Elderly Jews and happiness with locale

This study analyzes neighborhood attachment and satisfaction within the foundations of preference theory—that is, utility analysis. This framework considers an individual's utility function, a construct that relates attachment and satisfaction to the consumption of goods and services. We demonstrate that utility functions can help to predict the individual's bond to the neighborhood. The sample population includes 268 elderly Jews residing in the Baltimore metropolitan area. Bonds to place increase with increasing age. Bonds decrease when residents perceive the neighborhood to be unsafe during the day. The percentage of Blacks is a significant predictor of bonds to place.Requests for reprints should be addressed to Allen C. Goodman, Center for Metropolitan Planning and Research, Shriver Hall, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218.This paper was presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association on August 26, 1982, in Washington, D.C. This research was supported in part by a contract from Associated Jewish Charities and Welfare Fund, Incorporated, of Baltimore, Maryland, but the results and conclusions do not represent the opinions of AJC. The authors thank Sally Shumaker for her helpful comments.     

Socio-spatial attributes of social problems: The case of crime and delinquency

This article examines three hypotheses: (1) Socio-spatial structures and processes, like segregation, succession, and specialization, help explain the emergence of social problems. (2) "Space" is embedded — implicitly or explicitly — in every sociological approach to crime or delinquency. (3) Its explicit consideration increases the explanatory power of these approaches. Different dimensions, aspects or qualities of space are distinguished in order to dispel the terminological confusion that often surrounds "space". Spatial distances or units may include costs, symbols, of power. The relevance of these aspects for different approaches or criminal sociology like anomie, disorganization, opportunity structure, and labelling are demonstrated, and the implications of these arguments for the development of sociological theories, as well as societal, political and planning practices are also considered. Most empirical examples are drawn from recent sociological research in West Germany. Such an approach to integrate urban and criminal sociology can be used to draw conclusions for urban planning as is shown in a final passage: Desegregation and functional diversification of spatial units are recommended as strategies which may diminish crime and delinquency.I would like to thank the American and German publishers and editors for the permission to publish this extended English translation. My special thanks goes to Dr. Ralph B. Taylor from The Johns Hopkins University, Center for Metropolitan Planning and Research for helpful discussions and assistance with the English version[1].     

Counting women's labour: a reanalysis of children's net production using Cain's data from a Bangladeshi village

The economic contribution of children to their parents' households has long interested demographers because of its potential to influence fertility levels. Valuing children's labour in pre-industrial economies, however, is inherently difficult. The same is true of women's labour, a crucial component of any analysis of net production. Here we use Mead Cain's seminal study (Population and Development Review 3(3): 201-227, 1977) of children's economic contributions in a Bangladeshi village to illustrate these points. We combine Cain's data on landless women's and men's hours of work with data on the efficiency per hour of work from other pre-industrial settings (Mueller, Population and Development: The Search for Selective Interventions. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 98-153, 1976; Kramer, Dissertation, Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, 1998). When women's labour is incorporated, we find that the Bangladeshi children begin to produce as much as they consume by ages 10 (girls) or 11 (boys). Despite these productive contributions, neither women nor men 'pay' for their cumulative consumption until their early 20s. We believe our methods could be usefully applied in other contexts.     

Pregnant women's attitudes toward the abortion of defective fetuses

A survey asked 190 pregnant women their opinions on whether a hypothetical other woman would be justified in having an abortion under ten different circumstances, four of which related to abnormalities of the fetus. They were then asked whether they would be justified in having an abortion under these same circumstances. Also assessed were these women's views concerning the justifiability of abortion for a specific group of fetal abnormalities, neural tube defects. Respondents were more likely to view abortion as justifiable for a hypothetical other than for themselves. However, there was no evidence that pregnant women's views about abortion are more conservative than those of the general public. The majority of respondents considered abortion of a defective fetus to be justified, both for themselves and for others. The best predictor of abortion attitudes was respondent's views about the ideal number of children in a completed family.This research was supported by a grant from Maternal and Child Health Research, Bureau of Community Health Services, DHHS. Reprint requests should be sent to Dr. Ruth Faden at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Division of Health Education, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205.     

