Social Psychology and Interaction Commons^™

Disappearing Chairs And Related Matters: A Visual Essay For Wittgenstein’S Philosophical Investigations (Section 80), Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Are there rules capturing the meaning of all possible uses (now, past, and future) of the word “chair”? Ludwig Wittgenstein raised this issue in Section 80 of the Philosophical Investigations where he stated: “I say, ‘There is a chair over there’”. Does “chair” in his utterance mean anything? For myself, this question can be approached autobiographically and chronologically. As a youngster, my earliest understanding of “chair” is reflected in the graphic illustration from a Dick and Jane reader (Figure 1) with re-imagined dialog: “This is a chair”. I understood a chair to be a human-made object — usually constructed from …

Lgbt Employment Nondiscrimination: Debating Sexuality And Citizenship, Kelsy Burke, Emily Kazyak, Alice Millermacphee

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Introduction — Nebraska is 1 of 26 states that did not protect LGBT people from employment discrimination prior to Bostock vs. Clayton County. This article examines debates in Nebraska about LGBT employment nondiscrimination as a window into how citizenship is defined in relation to sexuality and gender identity.

Methods — We performed qualitative analyses on (1) the 2018 Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey of 902 respondents who shared their opinions on employment nondiscrimination legislation for LGBT individuals in close- and open-ended questions and (2) transcripts of the 2017 Nebraska state legislature debate of a bill that would have added …

Practical Problems And Positive Experiences With Ecological Momentary Assessment: Reflections From People Who Use Drugs, Kelly Markowski, Jeffrey A. Smith, G. Robin Gauthier, Sela R. Harcey

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is an increasingly popular and feasible form of data collection, but it can be intensive and intrusive. Especially for at-risk, vulnerable populations like people who use drugs (PWUD), poor experiences with EMA may exacerbate existing chronic struggles while decreasing response rates. However, little research queries participants’ experiences with EMA studies.

Objectives: We explore participants’ positive and negative experiences with EMA, identifying what they liked about the study, the problems they experienced, and suggested solutions to these problems.

Methods: Results come from semi-structured interviews from 26 PWUD (6 women; 20 men) in Nebraska …

Constructing Pornography Addiction’S Harms In Science, News Media, And Politics, Kelsy Burke, Alice Millermacphee

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

In order to describe pornography’s harms in the twenty-first century, an age of unprecedented access to Internet technology, some advocates—including activists, religious leaders, politicians, and scientists—use a medical/scientific framework to claim that pornography is biologically addictive. This article examines public discourse on “pornography addiction” to extend theories of sociology of science and sociology of sexualities about scientific knowledge and the biomedicalization of sex and sexuality. Using content analysis of over 600 documents, including scientific studies, newspaper articles, and state government resolutions, we show how references to pornography as addictive emerged in the twenty-first century and grew most substantially in the …

Patterns Of Missing Data With Ecological Momentary Assessment Among People Who Use Drugs:Feasibility Study Using Pilot Study Data, Kelly Markowski, Jeffrey A. Smith, G. Robin Gauthier, Sela R. Harcey

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is a set of research methods that capture events, feelings, and behaviors as they unfold in their real-world setting. Capturing data in the moment reduces important sources of measurement error but also generates challenges for noncompliance (ie, missing data). To date, EMA research has only examined the overall rates of noncompliance.

Objective: In this study, we identify four types of noncompliance among people who use drugs and aim to examine the factors associated with the most common types.

Methods: Data were obtained from a recent pilot study of 28 Nebraskan people who use drugs who …

Social Integration And Domestic Violence Support In An Indigenous Community: Women’S Recommendations Of Formal Versus Informal Sources Of Support, G. Robin Gauthier, Sara C. Francisco, Bilal Khan, Kirk Dombrowski

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Throughout North America, indigenous women experience higher rates of intimate partner violence and sexual violence than any other ethnic group, and so it is of particular importance to understand sources of support for Native American women. In this article, we use social network analysis to study the relationship between social integration and women’s access to domestic violence support by examining the recommendations they would give to another woman in need. We ask two main questions: First, are less integrated women more likely to make no recommendation at all when compared with more socially integrated women? Second, are less integrated women …

