Family, Life Course, and Society Commons^™

The Historical Loss Scale: Longitudinal Measurement Equivalence And Prospective Links To Anxiety Among North American Indigenous Adolescents, Brian E. Armenta, Les B. Whitbeck, Patrick Habecker

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Objectives—Thoughts of historical loss (i.e., the loss of culture, land, and people as a result of colonization) are conceptualized as a contributor to the contemporary distress experienced by North American Indigenous populations. Although discussions of historical loss and related constructs (e.g., historical trauma) are widespread within the Indigenous literature, empirical efforts to understand the consequence of historical loss are limited, partially because of the lack of valid assessments. In this study we evaluated the longitudinal measurement properties of the Historical Loss Scale (HLS)—a standardized measure that was developed to systematically examine the frequency with which Indigenous individuals think about …

God’S Case For Sex, Orit Avishai, Kelsy Burke

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

At least within western popular culture, “good sex” has seemingly won out over sexual shame and become a prerogative of modern adult life. From advice books like The Joy of Sex to TV shows like Sex in the City and popular podcasts like Savage Love, a fulfilling sex life is promoted as integral to happiness and personal fulfillment. But religious traditions are notorious for sexual rules and norms that seem to fly in the face of modern secular culture, with its emphasis on sexual expression, experimentation, and satisfaction. In fact, many observers associate the expansion of progressive sexual norms and …

Labrador Inuit Population Movements And Inequalities In The Land Claims Era, Kirk Dombrowski, Patrick Habecker, G. Robin Gauthier, Bilal Khan, Joshua Moses

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The importance of community relocation experiences for aboriginal land claims movements is well documented; the role played by successful land claims in prompting ongoing out-migration is not. Data collected in 2011 on the lives of migrants are used to test three hypotheses: H₁, Inuit leaving the land claims area for a nearby nonaboriginal city show markedly different social outcomes based on the length of time since migration; H₂, these social outcomes map onto patterns of intergroup boundaries in their new communities; and H₃, both of these outcomes are better explained by migration patterns after …

Christians Under Covers: Evangelicals And Sexual Pleasure On The Internet, Kelsy Burke

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

American evangelicals have a rich history when it comes to promoting sexual pleasure within marriage, having drawn upon multiple mediumslike books, workshops, and radio shows-since the 1970s.4 Today, evangelicals encourage sexual expression through all of these channels, as well as through a wide range of digital media, including online sex toy stores, online message boards, blogs, podcasts, and virtual Bible studies that discuss a plethora of topics related to marital sex. The content of these digital resources reflects the ideas presented in print literature written by well-established and respected evangelical authorities, but unlike a book that is already written, the …

Social Contexts Of Infant Feeding And Infant Feeding Decisions, Ellen J. Schafer, Natalie A. Williams, Siri Digney, Marion E. Hare, Sato Ashida

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

Background: Infant feeding takes place within a network of social relationships. However, the social context in which infant feeding advice is received remains underresearched.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the social contexts of infant feeding by examining individual and relationship characteristics of mothers and network members associated with advice to exclusively breastfeed, exclusively formula feed, or use a combination of breast milk and formula.

Methods: Information about 287 network members was reported by 80 low-income mothers during a one-time survey. Characteristics of relationships associated with mothers receiving advice (exclusively breastfeed/formula feed, combination feed) from each network …

‘Let’S Work Together Towards Children’S Nutrition’: Building Bridge Between Child Care Providers And Parents For Promoting Child Health, Dipti A. Dev, Courtney Byrd-Williams, Samantha Ramsay, Brent A. Mcbride, Ashleigh L. Murriel, Chrisa Arcan, Anna M. Adachi-Mejia

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

Objective: To investigate childcare providers’ perspectives for communicating with parents to promote children’s nutrition and health.

Design, Setting, and Participants: In-person, semistructured interviews. Licensed center-based child care. Eighteenfull- time childcareproviders caring for children2-5 years old, 67% caring for children who pay with federal subsidy.