Prospective study of birth interval dynamics in rural Bangladesh

Abstract A group of 209 married, fecund women in rural Bangladesh were studied prospectively for 24 months from 1969 to 1971 to define some of the biological and sociological factors relating to fertility performance. These women were selected from a larger study population of 112,000 that had been followed with a daily house-to-house vital registration programme since 1966. The selected women were interviewed bi-weekly and were asked questions about menstruation, pregnancy, lactation, husband's occupational absences, and monthly urine tests for pregnancy were taken. The results for 193 non-contracepting women revealed that the seasonal pattern of births previously observed in this population could be associated with a corresponding seasonal pattern of conceptions and that this was due to a seasonal trend in fecundability. The highest conception rates were in the coolest months of the year. Post-partum lactational amenorrhoea was very prolonged, averaging 17 months for women with a surviving child. The appearance of the first post-partum menstrual flow (onset of ovulation) also had a seasonal trend which could not be adequately explained. The median waiting time to conception, once menstruation had resumed was eight months. This interval was influenced by seasonal fluctuations, as well as by the age of women and by husbands' absences. The foetal wastage rate was 15·0 per 100 conceptions, with 62 per cent of the foetal losses occurring during the second month of gestation. Overall, the average birth interval was 33 months, with the prolonged lactational amenorrhoea accounting for almost 45 per cent of this interval. From the Department of Population Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.     

Living on the Edge: Neighborhood Boundaries and the Spatial Dynamics of Violent Crime

Neighborhood boundaries are a defining aspect of highly segregated urban areas. Yet, few studies examine the particular challenges and spatial processes that occur at the bordering region between two neighborhoods. Extending the growing literature on spatial interdependence, this article argues that neighborhood boundaries—defined as sharp changes in the racial or socioeconomic composition of neighborhoods—are a salient feature of the spatial structure with implications for violent crime and other outcomes. Boundaries lack the social control and cohesion of adjacent homogeneous areas, are contested between groups provoking intergroup conflict, and create opportunities for criminal behavior. This article presents evidence linking racial neighborhood boundaries to increased violent crime. The findings illustrate the importance of neighborhood boundaries for our understanding of spatial dimensions of population dynamics above and beyond the characteristics of neighborhoods.     

性别失衡对房价的影响 ——来自中国城市的证据

随着中国城市房屋价格持续快速上涨,其背后的深层次原因受到了全社会的广泛关注,现有关于其政策、制度以及经济属性的分析并不能对此做出完全解释。在传统房地产经济学中,住房一直被看作资产和消费品。而本文则从住房作为地位性商品属性的角度入手,讨论性别失衡条件下适婚男性通过购买住房以寻求自身社会地位的提高,进而对房价产生影响的过程与原理。文章在城市性别失衡数据缺失的情况下,依据全国人口普查结果对城市层面的适婚人口性别比做出科学的推算,将该数据与已有统计数据相匹配构建2000-2016年中国285个地级市的面板数据,再利用固定效应模型进行实证分析。研究结果显示,首先,基于地位寻求理论,性别比上升明确增强了住房需求并使之转化为中国实际房价上涨的动因之一。其次,性别失衡对房价的影响存在显著的地区性差异,在婚配市场竞争激烈、住房作为地位性商品特征更为明显的东部地区,性别失衡对抬高房价的影响更为强烈,而在西部地区,这一影响则相对较弱。此外,性别比失衡对房价的影响具有明确的门槛效应,随着房价收入比的提高,性别失衡对房价的影响会逐渐加大;同时,当房价超出绝大部分家庭的支付能力后,住房的地位性商品属性会进一步加强,这将导致房价的持续上涨。     

