The impact of acculturation on depression among older Muslim immigrants in the United States

Using a cross-sectional design, this study utilized a self-administered survey to examine the relationship between acculturation, physical and emotional health, health locus of control (LOC), life events and depression among a convenient sample of 70 immigrant Muslim elderly in United States of America. In addition to demographic variables, 5 standardized measures including the Vancouver Index of Acculturation, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD), Iowa Self-Assessment Inventory, Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, and the Geriatric Scale of Recent Life Events were utilized in this study. The results showed that about 50% of participants reported a score of 16 and above on the CESD scale, indicating a presence of depressive symptoms. In addition, most participants identified with their heritage culture compared to the American culture. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed 4 significant predictors of depression: cognitive status (β = -.34, p < .01), heritage culture (β = .35, p < .01), physical health (β = -.27, p < .05), and internal health locus of control (β = -.25, p < .05). These factors explain about 37% of the total variance in levels depression (R = .61).     

Importation,SES-selective acculturation,and the weaker SES-health gradients of Mexican immigrants in the United States

Previous studies find U.S. immigrants have weaker socioeconomic gradients in health relative to non-Hispanic Whites and their U.S.-born co-ethnics. Several explanations have been advanced but few have been tested empirically. We use data from the Mexican Family Life Survey and the U.S. National Health Interview Survey, including longitudinal data in the former measuring socioeconomic status (SES) and health previous to emigration, to test if (1) immigrants “import” their gradients from the sending country, or if (2) they may be changing as a result of SES-graded acculturation among Mexican migrant men in two health indicators: obesity and current smoking. We find evidence consistent with the first hypothesis: the gradients of migrants measured prior to coming to the U.S. are not statistically different from those of nonmigrants, as the gradients of each are relatively weak. Although the gradients for obesity and smoking appear to weaken with time spent in the U.S., the differences are not significant, suggesting little support for the selective acculturation hypothesis.     

从性别的视角看美国的中国学研究

19世纪以来 ,美国女性中国学家不仅人数比例逐步上升 ,学术地位也逐步提高 ,已成为一支不可忽视的力量。随着世界对女性问题重视程度的增强 ,美国中国学家对女性问题的关注也有所增加。女性研究在美国中国学研究中已经争取到一席之地 ,并呈现出人文学科与社会科学学科的研究并重 ,对历史问题的研究与对现当代问题的研究并重 ,研究范围日益广泛和将女性研究向性别研究扩展的趋势。     

Solidarity towards immigrants in European welfare states

The concern that immigration could threaten the sustainability of the European Social Model is a reason to have a closer look at popular images of immigrants in the context of European welfare states. The focus is on Europeans' informal solidarity towards immigrants relative to other vulnerable groups in society. Using data from the European Values Survey 1999/2000 we find that in all European countries the public is least solidaristic towards migrants, in comparison with elderly people, sick and disabled people and unemployed people. Contrary to expectation, there is little relation between welfare state characteristics and people's solidarity, while the relative solidarity towards immigrants is higher in culturally more diverse countries. As expected, the relative solidarity towards immigrants is lower in countries with a more negative opinion climate towards immigrants and in poorer countries of Europe.     

The introduction of genetically modified food in the United States and the United Kingdom: A news analysis

Genetically modified (GM) food is a highly controversial topic. Research has shown that individuals gather information on controversial issues predominantly from newspapers. This paper compares newspaper coverage of GM food during the years 1993–2003 within two U.S. and two U.K. newspapers. The data suggests a greater affinity for similar coverage within the same country than between similar regions in different countries. Regardless of the geographic location, newspaper coverage appears to be event driven. The study reported here represents an exploratory engagement with GM food; we suggest that the topic warrants further study by geographers.     

美国心理学的若干发展趋势及思考

本文介绍了美国心理学的若干发展趋势 ;在研究方法上 ,各种方法越来越多元化 ,明显地注重心理过程的研究 ,对统计学的方法有了反思 ;由于基因研究的突破 ,遗传环境又受到重视 ;心理健康问题引起社会的普遍关注。进化心理学、跨文化心理学发展迅速     

Care earnings in the United States and 24 European countries: The role of social policy and labour market institutions

Care occupations are gendered and remain relatively poorly paid, particularly in the United States. Prior research on the ‘care penalty’ primarily points to individual, relational, and market-valuation factors in explaining the relative earnings of care workers. This study integrates these explanations with a comparative institutional perspective. Using higher-quality data and methods than previous comparative research in the field—that is, harmonized micro-data from the Current Population Survey and EU-SILC from 2005 to 2016, country and year fixed effects models, and a counterfactual analysis—we find that national variance in labour market and welfare state institutions explains most of the difference in the relative earnings of reproductive care workers between the United States and European countries. Higher rates of collective bargaining coverage, stronger employment protection and welfare state spending contribute to higher relative earnings for reproductive care occupations, and lower relative earnings for high-status nurturant care occupations. Differences in the relative earnings of care workers appear to be mostly a construct of social policy and labour market institutions rather than individual, relational, and market-valuation factors.     

