Social inequalities,social trust and civic participation—the case of Norway

Comparative studies have generally demonstrated high levels of social capital in the Scandinavian welfare states. It has also been shown that social capital is generally higher among more privileged groups of people than among less privileged groups. However, less is known about how the different types of social inequalities relate to various types of social capital. The aim of this study is to go beyond the generally high Norwegian levels of social capital and study variations of social capital within a representative sample of the Norwegian adult population. The main question is whether and to what extent socio-economic indicators relate to measures of social capital, that is, social trust and civic participation. The data are based on a representative sample of the Norwegian adult population, comprising 3190 individuals. The results show that, whereas several of the socio-economic indicators are significant with respect to social trust, it is only the level of education that is significant for both types of social capital. These findings show that the associations between socio-economic indicators and social capital vary, based on the measures applied. Nevertheless, the strong associations between education and both social capital outcomes demonstrate that social capital is not equally available to all, emphasising the importance of social policies and societal institutions in building social capital.     

Do resources of network members help in help seeking? Social capital and health information search

Does social capital as resources of network members affect health information search? Analyzing data from the 2004 General Social Survey in the United States, this study measures two social capital indicators (average education of network members and proportion of network members with a high school degree or higher) using the name generator. Most results are consistent using those two indicators. Both indicators are positively associated with frequency of health information seeking and seekers’ frequency of use of two sources (friends or relatives and the Internet). Also average education of network members is positively associated with seekers’ diversity of used sources and frequency of consultation with medical professionals. But neither indicator is associated with seekers’ frequency of use of other four sources (health-related magazines or newsletters, general magazines, daily newspapers, and radio or television programs). The findings demonstrate the theoretical utility of social capital in the social dynamics of medical help-seeking.     

Small area indicators and social change

This article examines the relevance of measures of social change for small areas and how these can be used in need assessment. Specifically, this article explicates the problems of selecting a limited group of indicators from among the broad panoply of indicators available, and of determining the different kinds of information provided by indicators controlling for the level of aggregation. The use of small area social indicators to do need assessment is illustrated using data from the 1970 and 1980 Health Demographic Profile System.     

Demokratischer Smog? Eine empirische Untersuchung zum Zusammenhang zwischen Sozialschicht und Umweltbelastungen

For years the public and scientific debate about Environmental Justice was mostly confined to the U.S. Only recently, the question about the existence and strength of the “social gradient” of environmental pollution has entered the European debate. Earlier research simply records subjective perceptions of pollution and correlates them with indicators of social status. Objective measures of environmental quality are seldom used, and even then only in studies of small geographic areas. In contrast, the present study uses various objective measures of air pollution (nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, ozone) and road traffic noise (day, night) and assigns them to the respondents of the Swiss Environmental Survey 2007 (N?=?3 369) using a geographic information system (GIS). The combination of objective GIS coded data with subjective measures allows for a new approach in Environmental Sociology that takes spatial context into account, which is often neglected in sociological studies. Using bivariate and multivariate statistical methods this objective data on pollution is related to indicators of social stratification such as income, education and nationality as well as the subjective perception of pollution. Subjective and objective measures of pollution are positively correlated with the interesting exception of ozone. Surprisingly, and contrary to the expectations, income is not significantly correlated with the pollutants considered and there is even a significant and positive correlation with education. In the multivariate analysis, however, a significant and negative correlation with income is observed, although this effect is fairly weak. Also, foreigners from Non-Western countries suffer from a higher burden of environmental pollution. However, in comparison to social and minority status differences in environmental impact between urban areas and the countryside are much more pronounced. We suppose that problems of environmental justice may be more accentuated in countries with a higher degree of segregation than in the Swiss population.     

Treatment participation and outcome in a program for problem drinker-drivers

Relationships were examined between 13 predictor variables and two criteria of improvement in a program for problem drinker-drivers. Four measures of social background (income, educations, age, marital status), four measures of psychopathology based on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), one measure of general alcoholism, and four indicators of treatment involvement served as predictor variables. Two factorially derived criteria served as outcome indicators, one reflecting general improvement, the other reflecting improved social adjustment, but a failure to reduce drinking. This second factor was interpreted as indicating resistance. Analysis included partial correlation and multiple regression, from which explained variance was completely partitioned into sources unique to each predictor, and sources shared by combinations of predictors. Results suggested that with other factors controlled, treatment involvement was linked both to improvement and to resistance. Similar conclusions were suggested for social background, but slightly different ones for psychopathology and alcoholism. Psychopathology was uniquely related to improvement; alcoholism, to resistance.     