“Pee In Peace” Or “Make Everyone Uncomfortable”: Public Perceptions Of Transgender Rights, Emily Kazyak, Kelsy Burke, Rosalind Kichler, Lora Mcgraw

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

We analyze a survey of Nebraskans as a case study to examine public opinion of transgender rights. Using a mixed methods design, we find an even divide among mostly cisgender survey respondents on whether transgender people should be able to use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. Our findings mirror national data and show that identifying as female, being more liberal politically, and being less religious are associated with supporting this belief. Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses reveals that both supporters and opponents of transgender rights employ logics that implicate (1) the nature of transgender identities, (2) the …

The Ideology Of Baby-Mama Phenomenon: Assessing Knowledge And Perceptions Among Young People From Educational Institutions, Opeyemi S. Adeojo, Daniel Egerson, Gabriel Mewiya, Rowland Edet

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This study investigated the knowledge and perception of the ideology of baby-mama concept among the youths. Particularly, this paper assessed the knowledge of the concept of baby mama among youths and also their opinion on the acceptability of this style of family structure. The study employed a qualitative approach through an in-depth interview research method. Forty respondents between the ages of 16 and 40 years were selected across three educational institutions in Oyo state, south-west Nigeria. The participants of the study voluntarily agreed to participate in the research and everything said during the course of the interview was transcribed and …

Rural/Urban Differences In The Predictors Of Opioid Prescribing Rates Among Medicare Part D Beneficiaries 65 Years Of Age And Older, Carla Shoff, Tse-Chuan Yang, Seulki Kim

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Purpose: While research has been done comparing rural/urban differences in opioid prescribing to the disabled Medicare Part D population, research on opioid prescribing among the aged Medicare Part D population is lacking. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring the predictors of opioid prescribing to aged Medicare Part D beneficiaries and investigating whether these predictors vary across rural and urban areas. Methods: This is an analysis of ZIP Codes in the continental United States (18,126 ZIP Codes) utilizing 2017 data from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The analytic approach includes aspatial descriptive analysis, exploratory spatial analysis with …

Face Masking Violations, Policing, And Covid-19 Death Rates: A Spatial Analysis In New York City Zip Codes, Tse-Chuan Yang, Seulki Kim, Stephen A. Matthews

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The use of face masks during a pandemic and compliance with state and local mandates has been a divisive issue in the United States. We document variation in face masking violation rates involving police enforcement in New York City and examine the association between police-enforced face masking violations and COVID-19-related death rates. We assemble a Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code–level data set from the New York City Open Data, Department of Health, and the American Community Survey (2014–2018). We use maps to demonstrate the spatial patterning of police-enforced face masking violation rates and COVID-19-related death rates. Using a Bayesian spatial …

Cross-National Attitudes About Paid Parental Leave Offerings For Fathers, Qi Li, Chris Knoester, Richard J. Petts

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Using cross-national data from the 2012 International Social Survey Programme (N = 33,273), this study considers institutional, self-interest, and ideational factors in analyzing public opinions about the provision, length, and source of paid parental leave offerings for fathers. We find substantial support for generous leave offerings. Multilevel regression results reveal that being a woman, supporting dual-earning expectations, and realizing more family strains lead to support for more generous leave offerings. Endorsing separate spheres and intensive mothering attitudes reduces support for more generous leave offerings; although, gendered attitudes interact with one another in predicting leave preferences, too. Finally, country-level indicators …

Attitudes About Paid Parental Leave: Cross-National Comparisons And The Significance Of Gendered Expectations, Family Strains, And Extant Leave Offerings, Chris Knoester, Qi Li, Richard J. Petts

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Using data on paid parental leave preferences from 35,488 adults situated within 26 different OECD countries, and multilevel modeling, this study examines public opinions about the provision of paid parental leave, some government funding of leave offerings, and preferred lengths of leave offerings. We consider how attitudes may be similar or different across social contexts and then focus upon the extent to which gender, gendered parenting role attitudes, family strains, and country-level institutionalized leave offerings are associated with leave preferences. The findings indicate that the vast majority of respondents are in favor of rather widespread and generous paid parental leave …

Spatial Non‑Stationarity In Opioid Prescribing Rates: Evidence From Older Medicare Part D Beneficiaries, Seulki Kim, Carla Shoff, Tse-Chuan Yang