Outcome Measures and Analysis: Participants were selected using maximum variation purposive sampling. Interviews were conducted until saturation was achieved. NVivo, thematic analysis used to code and identify themes and meta-themes regarding providers' perspectives for parent communication.

Results: Two meta-themes emerged from providers’ responses: barriers to communication, and strategies to communication. Barriers to communication include: parents are …

Nutrition Education Resources In North Carolina–Based Head Start Preschool Programs: Administrator And Teacher Perceptions Of Availability And Use, Sarah Lisson, L. Suzanne Goodell, Dipti A. Dev, Kristi Wilkerson,, Archana V. Hegde, Virginia C. Stage

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

Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide new insight into common barriers to the availability and use of nutrition education (NE) resources in Head Start preschool programs based on administrator and teacher perceptions.

Methods: In-depth, semistructured phone interviews (n = 63) were conducted with administrators (n = 31) and teachers (n = 32) from North Carolina–based Head Start programs. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed qualitatively using content analysis to identify common themes.

Results: Five emergent themes were identified within the areas of NE resource availability and use and barriers to NE resource availability and …

Does Parental Financial Assistance Assist Young Adults To Be Financially Healthy? Effects Of Parent-Child Relationship Qualities On Financial Outcomes And Happiness, Ji Hyun Kim, Julia C. Torquati

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

Many parents provide financial support for young adult children (Padilla-Walker, 2012). This financial support could help or hinder young adults' financial wellbeing. This current study investigates young adults' financial outcomes (e.g., financial responsibility, money management behavior and worry about money) as mediators of the associations between qualities of parent-child relationships (e.g., closeness with father, closeness with mother, spending time with father, and spending time with mother) and young adults' overall happiness. The role of parental financial support was tested as a moderator of all significant pathways.

Data from the Transition into Adulthood data set of the 2011 Panel Study of …

Evaluation Of The Health Rocks! Program: The Association Of Youth Engagement With Program Outcomes, Yan Xia, Sarah Taylor, Maria Rosario De Guzman

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

This evaluation research examined the relationship between program process and program outcome, specifically, youth engagement in the national 4-H Council Health Rocks! program and their program outcomes. Based on program evaluation surveys completed after the program by participants, youths’ engagement in the program was associated with their gains in knowledge and skills about substance use, and personal assets related to avoiding risks. When youth participants find a program interesting, are actively engaged in the program, and find the program staff friendly, they benefit more from the program. Findings underscore the importance of engaging curriculum and friendly staff to the success …

Early Childhood Educators’ Knowledge, Beliefs, Education, Experiences, And Children’S Language- And Literacy-Learning Opportunities: What Is The Connection?, Rachel E. Schachter, Caitlin F. Spear, Shayne B. Piasta, Laura M. Justice, Jessica A.R. Logan

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

In this study, we investigated how multiple types of knowledge and beliefs, along with holding an early childhood-related degree and teaching experience, were linked to amounts of early childhood educators’ language and literacy instruction. Quantile regression was used to estimate associations between these variables along a continuum of language and literacy instruction for 222 early childhood educators. In general, low levels of language- and literacy-related instruction were observed; however, the use of quantile regression afforded unique insight into the associations of knowledge, beliefs, education, and teaching experience with instruction when levels of instruction were sufficient. These findings would not have …

Understanding Differences In Hiv/Hcv Prevalence According To Differentiated Risk Behaviors In A Sample Of Pwid In Rural Puerto Rico, Roberto Abadie, Melissa L. Welch-Lazoritz, Camila Gelpi- Acosta, Juan Carlos Reyes, Kirk Dombrowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background: Blood contained in needles and injection equipment has been identified as a vector for HIV and HCV transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID). Yet, there is often a wide discrepancy in prevalence for both viruses. While microbiological differences between viruses influence prevalence, other variables associated with the way drugs are acquired and used, also play a role.