Nonresidential fathers with children in foster care: A descriptive study in the United States

This study used the data from 64 nonresidential fathers who had their children placed in foster care to describe their characteristics. The survey included questions about demographic background and personal challenges, the father's involvement with his child in foster care, the father's relationship with the mother, barriers to the father's involvement, and the relationship with child welfare agencies and workers. The average age of the participants was about 39 years, and the majority of them were African American. About 70% of the fathers reported low levels of education. Almost 69% of fathers reported frequent face‐to‐face contact with their children. On average, the participants were arrested 2.6 times, and it ranged from 0 to 34. More research is necessary to learn more about these fathers, develop programs to help them become a viable source for permanency option, and become more involved in their children's lives.     

Child Welfare Policy in the United States

Recent developments in child welfare in the United States can be seen as enactments of state paternalism toward families. New programs and procedures in the areas of foster care and “in-home” family services aim to reinforce parents' and childrens' rights, but these rights are typically framed as protections against bureaucratic abuse rather than as rights to basic material resources. The prevailing cultural assumption toward child welfare in the United States is that the government should not intervene in family life unless there is legal evidence of functional failure. Families are still seen as autonomous units that essentially determine their own fates. This ideology serves to limit the public and political perception of more preventive and developmental options.     

Family Leave Policy in the United States

Between 1987 and 1993 twenty states and the federal government adopted family leave policies. None included any wage replacement. The similarities and differences among these policies are discussed within the context of six major categories: employees covered, company size, length of leave, eligibility, coverage of benefits, and job guarantee. Also discussed is the feasibility of adopting some type of wage replacement as well as the future of family leave in light of the changing demographics of America's families.     

State Educational Investments and Economic Growth in the United States: A Path Analysis*

Objective. This article investigates direct and indirect relationships between state investments in education and economic growth measured as change in per‐capita gross state product (GSP). As a basis for selecting control variables, it also applies a conceptual framework borrowed from the cross‐national growth research. Method. We gathered 18 years of panel data on the 48 continental states and ran GLS regressions with panel corrected standard errors after executing an AR1 correction for autocorrelation. Results. Per‐capita savings deposits, college attainment, and initial GSP are the most consistent predictors of GSP growth over the 18‐year period investigated. However, all the independent variables in the model, except high school attainment, predict per‐capita GSP growth from 1997 to 2005. Conclusion. The study supports the virtues of a path model and a cross‐national framework for explaining the relationship between educational expenditures and GSP growth, especially from 1997 to 2005.     

Revisiting the residential electricity demand in the United States: A dynamic partial adjustment modelling approach

In recent years, price policies and price changes derived from environmental regulations have played a more important role to promote residential energy conservation. Using recent annual state-level panel data for 48 states, we estimate a dynamic partial adjustment model for electricity demand elasticities on price and income in the residential sector. Our analysis reveals that in the short run, one unit price increase will lead to 0.142 unit of reduction in electricity use after controlling for the endogeneity of electricity price. Thus, raising energy price in the short run will not give consumers much incentive to adjust their appliances to reduce electricity use. However, in the long run, one unit price increase will lead to almost one unit consumption reduction, ceteris paribus. In addition, we find new evidence that for states of higher per capita GDP, raising the electricity price may be more effective to ensure a cut in consumption.     

Democracy, Voting, and Disenfranchisement in the United States: A Social Psychological Perspective

Autonomy, engagement, and equality are defining features of democracy. Each of these features illuminates the challenge or incompleteness of our democratic aspirations: Autonomy or self-governance is too easily surrendered, disengagement is evident when roughly half of eligible adults choose not to vote, and the inequality of our political voices is manifest in many ways, including a self-perpetuating relationship between socioeconomic status and political participation. In addition to introducing the present collection of articles on the social psychology of voting, I argue that several concepts drawn from psychological measurement may contribute to making elections more fair. A signal detection framework may be used to assess the soundness of election reforms, with fraud and disenfranchisement conceptualized as two forms of error. The replacement of the Electoral College by a single aggregate national popular vote would not only be more democratic but would substantially reduce the likelihood of controversial outcomes in future presidential elections.     

Homelessness in Europe and the United States: A Comparison of Prevalence and Public Opinion

Random samples of 250–435 adults were interviewed by telephone in five different nations ( N = 1,546): Belgium, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the United States. The interview included questions on respondent attitudes, knowledge, and opinions regarding homelessness; respondents' own personal experiences with homelessness and homeless people; and demographic characteristics of the respondents. The highest rates for lifetime literal homelessness were found in the UK (7.7%) and United States (6.2%), with the lowest rate in Germany (2.4%), and intermediate rates in Italy (4.0%) and Belgium (3.4%). Less compassionate attitudes toward the homeless were also found on many dimensions in the United States and the UK. Possible explanations of these findings, drawn from various theoretical perspectives, and policy implications are provided .