城市房价、定居意愿与户籍差异——对农民工“流入而留不下”的一个解释

近年来中国城镇化的快速推进吸引了大量流动人口从农村流入城市,但是中国城镇化进程存在一个有别于西方国家农业人口迁移过程的现象尚有待解释:为什么有相当比例的农民工流入城市进行工作却不打算长期定居?利用中国地级行政区域宏观房价数据和流动人口动态监测微观数据建立模型,从房价对定居意愿影响的户籍差异角度,解释了大量农民工在城市工作却不打算长期定居的原因,实证结果发现:高企的房价抑制了农民工的定居意愿,但是对城-城流动人口并没有明显影响。从生活成本效应、财富效应以及稳定预期效应等三方面影响机制进行了解释:房价上涨引起的生活成本上升会降低流动人口的定居意愿;而房价上升会通过财富效应和稳定预期效应增强流动人口的定居意愿。对于农民工来说,由于生活成本效应在三种效应中起主导作用,因此房价上涨总体上降低了农民工定居意愿;而房价对城-城流动人口影响不显著的原因,一方面由于房价上涨能够给城-城流动人口带来更高的个人未来发展的稳定预期,另一方面则源于更小的生活成本效应。     

The closing of Atlantis

This article examines the author's experience of cultural bias as a spectator at a now-defunct, predominately white, working class American burlesque house called Club Atlantis in Baltimore, Maryland. The club was well known in the mid-Atlantic region for its all-nude male dancers. According to the author, Club Atlantis was less known for its sometimes subtle and sometimes overt unwelcome treatment of black American or dark-skinned patrons and its unwritten policy of banning black American or dark-skinned would-be strippers. Based on personal observations and informal interviews conducted between 2002 and 2004, and written in a manner common to the author's disciplines of creative nonfiction and the performing arts, the article argues for increased examination of erotic performance as a form of sex work. The article also argues for further study of the racial politics of commercial sex.     

A comparison and latent variable test of two fertile ideas

Perhaps the two most important recent strands in the economics of fertility have been developed by Becker and Easterlin. Both suggest possible biases due to unobserved variables. Becker earlier emphasized changing shadow prices for child quantity and quality and, more recently, intergenerational serially-correlated endowments, all with given preferences. Easterlin has focused on intergenerational serially-correlated preferences. Some demographers have suggested that the Becker and Easterlin approaches are converging and may not be identified from each other.We demonstrate that while the Becker endowment and Easterlin taste models can be expressed in terms of the same variables, it is possible to identify each of the models because of different signs in a latent variable system that uses information from individuals, siblings, and cousins. Estimates of this model are consistent with the Easterlin, but not the Becker formulation. But neither model results in significant income coefficient estimates.The authors thank NIH for research support and Alan Mathios for excellent research assistance. The usual disclaimer applies.     

Contraception: prospect of new contraceptives

At a metting of eminent international scientists in Cambridge, England, last September, several promising experiments were described that tested the feasibility of contraception based on pituitary-regulating hormones produced by the hypothalamus, an area at the base of the brain, that regulates the pituitary gland. There is still much basic research needed but preliminary results are promising. 2 Johns Hopkins University researchers are developing a method for male sterilization by the use of chemicals instead of surgery. The method has been successful with test animals, and has had no adverse effects on their sex lives. Clinical trials will begin this summer, if approved by the hospital research committee.     

Risk-taking and contraceptive behavior among unmarried college students

The contraceptive behavior of sexually active, never-married college women was examined using multiple regression analyses. Use of an effective method of contraception was highly situation-specific: length of relationship and frequency of intercourse were the variables most highly correlated with use of effective contraception, followed by method of contraception used at first coitus and knowledge of reproduction. Failure to use effective contraception was not associated with low estimates of pregnancy risk, nor with high utility of pregnancy, nor with uniquely high willingness to seek abortion. The results of the present study suggest that use or non-use of effective contraception is mediated by the predictability of sexual intercourse.We would like to thank Ira H. Bernstein for his assistance with computer programming and data analysis. Reprints are available from Ms. Irene Steeger, Center for Population and Family Health, Columbia Unviersity, New York.     

