“Grow the Beard,Wear the Costume”: Resisting Weight and Sexual Orientation Stigmas in the Bear Subculture

ABSTRACT

Being gay and being overweight are two stigmatized statuses in the United States. A range of work has considered the experience of being stigmatized and the consequences of stereotypes for overweight individuals and sexual minorities, but less research has examined the intersection of these two stigmas among larger gay men or collective efforts to resist such stigma. This study qualitatively examines a subculture of gay men, the bears, to test theoretical models of stigma resistance. The analysis demonstrates the transferability of stigma resistance among multiple stigmatized attributes and the use of multiple strategies to resist one stigma. At the same time, it shows how subcultural dynamics both aid and undermine the resistance toward stigma, and the risk of reinforcing stigma’s effect through criticizing others who embody a stereotype. The results also demonstrate how resistance strategies are both empowering and psychologically taxing for stigmatized individuals.     

The Effects of College on Weight: Examining the “Freshman 15” Myth and Other Effects of College Over the Life Cycle

This study examines the effects of college on weight over much of the life cycle. I compare weights for college students with their weights before and after college and with the weights of noncollege peers using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). I also examine the longer-term effects of college measured almost three decades later. I find that college freshmen gain substantially less than the 15 pounds rumored to be typical for freshmen. Using difference models, individual-specific fixed-effects models, and instrumental variables models to control for various sources of potential bias, I find that freshman year college attendance is estimated to cause only about a one-pound increase. Supplemental results show that those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds gain more weight during the freshman college year. Longer term, having a college education consistently decreases weight. These negative effects have faded over the last 20 years, and they diminish as respondents approach middle age. These trends are more prevalent for whites and Hispanics than for blacks.     

Report on the Work of the Government

Following are main excerpts of the Report on the Work of the Government delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao at the Second Session of the Tenth National People's Congress on March 5, 2004. --Editor I. Review of the Past Year's Work Last year was a significant and unusual year in the course of China's development. We braved difficulties and hardships in an indomitable and innovative spirit and made important advances in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. -- …     

Summary of the Bulletin on the State of the Environment of China in 1993

ＳｕｍｍａｒｙｏｆｔｈｅＢｕｌｌｅｔｉｎｏｎｔｈｅＳｔａｔｅｏｆｔｈｅＥｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔｏｆＣｈｉｎａｉｎ１９９３￥／／ＰｏｌｌｕｔｉｏｎｉｎｃｅｒｔａｉｎａｒｅａｓｏｆＣｈｉｎａｈａｓｂｅｅｎｂａｓｉｃａｌｌｙｂｒｏｕｇｈｔｕｎｄｅｒｃｏｎｔｒ...     

China Raised the Basic Standard of the Rehabilitation Hospitals

正Ministry of Public Health issued the "Basic Standard of Rehabilitation Hospitals(2012 Edition)" on April 25,2012.Compared with the version of "Basic standard of Rehabilitation Hospitals",which was released in 1994,the new standard demands higher reqirementsstandard for the first-class and second-class rehabilitation hospitals in such aspects asareas like beds,department setting,personnel,venues,and equipment,etc.     

From the Editor

ＦｒｏｍｔｈｅＥｄｉｔｏｒＣｈｉｎａＰｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎＴｏｄａｙｃｏｒｄｉａｌｌｙｗｅｌｃｏｍｅｓｙｏｕｔｏＢｅｉｊｉｎｇ，ｔｈｅｃａｐｉｔａｌｏｆｔｈｅｎａｔｉｏｎｗｈｉｃｈｓｕｐｐｏｒｔｓｔｈｅｗｏｒｌｄ＇ｓｌａｒｇｅｓｔｐｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎ．...     

The Institutional vs. the Academic Definition of the Quality of Work Life. What is the Focus of the European Commission?

In recent years, we have seen how the quality of work life has been focused and defined by the European Commission (EC). In our study we compare the EC definition with the academic one and try to see how close they are. We also analyse the possibility of applying the institutional definition to the Spanish case through the development of specific indicators. Our main conclusions are that QWL is increasingly important for policy makers. In addition, it is essential to have objective indicators and to conduct surveys in order to reliably measure QWL.     

Report on the Work of the Government （Excerpt）

The following is an excerpt from the REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT delivered at the First Session of the Eleventh National People＇s Congress on March 5^th ,2008, by Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council.     

Superstitions surrounding the choice of wedding date in Italy: What has changed since the beginning of the economic development process to the present?

In Italy, it is believed that Tuesdays and Fridays are particularly unlucky days for weddings as well as the 17th day of each month. Previous studies realized in the aftermath of the Second World War have shown the strong influence that these superstitions had in determining the wedding dates in the entire country. We have used exhaustive data collection of all marriages celebrated in Italy in the years 2007–2009 to investigate whether superstitions are still able to influence the choices of spouses. We find that this influence is still present after the great economic, social and demographic transformation of Italian society. We also show that a wife’s education reduces the influence of superstition on the choice of the date of marriage while those who opt for a religious rite are also those who are more careful in avoiding inauspicious days.     