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Previous research that examined spatial patterns of opioid prescribing rates and factors associated with them has mainly relied on a global modeling perspective, overlooking the potential spatial non-stationarity embedded in these associations. In this study, we investigate whether there are spatially non-stationary associations between opioid prescribing rates and key characteristics of older Medicare Part D beneficiaries and their prescribers using several data sources from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. All measures are aggregated to the ZIP code level, and a total sample size of 18,126 ZIP codes is included in the analyses. Our descriptive results from geographically weighted …

What Help Do Faculty Perceive Is Needed To Improve Their Community Engagement Through Outreach?, Kiyomi D. Deards, Saundra Wever Frerichs, Patricia Wonch Hill, Julia Mcquillan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

• A survey-based needs assessment at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a research-intensive land grant university, explored ways to meet the goal of increasing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outreach
• 40% of surveyed faculty reported barriers to doing STEM outreach
• Over 50% of faculty reported an inability to individually resolve barriers to STEM outreach in ways that ensure broader community engagement in their research through outreach
• Using a sociological lens, the current study examined institutional-level barriers and enablers to faculty engaging in outreach
• Results suggest several institutional approaches to STEM outreach, including creating infrastructure with experts in science communication; providing science …

Race And Ethnic Variation In College Students’ Allostatic Regulation Of Racism-Related Stress, Jacob E. Cheadle, Bridget J. Goosby, Joseph C. Jochman, Cara Tomaso, Chelsea B. Kozikowski Yancey, Timothy D. Nelson

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Racism-related stress is thought to contribute to widespread race/ ethnic health inequities via negative emotion and allostatic stress process up-regulation. Although prior studies document racerelated stress and health correlations, due to methodological and technical limitations, they have been unable to directly test the stress-reactivity hypothesis in situ. Guided by theories of constructed emotion and allostasis, we developed a protocol using wearable sensors and daily surveys that allowed us to operationalize and time-couple self-reported racism-related experiences, negative emotions, and an independent biosignal of emotional arousal. We used data from 100 diverse young adults at a predominantly White college campus to assess …

The Effect Of Emphasis In Telephone Survey Questions On Survey Measurement Quality, Kristen M. Olson, Jolene Smyth

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Questionnaire design texts commonly recommend emphasizing important words, including capitalization or underlining, to promote their processing by the respondent. In self-administered surveys, respondents can see the emphasis, but in an interviewer-administered survey, emphasis has to be communicated to respondents through audible signals. We report the results of experiments in two US telephone surveys in which telephone survey questions were presented to interviewers either with or without emphasis. We examine whether emphasis changes substantive answers to survey questions, whether interviewers actually engage in verbal emphasis behaviors, and whether emphasis changes the interviewer- respondent interaction. We find surprisingly little effect of the …

The Disproportionate Impact Of Covid-19 On Older Latino Mortality: The Rapidly Diminishing Latino Paradox, Rogelio Sáenz, Marc A. Garcia

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Objectives: This brief report aims to highlight stark mortality disparities among older Latinos that result from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods: We use recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to compute age-specific death rates (ASDRs) for three causes of death: deaths from COVID-19, residual deaths, and total deaths for four age-groups (55-64, 65-74, 75-84, and 85 and older) to assess the impact of COVID-19 on older Latino mortality relative to non-Latino Whites and non-Latino Blacks and also in comparison to residual deaths. Additionally, we obtain ASDRs for all causes of deaths from 1999 to …

The Color Of Covid-19: Structural Racism And The Pandemic’S Disproportionate Impact On Older Racial And Ethnic Minorities, Marc A. Garcia, Patricia A. Homan, Catherine Garcia, Tyson H. Brown

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Objectives: The aim of this evidence-based theoretically informed essay is to provide an overview of how and why the COVID-19 outbreak is particularly detrimental for the health of older Black and Latinx adults.

Methods: We draw upon current events, academic literature, and numerous data sources to illustrate how biopsychosocial factors place older adults at higher risk for COVID-19 relative to younger adults, and how structural racism magnifies these risks for older Black and Latinx adults.

