatment in hospitals and clinics. This abuse is a key yet overlooked reason why only four in ten pregnant women in Kenya deliver at health facilities. To increase the number of women delivering in health facilities and thereby reduce maternal deaths, governments, health systems, and practitioners need sound evidence documenting the disrespect and abuse that women experience. Through the Heshima Project, the Population Council is changing how health systems and women think about quality maternity care …

Assessment Of Sex Selection In Bangladesh, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Ubaidur Rob, Forhana Rahman Noor

Reproductive Health

According to UN estimates, the sex ratio at birth (SRB) has persisted at its natural level of 105 male per 100 female newborns for the past half century in Bangladesh. Generally, the SRB becomes skewed in a setting where fertility is declining or low and where son preference exists. Strong son preference compounded by the availability of measures to implement such preference can lead to increased SRB. For example, the increasing availability of prenatal diagnostic technologies, together with declining fertility desires and persistent son preference, has contributed to increased gender-biased sex selection in several Asian countries, including China and India. …

Pro-And-Anti Immigration Activities In Iowa's 4th Congressional District: A Community Capitals Framework Perspective, Anne Junod

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The foreign-born immigrant population in Iowa is increasing. Across Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, communities that have never had statistically significant populations of non-Anglos have in recent decades experienced dramatic influxes of predominantly Latino immigrants. Today, Latinos comprise upwards of 25 percent of the population of some counties and well over 35 percent of the population of many towns. At the same time, many other communities in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District remain almost exclusively white. How are communities responding? This research centers on the statements and activities of individual and group actors representing various market, state, and civil society sectors, examining …