Estimating Diversity Effects in the Neighborhood: On the Role of Ethnic Diversity and Out-group Size and their Associations with Neighborhood Cohesion and Fear of Crime

This study considers and simultaneously tests the role of ethnic diversity and out-group size in relation to individuals’ perceptions of neighborhood cohesion and fear of crime among natives in Dutch neighborhoods. We challenge the way the impact of diversity has been studied previously and propose an alternative measure to examine diversity effects. This results in a better understanding of how and why the ethnic composition of a neighborhood may impact levels of cohesion and fear, and thereby contributes to the literature on the societal effects of ethnic diversity. In addition, attention is paid to the association between cohesion and fear and whether neighborhood cohesion mediates the relationship between ethnic diversity and fear of crime. We apply multilevel equation modeling techniques to analyze the different relationships and use data of the Dutch Safety Monitor (N?=?71,760) in combination with detailed register data. Our study is one of the first to detect a diversity effect on cohesion based on the modified diversity measure. We do not find support for the hypothesized diversity effect on fear of crime. Lastly, out-group size turned out to decrease cohesion and increase fear.

     

Native American kids: American Indian children’s well-being indicators for the nation and two states

American Indian/Alaska Native well-being, survival-based data are rare. This study explores the question of whether or not it is possible to produce such well-being information using secondary data sources. The answer is yes, with some limitations. Hence, Native American data for 10 well-being indicators nationally and for New Mexico and South Dakota, using a model like Kids Count (Annie E. Casey Foundation: 2003a, 2001 KIDS COUNT Data Book: State profiles of child well-being (Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, MD)) are reported; thereby reducing the gap in survival indicators for U.S. Indigenous children and youths. Comparisons between all children and American Indian children demonstrate that Native American children have comparatively worse well-being rates at the national level and in South Dakota, whereas New Mexico Native kids compare favorably to their non-Native peers. Policy recommendations conclude the paper. This research was funded by Casey Family Programs (Seattle, Washington) and the Annie E. Casey Foundation (Baltimore, Maryland) with partnership from the National Indian Child Welfare Association (Portland, Oregon). Charlotte Goodluck, Ph.D. collaborated with me on previous work that this study builds upon. I would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their comments, this paper is much improved because of their efforts. Angela A. A. Willeto is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.     

Fear of crime and behavioral restrictions in urban and suburban neighborhoods

Variations in fear of crime and behavioral restrictions were explored within city and suburban neighborhoods of the Chicago metropolitan area. A random telephone survey (n=1,803) gathered information on fear and behavioral restrictions, other crime-related experiences and perceptions, perceptions of the neighborhood physical and social environment, and demographic characteristics. These data were supplemented by merging contextural information (from census and other archival sources) about each respondent's place of residence to the data set. Hierarchial step-wise regression analyses were performed separately for the city and suburban residents. Sets of predictor variables were found that accounted for more than 25 percent of the variance in the criterion measures. Implications of these findings for policy makers and future research are discussed.     

Family and neighborhood sources of socioeconomic inequality in children’s achievement

We examined family and neighborhood sources of socioeconomic inequality in children’s reading and mathematics achievement using data from the 2000–2001 Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey. To describe inequality in achievement scores, we used Gini coefficients and concentration indices and multilevel regression models. We found no inequality in children’s achievement by family income when other variables in the model were held constant. Mother’s reading scores and average neighborhood levels of income accounted for the largest proportion of inequality in children’s achievement. Neighborhood economic status appears to be strongly associated with children’s skills acquisition.     

