Direct and indirect effects of happiness on wage: A simultaneous equations approach

Using data from the United Sates National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) and following a two-stage method, the current study estimates wage, schooling and happiness equations simultaneously and demonstrates that happiness affects the worker's wage not only directly, but also indirectly through its direct effect on years of schooling. The simultaneous relation between happiness and schooling demonstrated in this study further suggests that schooling also affects wage both directly and indirectly through happiness. The study supports the argument presented in several earlier studies that higher income does not necessarily guarantee higher levels of happiness.     

Emerging dragonfly diversity at small Rhode Island (U.S.A.) wetlands along an urbanization gradient

Natal habitat use by dragonflies was assessed on an urban to rural land-use gradient at a set of 21 wetlands, during two emergence seasons (2004, 2005). The wetlands were characterized for urbanization level by using the first factor from a principal components analysis combining chloride concentration in the wetland and percent forest in the surrounding buffer zone. Measurements of species diversity and its components (species richness and evenness) were analyzed and compared along the urbanization gradient, as were distributions of individual species. Dragonfly diversity, species richness, and evenness did not change along the urbanization gradient, so urban wetlands served as natal habitat for numerous dragonfly species. However, several individual species displayed strong relationships to the degree of urbanization, and most were more commonly found at urban sites and at sites with fish. In contrast, relatively rare species were generally found at the rural end of the gradient. These results suggest that urban wetlands can play important roles as dragonfly habitat and in dragonfly conservation efforts, but that conservation of rural wetlands is also important for some dragonfly species.     

Direct and indirect effects of unionization and government employment on fringe benefit provision

The separate influences of unionization and government employment on the provision of two major fringe benefits, pensions and health insurance, are investigated. Each influence is decomposed into a direct effect and an indirect effect through earnings. The sum of these effects often differs in size from estimates that ignore the two distinct effects. Moreover, studies that argue that both unions and governmental employees capture greater fringe benefits focus on the direct effect, yet estimates usually have not isolated this effect.     

Outsourcing human resource management: A comparison of Russian and U.S. practices

Our objective is to determine the current state of outsourcing of HRM functions at companies operating in Russia, both Russian and Russian-based foreign com-panies, and compare and contrast the results with the findings of the Society for Human Research Management (SHRM) study of outsourcing practices at American companies in the United States. The comparison reveals the differences and similarities in terms of reasons for outsourcing as well as the obstacles and problems in implementing HRM outsourcing decisions to a foreign setting.     

Race and relative income/price of time effects on U.S. fertility

In an earlier paper, a model developed by the author found strong evidence of both “relative income” and “price of time” effects in aggregate U.S. fertility data for 20–24 year olds. This paper examines data from the same source (aggregations of Current Population Survey microdata, prepared by the author), separately for African-Americans and whites, and establishes that—while the same model specification holds for both racial groups—there are considerable differences between the races in terms of elasticities. Relative income (young males' average earnings relative to couples' material aspirations) and the female wage are found to exert strong effects on the fertility of both racial groups, but the elasticities with respect to male earnings and the female wage for African-Americans are roughly half the size of those for whites. In addition, there is strong evidence of an underlying positive time trend in African-American fertility.     

Agricultural chemical use and cancer mortality in selected rural counties in the U.S.A.

The relationship between agricultural chemical use and five major , categories of cancer is examined for a sample of rural U.S. counties. County acreages treated with insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers are the variables of primary analytic interest. Findings suggest that agricultural chemical use is related to county cancer mortality. For three of the five categories of cancer included, agricultural chemical use was the best predictor of cancer mortality. Although limitations common to ecological analyses require caution in interpreting results, the findings are highly suggestive of the need for additional research on possible links between agricultural chemical use and county cancer mortality.     

Demographic and sociological determinants of alcohol use by U.S. military personnel

Using a worldwide sample of U.S. military personnel, this study examines the demographic characteristics and the drink‐related determinants of alcohol use. Scales are developed to describe four use predictors: personal benefit, problem situation, peer influence, and normative definition. Findings using multiple regression and path analysis indicate that personal benefit is the most important determinant in predicting alcohol use. The effects of problem situations on alcohol use are largely mediated by personal benefit. Moreover, peer influence not only directly influences alcohol use, but also mediates the effect of age on alcohol use. Inconsistent with previous research with civilian populations, normative definitions of alcohol use were not found to be a good predictor of alcohol use.     

Direct and indirect effects of low self-control on the personal victimization of South Korean youth

To estimate the direct effects of low self-control on the incidence of personal victimization among South Korean elementary and middle school students; to examine whether these effects are mediated by deviant lifestyles and parental attachments, and to determine whether these effects differ by a youth's sex. Data from the Korean Youth Panel Survey were examined. A national sample of 2844 South Korean fourth grade students was followed for five years. Wave-specific analyses consistently revealed significant direct and indirect effects of low self-control on victimization, and the direct effects were not fully mediated by deviant lifestyles and parent-child attachment. Direct effects of low self-control were invariant between the sexes whereas indirect effects involving delinquent peers were not.     

The Bouverie Information and Assessment Schema (B.I.A.S.)

The Bouverie information and Assessment Schema (B.I.A.S) has been designed to assist family therapists in the organization of case material. It is intended for use in the review of individual sessions, or of a whole therapy (in Assessment and Termination Summaries), and is thus suitable for case recording. It is specifically designed for use by family therapists taking a Systemic/Strategic approach to therapy. It is not a guide for interviewing in family therapy. A case example illustrates its use.     