Measuring subjective social indicators

A logistic response model is proposed for measuring social indicators based upon survey rating scales. A close fit of the model to national life-quality data is demonstrated. Moreover, the model is constrained so as to provide an explicit formulation for item averaging with respect to group aggregates. This item redundancy provides measures for social constructs in a manner analogous to traditional procedures at the individual level of measurement. Further applications of this principle to opinion and mental health monitoring are discussed.     

The Effects of Ethnic Identity on Household Budget Allocation to Status Conveying Goods

The theory of compensatory consumption suggests that a possible lack of traditional avenues for fulfilling needs for social status may lead ethnic minorities to shift measures of social status from traditional indicators such as occupational prestige to consumption indicators of status conveying goods. In this study we investigate whether a household’s ethnic identity affects its budget allocation to status conveying goods. Annual budget shares for apparel, housing, and home furnishings are used for measuring status consumption. Results show that Asian American households allocate more of their budget to housing, while African American more to apparel, compared to European households. Hispanic households allocate more of their budget to both apparel and housing than European American households, but to a lesser degree compared to Asian Americans to housing and African Americans to apparel.     

NATIVITY DIFFERENCES IN PHYSICAL HEALTH: THE ROLES OF EMOTIONAL SUPPORT,FAMILY, AND SOCIAL INTEGRATION

U.S. immigrants are a physically healthy population, but we do not understand the explanatory factors responsible for their physical health status, particularly those related to social network support. Using data from the 2001 wave of the National Health Interview Survey, we examine multiple measures of immigrant adaptation, investigating their influence on measures of physical health. In particular, we examine how well indicators of social support and integration explain the immigrant health advantage. Results show clear evidence of an immigrant paradox in physical health, but that measures of support and integration explain almost none of the immigration effect on physical health.     

A longitudinal perspective on the differentiated valuation of formal education in Brazil in recent decades

The central theme of this article is the relationship between formal education and earnings from a longitudinal perspective, taking into account indicators of social status. Variations in the respective trajectories, in different age cohorts, and in the comparison among different periods are discussed. The empirical material used is based on the microdata files of official statistics. The main techniques put into practice are those that are most focused on measuring the degree of interdependence among variables and those used for means comparison. Our general hypothesis is that the effects of schooling cannot be grasped in terms of education itself but instead in terms of its relationship to status in the social and power structures. One of this paper's principal observations is that of the general declining trend in the economic value of formal education, which varies depending on the level of education and social status. This devaluation is systematic and spans the entire studied universe; however, it focuses much more closely on those of lower social status, particularly for the groups with schooling that is either higher or lower than average.     

Patterns of Early Childhood,Elementary, and Middle-Level Social Studies Teaching: An Interpretation of Illinois Social Studies Teachers’ Practices and Beliefs

Using data from a national social studies survey, the authors examined instructional trends among Illinois elementary and middle school social studies teachers. The authors found that teachers preferred whole-group and teacher-centered instructional strategies over more active, student-centered methods. While surveyed teachers predominately indicated that one of the primary goals of teaching social studies was to improve critical-thinking ability, their pedagogical preferences were more conducive to teaching basic facts. The authors also found that middle-level teachers were more likely to use teaching strategies that promoted critical thinking than were used by their elementary school colleagues.     

Redefining Food Security in a Community Context: An Exploration of Community Food Security Indicators and Social Worker Roles in Community Food Strategies

Large numbers of households experiencing the effects of food insecurity threaten a community’s viability. Although hunger has been viewed as a social problem, research focused on household-level food security tends to primarily focus on the household economics. This thematic overview of academic and grey literature (a) describes community food security (CFS) research and indicators related to accessibility, affordability, community self-reliance, social justice, and sustainability; (b) provides examples of how community social workers can participate, lead or evaluate CFS strategies that can create sustainable food secure communities; and (c) invites social work researchers to develop holistic measures of CFS.     