An exploratory analysis of select predictors of concern for law and order

Within the last decade concern for law and order has become a major domestic issue. Presidential candidates have campaigned on the issue. Opinion polls have charted the growing public concern. Crime statistics have reported startling growth in the number of serious crimes committed in the United States. This paper attempts to assess the ability of different variables to predict and explain this high concern. Two aspects of concern will be discussed: (1) awareness of and (2) willingness to do something about crime. Theoretically little is known about how awareness for a social problem can be translated into forms of action to deal with the perceived problem. Methodologically, a technique is needed for assessing the relative importance of different variables related to the problem area. Path analysis is discussed as a possible technique. The data was collected through a random sample of heads-of-households in the State of Washington during the summer of 1970 (N=3101; response rate=75%). Some of the major findings include: (1) people in larger cities are more aware of a crime problem than people in smaller cities and towns, but people in larger cities are less willing to allocate tax dollars to combat crime; (2) the size of city, and implicitly the crime rate, is the most important variable for understanding the public awareness of crime; (3) the elderly and those of conservative orientation are more willing to allocate funds to combat crime than the young and liberal, although there exists no difference in their awarencess of the problem; and (4) relative exposure to mass media, socio-economic status, or identification with one's community make little contribution to the understanding of either awareness of crime or willingness to allocate tax dollars to combat crime.     

Neighborhood selection and the social reproduction of concentrated racial inequality

In this paper, we consider neighborhood selection as a social process central to the reproduction of racial inequality in neighborhood attainment. We formulate a multilevel model that decomposes multiple sources of stability and change in longitudinal trajectories of achieved neighborhood income among nearly 4,000 Chicago families followed for up to seven years wherever they moved in the United States. Even after we adjust for a comprehensive set of fixed and time-varying covariates, racial inequality in neighborhood attainment is replicated by movers and stayers alike. We also study the emergent consequences of mobility pathways for neighborhood-level structure. The temporal sorting by individuals of different racial and ethnic groups combines to yield a structural pattern of flows between neighborhoods that generates virtually nonoverlapping income distributions and little exchange between minority and white areas. Selection and racially shaped hierarchies are thus mutually constituted and account for an apparent equilibrium of neighborhood inequality.     

Pierre Bourdieu on Marriage Strategies

Societies, virtually by definition, are in the business of social reproduction. They maintain institutional forms and cultural patterns more or less intact, though not of course unchanged, as their individual members age and die and the young are acculturated and assume adult roles. Social reproduction also takes place at the family level—through the social and biological processes entailed in family succession— but there the outcomes owe much more to fortuity, to the luck of the draw. Nonetheless, families become adept at doing the best they can with whatever hands they are dealt—if need be bending the rules, hedging, bluffing, and coercing. How they do so is highly contingent on each society's circumstances and cultural repertoires, but traditionally marriage decisions offered the principal opportunities and held the major potential risks. The case study of family marriage strategies in a village of the French Pyrenees by Pierre Bourdieu, excerpted below, gives an exceptionally lucid and illuminating dissection of this domain of life—as it had persisted perhaps for centuries and into the 1950s and 1960s. Pierre Bourdieu was born in 1930 in a Béarn village of the Atlantic Pyrenees like that described. He held an appointment at the University of Algiers in the 1950s, during the years of colonial conflict leading up to independence, and his early research was on Algeria. From 1964 he taught at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and later also at the Collège de France as professor of sociology (succeeding Raymond Aron), and became one of France's most prominent public intellectuals—exercising an influence that would be virtually unknown among English‐speaking sociologists. His major interests, in some respects prefigured in the present study, concerned aspects of cultural reproduction, particularly how educational systems reproduce class and privilege. His major works include Distinction (1979), The Logic of Practice (1980), and The Rules of Art (1992). He died in January 2002 at the age of 71. The case study excerpted below was published as “Les stratégies matrimoniales dans le système de reproduction,”Annales: Économies, Sociétés, Civilisations (Paris), vol. 27, no. 4/5 (1972). The translation, by Elborg Forster, appeared in Family and Society: Selections from the Annales, edited by Robert Forster and Orest Ranum. © 1976 by The Johns Hopkins University Press. Reprinted with permission of The Johns Hopkins University Press. The excerpt is from pp. 122, 124–125, and 132–141.