Methods: Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) methods recruited a sample of 315 current intravenous drug users in rural Puerto Rico. Information about type and frequency of use, HIV and HVC risk behaviors (sharing needles, cookers, cotton, and water), sexual behaviors, and alcohol use …

The Double Standard At Sexual Debut: Gender, Sexual Behavior And Adolescent Peer Acceptance, Derek A. Kreager, Jeremy Staff, G. Robin Gauthier, Eva S. Lefkowitz, Mark E. Feinberg

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

A sexual double standard in adolescence has important implications for sexual development and gender inequality. The present study uses longitudinal social network data (N = 914; 11–16 years of age) to test if gender moderates associations between adolescents’ sexual behaviors and peer acceptance. Consistent with a traditional sexual double standard, female adolescents who reported having sex had significant decreases in peer acceptance over time, whereas male adolescents reporting the same behavior had significant increases in peer acceptance. This pattern was observed net of respondents’ own perceived friendships, further suggesting that the social responses to sex vary by gender of …

Cyaf 382: Parenting—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Natalie A. Williams

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark portfolio summarizes the process and results of a reflective inquiry into the teaching of CYAF 382 Parenting. The primary goals of this portfolio were to: (1) refine the course to enhance participants’ experience by connecting course goals/objectives and course activities, (2) document the impact of the course of student learning outcomes, and (3) identify specific changes that can be made to enhance the learning of future students.

Creating A Community Of Practice To Prevent Suicide Through Multiple Channels: Describing The Theoretical Foundations And Structured Learning Of Pc Cares, Lisa Wexler, Diane Mceachern, Gloria Difulvio, Cristine Smith, Louis F. Graham, Kirk Dombrowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

It is critical to develop practical, effective, ecological, and decolonizing approaches to indigenous suicide prevention and health promotion for the North American communities. The youth suicide rates in predominantly indigenous small, rural, and remote Northern communities are unacceptably high. This health disparity, however, is fairly recent, occurring over the last 50 to 100 years as communities experienced forced social, economic, and political change and intergenerational trauma. These conditions increase suicide risk and can reduce people’s access to shared protective factors and processes. In this context, it is imperative that suicide prevention includes—at its heart— decolonization, while also utilizing the “best …

Interactive Effects Within The Prototype Willingness Model: Predicting The Drinking Behavior Of Indigenous Early Adolescents, Brian E. Armenta, Les B. Whitbeck, Kari C. Gentzler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Drawing on the Prototype/Willingness Model of Adolescent Risk Behavior we used longitudinal data collected from North American Indigenous early adolescents (ages 10–12 years) to examine the interactive effects of favorable drinker prototypes, perceived drinking norms, and past year drinking behavior on subsequent drinking behavior (i.e., drinking behavior 1 year later and growth in drinking behavior from 1–5 years later). We found that the positive association between favorable drinker prototypes and drinking one year later was strongest for adolescents who were high in past year drinking and perceived low drinking norms. The interaction pattern for growth in drinking was more complex …

Physical Disability And Increased Loneliness Among Married Older Adults: The Role Of Changing Social Relations, David F. Warner, Scott A. Adams

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Examining the social context of disablement, we investigated how changes in social relations affect loneliness among married older men and women. With longitudinal data on 914 married persons from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), we found that changes in the quality of marital and nonmarital relations moderate the effect of disability on loneliness in unexpected ways. Increases in negative marital quality buffer the effect of physical disability, while increases in nonmarital support exacerbate it. Although not predicted by existing theory, these findings are consistent with some prior work suggesting that health-related stressors, like physical disability, condition …

Risk Factors For Hiv Among Zambian Street Youth, Kimberly A. Tyler, Ray Handema, Rachel M. Schmitz, Francis Phiri, Charles Wood, Kristen M. Olson

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The sub-Saharan African region has been disproportionately affected by HIV, and Zambia has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates within this region. Moreover, new incidences of HIV infection are increasing most rapidly among those 15–24 years of age. Though young people are at high risk for HIV infection, street youth are even more vulnerable given their exposure to high-risk behaviors. The current study examines multiple levels of social influence on HIV infection among 250 street youth in Zambia. Results reveal that though the majority of youth understand what behaviors increase their risk for HIV, youth still hold many misconceptions …

The Space Of Art, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Three years ago, Tami Miller challenged me to think formally about “the concept of space as creative grounds for enlivenment and immersion,” and today’s talk revisits part of the lecture I gave here in 2013.3 The ideas presented then — as now — are grounded in my university training, research and teaching in the interrelated disciplines of geography, design studies, landscape architecture, community and regional planning, and sociology.