Results: We identify three proximate mechanisms through which structural racism operates as a fundamental cause of racial/ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 burden among older adults: (1) …

Educational Benefits And Cognitive Health Life Expectancies: Racial/Ethnic, Nativity, And Gender Disparities, Marc A. Garcia, Brian Downer, Chi-Tsun Chiu, Joseph L. Saenz, Kasim Ortiz, Rebeca Wong

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: To examine racial/ethnic, nativity, and gender differences in the benefits of educational attainment on cognitive life expectancies among older adults in the United States.

Design and Methods: We used data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2014) to estimate Sullivan-based life tables of cognitively healthy, cognitively impaired/no dementia (CIND), and dementia life expectancies by gender for older White, Black, U.S.-born and foreign-born Hispanic adults with less than high school, high school, and some college or more.

Results: White respondents lived a greater percentage of their remaining lives cognitive healthy than their minority Black or Hispanic counterparts, regardless …

Effects Of Sex, Race, And Education On The Timing Of Coming Out Among Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Adults In The U.S., Trenton M. Haltom, Shawn M. Ratcliff

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Sexual identity formation or “coming out” as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) involves a complex process including both private realization and public disclosure. Private realization refers to the process through which an individual becomes aware of their LGB identity, whereas public disclosure reflects when an individual discloses their identity to another person. Sex, race, and class affect the timing of these processes across the life course. While extant research has identified the bivariate nature of these processes, we took a multivariate approach to understand the timing of these sexual identity milestones from a life-course perspective. Using data from the Pew …

Knowledge Of Breast Cancer And Screening Methods Among Rural Women In Southwest Nigeria, Rowland Edet, Oluwayimika Ekundina

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to assess the awareness of rural women on breast cancer and its screening methods in Southwest Nigeria. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire was used to generate data among 422 rural women in selected communities in Egbeda local government area of Ibadan. The qualitative data was generated through in-depth interviews among rural women and key informant interviews among health workers in the communities. The study revealed that only 63.7% were aware of breast cancer screening methods compared to 31.6% who were not aware. The commonly known screening method among …

Devil In The Detail Of Scotus Ruling On Workplace Bias Puts Lgbtq Rights And Religious Freedom On Collision Course, Kelsy Burke, Emily Kazyak

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

orientation and gender identity was cheered by LGBTQ people and allies. Indeed, the June 15 decision represents a big win in the fight for LGBTQ equality. But buried towards the end of a 33-page majority opinion written by conservative stalwart Justice Neil Gorsuch is a sober warning that those celebrating the decision might have initially missed. In his reading, the religious beliefs of an employer may “supersede” the Title VII protections now being extended to the LGBTQ community in its resolution of Bostock v. Clayton County. It is an issue that courts will likely have to decide on a case-by-case …

Medically Defined Infertility Versus Self-Perceived Fertility Problem: Implications Of Survey Wording For Assessing Associations With Depressive Symptoms, Michele H. Lowry, A L. Greil, J Mcquillan, A Burch, K M. Shreffler

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Objective: To examine how measures of infertility based on medical criteria and based on self-perception relate to depressive symptoms among women with infertility. Background: Survey-based studies of depressive symptoms have used either measures of self-reported infertility based on meeting medical criteria or measures of self-perceived fertility problems, but seldom both. It is, therefore, not known which type of measure is more closely associated with depressive symptoms. Materials and Methods: Using ordinary least-squares multiple regression, this study compares associations between a measure of meeting medical criteria for infertility and a measure of self-perceived fertility problems with a common measure of depressive …

Fifty Shades Of Leather And Misogyny: An Investigation Of Anti-Woman Perspectives Among Leathermen, Meredith G. F. Worthen, Trenton M. Haltom

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The Fifty Shades books and films shed light on a sexual and leather-clad subculture predominantly kept in the dark: bondage, discipline, submission, and sadomasochism (BDSM). Such new interest in this community also generated widespread misconceptions about the sexual practices that take place in these circles, especially in regard to the treatment of women. In the current study, we investigate how a BDSM or “leather” identity is related to attitudes toward women. We use a nationally representative sample of U.S. adult men aged 18–64 stratified by U.S. Census categories of age, race/ethnicity, and census region (N = 1474) and a …

Changes In Religiosity Among Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Emerging Adults, Brandi Woodell, Philip Schwadel

