Social Psychology and Interaction Commons^™

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 …

Currency, Elisha M. Emerson Mfa

All Student Scholarship

The privileged Watters family, David, Winnie, and their 14-year-old daughter, Faye, struggle to adjust their suburban Charlotte lifestyle to fit a much-reduced income. Their fast failure leads them down separate paths: David after enlightenment through Transcendental Meditation, Faye after the power she feels in the company of her handsome Earth Science teacher, and Winnie in a romantic foray to Alaska after buried gold. Currency probes that moment when everything changes size, when initial annoyances shrink and reality resumes a new and disturbing sense of proportion.

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.

Current Rural Drug Use In The Us Midwest, Kirk Dombrowski, Devan M. Crawford, Bilal Khan, Kimberly A. Tyler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The nature and challenge of illicit drug use in the United States continues to change rapidly, evolving in reaction to myriad social, economic, and local forces. While the use of illicit drugs affects every region of the country, most of our current information about drug use comes from large urban areas. Data on rural drug use and its harms justify greater attention. Record overdose rates, unexpected outbreaks of HIV, and a dearth of treatment facilities point to a rapidly worsening health situation. While health sciences have made considerable progress in understanding the etiology of drug use and uncovering the link …

Effects Of Smiley Face Scales On Visual Processing Of Satisfaction Questions In Web Surveys, Mathew Stange, Amanda Barry, Jolene Smyth, Kristen M. Olson

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Web surveys permit researchers to use graphic or symbolic elements alongside the text of response options to help respondents process the categories. Smiley faces are one example used to communicate positive and negative domains. How respondents visually process these smiley faces, including whether they detract from the question’s text, is understudied. We report the results of two eye-tracking experiments in which satisfaction questions were asked with and without smiley faces. Respondents to the questions with smiley faces spent less time reading the question stem and response option text than respondents to the questions without smiley faces, but the response distributions …

An Inside Look At Homeless Youths’ Social Networks: Perceptions Of Substance Use Norms, Lisa A. Melander, Kimberly A. Tyler, Rachel M. Schmitz

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Substance use among homeless young people is a pervasive problem, and there have been many efforts to understand more about the dynamics of this health-compromising behavior. The current study examined perceived substance use norms within homeless youths’ social networks utilizing in-depth interviews. The sample included 19 homeless individuals ages 16 to 21. Four elements of substance use within networks emerged: substance use choices, drug use safety issues, encouragement and/or discouragement, and appropriate situations in which substance use is condoned. These findings provide unique insight into the norms associated with drug and alcohol use within homeless youths’ social networks.

Substance Use Disorders, Comorbidity, And Arrest Among Indigenous Adolescents*, Kelley J. Sittner Hartshorn, Les B. Whitbeck, Patricia Prentice

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Indigenous adolescents are overrepresented at multiple stages of the justice system, but we know very little about the role that mental health, particularly substance use disorder, plays in Indigenous pathways to arrest. This study examined the association between substance use disorder, its comorbidity with other disorders, and arrest using a longitudinal sample of Indigenous youth from the Northern Midwest and Canada. Of the 16% of youth who reported at least one arrest at Wave 5, half met criteria for substance abuse/dependence, and slightly more for conduct disorder. Substance abuse/dependence and conduct disorder were each associated with an increased risk of …

A Phenomenological Study Of Anticipated Intimacy And Sexual Expression Needs Of Aging Male And Female Baby Boomers., Charles Shawn Oak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the phenomenon of how heterosexual Baby Boomers define and understand intimacy, sexual expression, along expectations and desires relating to their respective expressions across the lifespan through their individual experiences and reflections. A set of guiding questions were used in a hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative research design. Data was gathered from thirteen subjects (n=13) using the Rappaport Time Line (RTL) that was used to develop individualized semi-structured interviews and follow-up interviews that were professionally transcribed. These were coded to identify emergent themes. Results of the study provided insight into the phenomenon of how heterosexual …

Sugar For Sale: Constructions Of Intimacy In The Sugar Bowl, Emily Zimmermann

Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts

No abstract provided.

Adolescent Survival Expectations: Variations By Race, Ethnicity, And Nativity, Tara D. Warner, Raymond R. Swisher

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Adolescent survival expectations are linked to a range of problem behaviors, poor health, and later socioeconomic disadvantage, yet scholars have not examined how survival expectations are differentially patterned by race, ethnicity, and/or nativity. This is a critical omission given that many risk factors for low survival expectations are themselves stratified by race and ethnicity. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we modeled racial, ethnic, and immigrant group differences in trajectories of adolescent survival expectations and assess whether these differences are accounted for by family, neighborhood, and/or other risk factors (e.g., health care access, substance use, exposure …

Attractor-Based Obstructions To Growth In Homogeneous Cyclic Boolean Automata, Bilal Khan, Yuri Cantor, Kirk Dombrowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

We consider a synchronous Boolean organism consisting of N cells arranged in a circle, where each cell initially takes on an independently chosen Boolean value. During the lifetime of the organism, each cell updates its own value by responding to the presence (or absence) of diversity amongst its two neighbours’ values. We show that if all cells eventually take a value of 0 (irrespective of their initial values) then the organism necessarily has a cell count that is a power of 2. In addition, the converse is also proved: if the number of cells in the organism is a proper …

"Casting Aside That Ficticious Self.": Deciphering Female Identity In The Awakening 2015, Anne L. Dicosimo

Master's Theses

Kate Chopin’s female protagonists have long since fascinated literary critics, raising serious questions concerning the influence of nineteenth-century female gender roles in her writing. Published in 1899, The Awakening demonstrates the changeability of the various representations of woman. In the nineteenth century, the subject of women may be divided into two categories: the True Woman and the New Woman. The former were expected to “cherish and maintain the four cardinal virtues of piety, purity, submissiveness and domesticity” (Khoshnood et al.), while the latter sought to move away from hearth and home in order to focus on education, professions, and political …

Improving The Network Scale-Up Estimator: Incorporating Means Of Sums, Recursive Back Estimation, And Sampling Weights, Patrick Habecker, Kirk Dombrowski, Bilal Khan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Researchers interested in studying populations that are difficult to reach through traditional survey methods can now draw on a range of methods to access these populations. Yet many of these methods are more expensive and difficult to implement than studies using conventional sampling frames and trusted sampling methods. The network scale-up method (NSUM) provides a middle ground for researchers who wish to estimate the size of a hidden population, but lack the resources to conduct a more specialized hidden population study. Through this method it is possible to generate population estimates for a wide variety of groups that are perhaps …

Branches Above And Roots Below: Mothers’ Hopes For Their Children In Batoufam, Cameroon, Taylor Maxfield

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In order to delve into the desires that rural Cameroonian communities have for the future generation, this research project consisted of formally interviewing ten mothers in the village of Batoufam about what hopes they have for their children. This study highlighted on what they would like for their children, the way they raise their children to achieve their aspirations, and their opinions on the importance of preserving tradition for their children. The findings of this study are humble and rooted dreams of being able to care for one’s basic needs and the needs of a family. Batoufam mothers, along with …