Rethinking twins and environments: possible social sources for assumed genetic influences in twin research

A central sociological problem is the extent to which genetics and the environment influence human behavior. Studies of twins are a core method in attempts to disentangle and to determine the comparative strength of genetic and environmental influences on psychosocial outcomes. A critical assumption of twin studies is that both monozygotic "identical" twins and dizygotic "fraternal" twins share common social environments. Therefore, any greater similarity of monozygotic than dizygotic twins is attributed to genetic influences. This paper tests the equal environment assumption by examining the extent to which greater concordance of adolescent monozygotic compared to dizygotic twins results from social, as well as genetic, influences. Bivariate comparisons indicate that monozygotic twins show greater similarity than dizygotic twins in socially-based characteristics including physical attractiveness, time spent in each other's company, the overlap in friendship networks, and friends' use of alcohol. Multivariate analyses indicate that measures of the social environment sometimes reduce or eliminate apparent genetic effects. In comparison with genetic indicators, social variables are usually stronger predictors of depression and alcohol use and abuse. These findings suggest that past twin studies could overstate the strength of genetic influences because some similarities in behavior among monozygotic compared to dizygotic twins stem from social influences.     

The National Social Distance Study: Ten Years Later

The Bogardus social distance scale, which measures the level of acceptance that Americans feel toward members of the most common ethnic and racial groups in the United States, was administered six times nationally between 1920 and 2001. Replicating the most recent study with its revised list of ethnic and racial groups, the authors of this study analyzed a stratified random sample of 3,166 college students, making it the largest national social distance study ever conducted. The findings indicate an increase since 2001 in the mean level of social distance toward all ethnic groups, as well as in the spread between the groups with the highest and lowest levels of social distance. Further, a consistency between studies in group preferences reaffirms the relevance of the similarity‐attraction bond in accepting those who are racially and culturally different. Mean comparisons and analysis of variance tests also showed that gender, birthplace of respondents and/or their parents, race, and year in college are all significant indicators of the level of social distance toward groups.     

Suicide prevention and community-level indictors

This study sought to develop a set of easily obtainable, relevant measures of a community's condition that could be used to guide its suicide prevention efforts. Existing data were gathered across 159 Georgia counties for nine potential social indicators (rates of net migration, divorce, unemployment, violent crimes reported, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs [DUI] crashes, high school dropouts, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF], percentage of population aged 65 or older, and percentage of population who are white males) that had been chosen by the communities. Data on the social indicators from 1995 through 1999 were averaged and analyzed to determine their correlation with aggregated 5-year county suicide rates. Results of multivariate modeling procedures showed number of DUI crashes and percentage of the population aged 65 or older to be significant correlates of the suicide rate, controlling for other potential indicators. These preliminary data may provide a useful model of a county's 5-year suicide rate among counties reporting 20 or more suicides. Research with additional indicators and in other states will help determine the generalizability of these findings to other communities.     

Comparing the Lifestyles of Victims,Offenders, and Victim-Offenders: A Routine Activity Theory Assessment of Similarities and Differences for Criminal Incident Participants

Abstract

Drawing on routine activity theory, this paper examines a sample of college students involved in criminal assault to assess whether victims, offenders, and those who are both victims and offenders show similarities on demographic, social activity, neighborhood, exposure, illegal activities, and alcohol and drug use variables. This research tests previous claims that criminal victims and offenders have numerous shared characteristics and behaviors. For all three groups a wide range of sophisticated measures of lifestyle are used to predict the likelihood of involvement in criminal incidents of assault. Victimization risks are primarily explained by indicators of individuals' exposure to offenders. Likelihood of offending is most usefully explained by demographics and participation in other illegal behaviors. Being both a victim and offender of assault is explained by a more complex set of indicators, encompassing a wide range of factors. Based on these results it appears that, for the crime of assault, victims, offenders, and victim-offenders are three distinct groups, identifiable by varying lifestyle measures. Results provide moderate support for routine activity theory and strongly support the need for refined measures of lifestyle when assessing criminal incident involvement.     

Social Class and the Prevalence of Handicapping Conditions

A series of hypotheses concerning relationships between age, sex, social class and the prevalence of handicapping conditions were developed and tested against the data from two large British cross-sectional surveys. The data showed that, as predicted, the prevalence of handicapping conditions was most strongly associated with indicators of social class among the middle-aged and that class related differences on physiological and lifestyle health indicators occurred at an earlier age than differences in the prevalence of handicaps. The relationship between social class and handicap prevalence was found for a variety of types of handicap. One interpretation of the pattern of relationships between indicators of social class and the prevalence of handicap in different age groups is that the risk of experiencing a handicapping condition is affected by long-term environmental effects associated with class. The methodological limitations of cross-sectional surveys in relation to propositions about causality are discussed.     