Direct and indirect effects of unionization on the wage levels of nurses: A case study of New Jersey hospitals

This study examines the determination of wage rates for nurses in hospital employment. Of particular concern is the effect of the recent increase in unionization by nurses on their wages, both directly and indirectly via threats from competing hospitals’ unionization. To improve on earlier work, the data are disaggregated and gathered from only one state to standardize for the legal, licensing, and reimbursement systems. We also look at the difference between highly skilled professional nurses, RN’s, and more general and less professional nurses, LPN’s. The results show that working conditions and competition in the market influence the wage rate as one would expect. The unionization of nurses, however, affects the wage levels differently for the two groups. We would like to thank Professors Robert Higgs and Alan Childs of Lafayette College, Professor David Fairris of Williams College, Professor James C. Luzier of Muhlenberg College, and an anonymous referee for their helpful comments and suggestions.     

A comprehensive review of quantitative research on crime,the built environment,land use,and physical geography

This paper provides a comprehensive review of space- and place-based criminology, with a focus on the relationship between crime, the built environment, land use, and/or physical geography, through sociological and critical geography lenses. An historical overview of major criminological and spatial theories and contributors is presented before examining the current state of the field. In honor of critical geography's goal to be “a people's geography,”¹ this paper aims to be an accessible overview of space- and place-based criminological research, especially for readers who are unfamiliar with these topics.     

Health effects of migration: U.S. Chinese in and outside the Chinatown

Previous studies on the health effects of migration at the international level have seldom been directed to those concentrated in segregated enclaves. This study hypothesizes that in spite of the known deviations in certain demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of Chinatown (San Francisco-New York City) residents from the US Chinese population, no consistent relationship seems to exist between these attributes and health risks, as reflected in the mortality levels of the 2 populations. A convergence in mortality was observed for a noticeable number of causes of deaths, with but a few disease-cause sets of non-convergence with statistical significance. The study results were interpreted in terms of varying degrees of acculturation experience.     

The effects of 9/11 on intermarriage between natives and immigrants to the U.S.

The existing literature generally finds a negative impact of the 9/11 tragedy on immigrants?? labor market performance, consistent with increased discrimination in the labor market and stricter immigration policies. In this paper, we examine the impact of this tragic event on a particular measure of immigrants?? social outcomes??marriage with a native or intermarriage. We find that the tragic event actually increases Hispanic immigrants?? probability of being married to a native. We suggest that our results could be explained by that after 9/11, the deteriorated labor market conditions, along with tightened immigration policies, may have led to increased incentives of immigrants to marry natives. This effect is large relative to the potential discrimination effect, if any, that could reduce natives?? willingness to marry an immigrant. We also find that the magnitude of the effect is much smaller in the years immediately following 9/11 and becomes larger over time; and that there exists a large, statistically significant gender difference in the effects of 9/11 on intermarriage outcomes. Finally, we conduct indirect tests of proposed explanations; and our results imply existence of economic gains from intermarriage, and that discrimination may indeed exist.     

STATE POLICIES AND GENDER EARNINGS INEQUALITY: A Multilevel Analysis of 50 U.S. States Based on U.S. Census 2000 Data

This article examines distinct dimensions of state government intervention in labor markets across states in the United States and investigates the effect of these interventions on gender inequality in earnings. Statistical models that take into account the contextual effects of family policies on gender inequality in earnings are constructed. Results from multilevel models show that progressive state institutional environments supportive of norms of equality help female employees catch‐up with their male counterparts with regard to rewards, while states that function as welfare providers and employers exacerbate the gender gap in earnings.     

Bird diversity in a subtropical South-American City: effects of noise levels,arborisation and human population density

Cities are highly modified environments in which the only areas that resemble natural landscapes are urban parks with low human population density. Attempts are frequently made to maintain high bird diversity in cities for aesthetic or educational reasons. However, it remains unclear whether local site characteristics are important in determining bird assemblage composition or whether simplification of the assemblage is an inevitable consequence of the changes associated with human population density. From May 1998 to December 1999, we undertook bird counts at 521 points in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Our main goal was to understand the pattern of distribution of the bird species richness and density within the city and determine which variables most affect species assemblages. We recorded 132 species belonging to 43 families that are common in Rio Grande do Sul and obtained quantitative data on 121 species in survey sites. The two most abundant species (House Sparrow, Passer domesticus and Rock dove, Columba livia) were exotics. Analysis based on a reduced subset of 134 points surveyed in spring/early summer suggested that there was a North–south gradient in assemblage structure. Variation in assemblage structure was also affected by the number of trees, urban noise and human population density. However, human population density had a much smaller effect on richness and assemblage structure than variables subject to management, such as tree density and noise levels. These results suggest that complex communities may be maintained in densely populated urban areas of sub-tropical South-America given adequate urban planning.     

Direct and indirect effects of urbanization on soil and plant nutrients in desert ecosystems of the Phoenix metropolitan area,Arizona (USA)

Desert landscaping has become a dominant land cover type in arid US cities and often includes native plant species. Does replacement of native plant distribution in urban areas also reestablish ecological functioning characteristic of natural deserts? We compared ecological processes in three landscape types that are common to the metropolitan area of Phoenix, Arizona (USA): residential desert yards created from former lawns, Sonoran Desert preserves within the city, and Sonoran Desert preserves outside the city boundaries. Canopy cover, abundance of herbivorous insects, and soil properties (concentration of inorganic nitrogen (N), soil moisture and organic matter content, and water-holding capacity) were higher in residential desert yards than in native desert sites located both within and outside of the city. Furthermore, soil resources in desert yards were not organized around plant canopies, departing from the predictable resource island pattern that is characteristic of natural deserts. Intentional human manipulation and land use history accounts for these differences, while the urban environment contributes only subtly to soil N concentrations beneath plant canopies. While the use of desert landscaping may have important water conservation benefits, it does not help to mitigate the well-documented excess of reactive N within the Phoenix metropolitan area.