While mostly skipping over the concept of “time” (that’s quite another discussion), I will review five spatial constructs and related ideas useful in our work as docents.

Economic Hardship, Parents’ Depression, And Relationship Distress Among Couples With Young Children, Deadric T. Williams, Jacob E. Cheadle

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study (N = 1,492 couples), we assessed stress, health selection, and couple-crossover hypotheses by examining (1) the bidirectional association between economic hardship and depressive symptoms one, three, and five years after the birth of a child; (2) the association between economic hardship and depressive symptoms on relationship distress for both parents; and (3) whether the associations vary by marital status. The results suggest a pernicious cycle for mothers after the birth of the child. Economic hardship increases depression, but maternal depression also increases economic hardship. These reinforcing mechanisms increase both mothers’ …

Prospective Childhood Risk Factors For Gang Involvement Among North American Indigenous Adolescents, Dane S. Hautala, Kelley J. Sittner Hartshorn, Les B. Whitbeck

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The purpose of the study was to examine prospective childhood risk factors for gang involvement across the course of adolescence among a large eight-year longitudinal sample of 646 Indigenous (i.e., American Indian and Canadian First Nations) youth residing on reservation/reserve land in the Midwest of the United States and Canada. Risk factors at the first wave of the study (ages 10–12) were used to predict gang involvement (i.e., gang membership and initiation) in subsequent waves (ages 11–18). A total of 6.7% of the participants reported gang membership and 9.1% reported gang initiation during the study. Risk factors were distributed across …

Birth Weight, Early Life Course Bmi, And Body Size Change: Chains Of Risk To Adult Inflammation?, Bridget J. Goosby, Jacob Cheadle, Thomas Mcdade

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This paper examines how body size changes over the early life course predict high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in a U.S. based sample. Using three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we test the chronic disease epidemiological models of fetal origins, sensitive periods, and chains of risk from birth into adulthood. Few studies link birth weight and changes in obesity status over adolescence and early adulthood to adult obesity and inflammation. Consistent with fetal origins and sensitive periods hypotheses, body size and obesity status at each developmental period, along with increasing body size between periods, are highly …

Decline In Ethical Concerns About Reproductive Technologies Among A Representative Sample Of Us Women, Arthur L. Greil, Kathleen S. Slauson-Blevins, Karina M. Shreffler, Katherine M. Johnson, Michele Lowry, Andrea R. Burch, Julia Mcquillan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Public awareness and utilization of assisted reproductive technology has been increasing, but little is known about changes in ethical concerns over time. The National Survey of Fertility Barriers, a national, probability-based sample of US women, asked 2031 women the same set of questions about ethical concerns regarding six reproductive technologies on two separate occasions approximately 3 years apart. At Wave 1 (2004–2007), women had more concerns about treatments entailing the involvement of a third party than about treatments that did not. Ethical concerns declined between Wave 1 and Wave 2, but they declined faster for treatments entailing the involvement of …

Content Analysis In The Study Of Crime, Media, And Popular Culture, Lisa Kort-Butler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Content analysis is considered both a quantitative and a qualitative research method. The overarching goal of much of the research using this method is to demonstrate and understand how crime, deviance, and social control are represented in the media and popular culture. Unlike surveys of public opinions about crime issues, which seek to know what people think or feel about crime, content analysis of media and popular culture aims to reveal a culture’s story about crime. Unlike research that examines how individuals’ patterns of media consumption shape their attitudes about crime and control, content analysis appraises the meaning and messages …

Reasons For Tubal Sterilisation, Regret And Depressive Symptoms, Karina M. Shreffler, Arthur L. Greil, Julia Mcquillan, Kami L. Gallus

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Objective—To examine the associations between sterilisation reasons, regret, and depressive symptoms.