A simultaneous equation model of economic development and income inequality

The paper extends existing work on inequality and economic development by estimating a cross-country structural model that identifies bi-directional relationships between income inequality and other indicators of social and economic development. Overall, lower inequality is associated with improvements in other development indicators, but this is the result of several complex interactions. The most striking feature of the structural model is the insight it provides into the reasons behind the negative ‘Africa dummy’ in previous cross-country growth studies.     

Algorithms for resource allocation of substance abuse prevention funds based on social indicators: a case study on state of Florida--Part 3

The purpose of Part 3 is to develop an algorithm for an equitable distribution of state prevention funds to its substate jurisdictions based on the need for prevention services. In this series, the need for prevention services is measured in terms of the existing social indicators observed at the county level. In order to establish a conceptual link as well as the empirical relevance of the selected social indicators as proxy measurements of the estimated need for prevention at the county level, we have employed both concurrent and construct validity tests using the following three constructs as the criterion variables in a multiple regressing setting: 1) county-based composite drug use index score (COMDRUG) measured via the statewide drug survey; 2) county-based proportions of prevention target populations using the conceptual definition advanced by the Institute of Medicine (IOM); and 3) the composite risk factor score (COMRISK) assembled from a list of twenty-two risk and protective factors observed for each county. These constructs were identified previously in Parts 1 and 2. While employing eight social indicators to estimate the overall prevention needs observed at the county level, the social indicators thus selected were able to explain 69 percent of the variations in COMDRUG, 68 percent of the variation in the proportions of students in need of prevention services using IOM definition, and 60 percent of the variation in COMRISK. Following successful validations of the social indicators as viable media with which to estimate county-based prevention needs, the ensuing multiple regression equation is, then, used to build a resource allocation model by determining the proportion of each county's share of the total statewide COMDRUG-predicted from the social indicators and, then, by weighting the latter proportion by the population size of each county under age eighteen. In this way, we have devised county-based Prevention Needs Index (PNI) scores based solely on social indicators. Finally, the county's share of PNI score is computed as a proportion of to the total statewide PNI score. Following this line of algorithm for resource allocation, we were able to develop yet another resource allocation model solely based on social indicators without the benefits of survey data. Comparing the funding results originating from four resource allocation models (i.e., COMDRUG, IOM Definition, COMRISK, and Social Indicators), it has been learned that there is a remarkable similarity from one funding level to another. Since all four schedules of county-based prevention funding levels have shown very high intercorrelations with a range from .9862 to .9993, it has been determined that these schedules are measuring essentially either the same domain or latent domains that are functionally equivalent to one another. Accordingly, no preference is made among the resource allocation models suggested, although it is suggested that the final decision on the level of funding must be based on the selection of the schedule for resource allocation rather than the suggested amount or level of funding computed for each county.     

Marriage and State-level Economic Outcomes

Past research has examined various state-level measures that predict state economic growth and other economic and social indicators. This research has largely ignored the potential role of family structure in contributing to state-level outcomes, despite the extensive literature on links between family structure and economic outcomes at the individual level. We estimated a state-level panel model and found that both the proportion of adults and the proportion of parents who are married are strongly related to important state-level economic outcomes, including economic growth, median household income, median personal income, and poverty.     

武汉市统筹城乡一体化发展研究

统筹城乡一体化发展是当前推动城乡经济社会发展的迫切任务。本文通过建立指标评估,发现武汉城乡一体化水平略高于城镇化水平;城乡人口、经济、生活和文化一体化进程中,城乡经济发展的差别最为明显,融合程度最低,而城乡居民生活方面则融合程度较高,人口与文化融合度持平。而城乡二元户籍制度、土地的合理开发利用及农民权益保障、农村公共服务投入不足、农村社会保障体系不完善是当前制约城乡一体化发展的重要瓶颈。文章从法律制度层面、财政层面及组织体制层面分析了破解城乡一体化发展瓶颈的重要举措。