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Highly religious Americans are relatively likely to oppose lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) rights and many churches are unwelcoming to sexual minorities, which may lead LGB Americans to retreat from religion. To assess this possibility, we investigate trajectories of religious change for sexual minorities and other emerging adults. We use two longitudinal data sources (National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and the National Study of Youth and Religion) to explore how sexuality predicts the likelihood of decreasing religiosity in emerging adulthood. Results show that three different operationalizations of sexual minority status—attraction, behavior, and identity—are each strongly and consistently …

Diverse Aging And Health Inequality By Race And Ethnicity, Kenneth F. Ferraro, Blakelee R. Kemp, Monica M. Williams

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Although gerontologists have long embraced the concept of heterogeneity in theories and models of aging, recent research reveals the importance of racial and ethnic diversity on life course processes leading to health inequality. This article examines research on health inequality by race and ethnicity and identifies theoretical and methodological innovations that are transforming the study of health disparities. Drawing from cumulative inequality theory, we propose greater use of life course analysis, more attention to variability within racial and ethnic groups, and better integration of environmental context into the study of accumulation processes leading to health disparities.

Created By God And Wired To Porn: Redemptive Masculinity And Gender Beliefs In Narratives Of Religious Men’S Pornography Addiction Recovery, Kelsy Burke, Trenton M. Haltom

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The literature on hybrid masculinity suggests that some men manage subordinate or contradictory forms of masculinity while still maintaining and benefiting from gender inequality. Drawing from 35 in-depth qualitative interviews with religious participants in pornography addiction recovery programs, we expand this literature by illustrating how hybrid masculinity operates through shared cultural knowledge about sex, gender, and sexuality. We find that participants use distinct cultural schemas related to religion and science to explain how men are created by God to be biologically “hard-wired” for pornography addiction. We use the phrase redemptive masculinity to describe a type of hybrid masculinity that upholds …

Intensive Referral Of Veterans To Mutual-Help Groups: A Mixed-Methods Implementation Evaluation, Lance Brendan Young, Kathleen M. Grant, R. Dario Pulido, Jamie L. Simpson, Kimberly A. Tyler, Christine Timkof

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Community-based support group participation protects against substance use disorder (SUD) relapse, but referrals during treatment are inconsistently delivered and may not acknowledge barriers facing rural patients. This formative evaluation of a rural intensive referral intervention (RAIR) to community-based support groups for veterans seeking SUD treatment surveyed patients (N = 145) and surveyed and interviewed treatment staff (N = 28). Patients and staff did not differ significantly on quantitative ratings of the helpfulness of, or satisfaction with, seven RAIR components, but staff did not deliver the intervention consistently or as designed, citing two themes: lack of commitment and lack of resources.

Informal Science Experiences Among Urban And Rural Youth: Exploring Differences At The Intersections Of Socioeconomic Status, Gender And Ethnicity, Patricia Wonch Hill, Julia Mcquillan, Eileen A. Hebets, Amy N. Spiegel, Judy Diamond

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The current study explores patterns of informal science experiences among youth in urban and rural middle schools by gender and socioeconomic status. Data come from surveys in two Midwestern middle schools, one in a mid-sized city, and the other in a rural-remote town. We asked about participation in informal science activities (e.g. visiting zoos or museums, or watching shows about science) and if youth had participated in science-focused clubs in the last 12 months (e.g. after-school science clubs, 4-H, scouts). Rural youth reported lower rates of participation in after-school science clubs and a greater desire to participate in after-school science …

Bioskills Guide: Development And National Validation Of A Tool For Interpreting The Vision And Change Core Competencies, Alexa W. Clemmons, Jerry Timbrook, Jon C. Herron, Alison J. Crowe

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

To excel in modern science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers, biology majors need a range of transferable skills, yet competency development is often a relatively underdeveloped facet of the undergraduate curriculum. We have elaborated the Vision and Change core competency framework into a resource called the BioSkills Guide, a set of measurable learning outcomes that can be more readily implemented by faculty. Following an iterative review process including more than 200 educators, we gathered evidence of the BioSkills Guide’s content validity using a national survey of more than 400 educators. Rates of respondent support were high (74.3–99.6%) across the 77 …