Study Design—Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White US women ages 25–45 who participated in the National Survey of Fertility Barriers (NSFB) and reported a tubal sterilisation surgery were included in the sample for this study (n=837). Logistic regression was used to examine how characteristics of the sterilisation surgery (reasons for sterilisation, time since sterilisation, and new relationship since sterilisation) are associated with the odds of sterilisation regret, and linear regression was used to examine associations between sterilisation regret, sociodemographic factors, and depressive symptoms.

Results—Findings revealed that 28 …

Age At Migration And Disability-Free Life Expectancy Among The Elder Mexican-Origin Population, Marc A. Garcia, Chi-Tsun Chiu

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND—Migration selectivity is thought to shape the health profiles of Mexican immigrants.

OBJECTIVE—This study examines how the experience of Mexican migration to the United States affects the health process and the quality of life in old age by age at migration, specific to sex.

METHODS—We use 20 years of data from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly to estimate the proportion of life spent disability-free prior to death across eight subgroups by sex, nativity, and age at migration among Mexican-origin elderly in the United States.

RESULTS—Female migrants are at a significant disadvantage in terms of …

Book Review: Improving Survey Methods: Lessons From Recent Research, Uwe Engel, Ben Jann, Peter Lynn, Annette Scherpenzeel, And Patrick Sturgis, Eds., Kristen Olson

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Improving Survey Methods: Lessons from Recent Research is a compilation of research by survey methodological leaders across Europe. The book is organized into eight sections – modes, interviewers, sensitive questions, web surveys, access panels, nonsurvey data collection, nonresponse, and missing data. Each section starts with a brief overview chapter followed by three or four (generally) empirical chapters. The chapters themselves vary in approach, with some being simple literature reviews, others reporting the results of a simple 2 £ 2 experiment, and still others conducting extensive observational analyses. This volume is a clear indication that survey methodological research is strong in …

Predicting The Onset Of Alcohol Use And The Development Of Alcohol Use Disorder Among Indigenous Adolescents, Brian E. Armenta, Kelley J. Sittner, Les B. Whitbeck

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Empirical efforts to identify the predictors of drinking behavior among North American Indigenous adolescents are relatively limited. Using longitudinal data, this study considers perceived discrimination, positive drinker prototypes, and peer drinking behavior as risk factors for the onset of alcohol use and development of an alcohol use disorder among 674 Indigenous adolescents as they progressed from early to late adolescence (M age at baseline = 11.11, SD = 0.83). Results showed that positive drinker prototypes and associations with peers who drink increased the risk for the onset of drinking, while perceived discrimination and associations with peers who drink increased the …

Rural And Urban Communities, Emily Kazyak

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This entry describes how LGBTQ individuals in rural areas have different experiences from those of LGBTQ individuals in urban areas. It outlines how understandings about cities and small towns have been intertwined with understandings about LGBTQ identities as well as what current demographic data show with regard to where LGBTQ people live in the United States. Then the entry details LGBTQ identities and communities in urban contexts. It ends by describing LGBTQ identities and communities in rural contexts. Throughout, attention is paid to the diversity of experiences within each context.

Does Higher Education Cause Religious Decline? A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Within- And Between-Person Effects Of Higher Education On Religiosity, Philip Schwadel

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Although there is ample empirical evidence of the associations between higher education and various aspects of religiosity, the causal mechanisms producing these associations remain unclear. I use four waves of longitudinal data, with respondents ranging in age from 13 to 29, to model the within- and between-person effects of higher education on several measures of religiosity. The results show that earning a bachelor’s degree is associated with within-person declines in some but not all measured aspects of religiosity, which partially supports the argument that higher education causes religious decline. The results also suggest that those predisposed to attending religious services …

Views Of The Inland From Chicago To Detroit: ‘Gallery Guide’ With Notes On ‘Regionalism In American Art', Tami Miller, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Views of the Inland features a spectacular selection of paintings and works on paper on loan from the Flint Institute of Arts. 28 artworks span 50 years, from 1910-1960, showing views of the Great Lakes Basin by artists living and working between Chicago and Detroit. Images depict figures, landscapes and industry, and represent several movements in art, both regionally and nationally.