Community-Run Fisheries: Avoiding the “Tragedy of the Commons”

This paper discusses how fishing communities around the world avoid destructive overfishing through local and largely informal self-management. The paper offers many examples that undermine the widespread assumption that the tragedy of the commons is inevitable without government regulation.     

Understanding the ''''One-Child'''' Policy

Ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔａｎｄｉｎｇｔｈｅ＇Ｏｎｅ－Ｃｈｉｌｄ＇ＰｏｌｉｃｙＴｈａｔＣｈｉｎａｈａｓａｆａｍｉｌｙｐｌａｎｎｉｎｇｐｏｌｉｃｙｉｓｉｎｔｅｒｎａｔｉｏｎａｌｌｙｗｅｌｌｋｎｏｗｎ，ｂｕｔｔｈｅｔｅｒｍｓｏｆｔｈａｔｐｏｌｉｃｙａｒｅｌｅｓｓｗｅ...     

Statistics about the West

Province: Shaanxi. Sichuan, Ningxia, Guizhou, Yunnan, Gansu,Qinghai, Xinjiang and TibetArea: 5.4 million square kilometers, 56% of China's total.Population: 285 million, 23% of the country's total.GDP (1998): 14% of the country's total, 51 percentage points lessthan the eastern region.Per capita GDP (1998): 4,051 RMB (US$488), 63% of thenational average.Per capita income of rural residents (1998): 900 RMB(US$108), one-fourth of that in east China.Economic growth (1979-1995): 8.7%. …     

Can the Web-Form WHOQOL-BREF be an Alternative to the Paper-Form?

The purpose of this study was to test whether the web version is an alternative to the paper version of the short version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment (WHOQOL-BREF). Two studies were conducted. Study 1 used crossover self-controlled trials with 80 participants to compare the web and paper versions and to determine the test–retest reliability of the web version. Study 2 used data from 1,016 web participants to analyze the internal consistency and concurrent and construct validity of the web version. The correlations of domain scores between the web and paper versions ranged from 0.71 to 0.85. Dependent t tests showed no significant differences in domain scores between these two versions. The intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) for test–retest reliability of web version ranged from 0.79 to 0.91. The Cronbach’s α for internal consistency reliability ranged from 0.60 to 0.83. Multiple regression models indicated that the web version has good concurrent validity. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for the second-order hierarchical factor model also supported the construct validity of the web version. The web version of the WHOQOL-BREF can be the alternative to the paper version for health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) evaluation.     

Projection of Change in the Age Structure of the World Population

ＰｒｏｊｅｃｔｉｏｎｏｆＣｈａｎｇｅｉｎｔｈｅＡｇｅＳｔｒｕｃｔｕｒｅｏｆｔｈｅＷｏｒｌｄＰｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎＢｙｔｈｅｍｉｄ－２１ｓｔｃｅｎｔｕｒｙ，ｔｈｅｗｏｒｌｄｐｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎｉｓｐｒｏｊｅｃｔｅｄｔｏｔｏｐｔｅｎｂｉｌｌｉｏｎ，ｏｆｗｈ...     

Tackling the Unemployment Challenge

As the world抯largest economy in transition, China faces a severe unemployment challenge. With a working population of 751 million, China抯unemployment rate stands at more than 10% in urban areas; including rural surplus laborers, it is a staggering 20%. Since assuming office in March 2003, the new administration has made increased employment a top priority. In fact, economic growth has been redefined with employment being a basic goal of growth. To help readers better understand China抯empl…     

A Comparison of the Percentages of the"Old-old" and the"Young-old" Elderly in Selected Countries

ＡＣｏｍｐａｒｉｓｏｎｏｆｔｈｅＰｅｒｃｅｎｔａｇｅｓｏｆｔｈｅ＂Ｏｌｄ－ｏｌｄ＂ａｎｄｔｈｅ＂Ｙｏｕｎｇ－ｏｌｄ＂ＥｌｄｅｒｌｙｉｎＳｅｌｅｃｔｅｄＣｏｕｎｔｒｉｅｓＡｇｉｎｇａｃｃｅｌｅｒａｔｅｓａｌｏｎｇｗｉｔｈｔｈｅｉｎｃｒｅａｓｅｉｎｔｈｅ...     

Segregation Through the Lens of Housing Unit Transition: What Roles Do the Prior Residents, the Local Micro-Neighborhood, and the Broader Neighborhood Play?

This study focuses on segregation as it plays out at the micro-level of housing unit transition. Employing a unique sample that places housing units into micro-neighborhoods and census tracts, this study tests whether the characteristics of the previous residents of the unit, the local micro-neighborhood, or the broader tract best explain the race/ethnicity of the new residents in a housing unit. The results show that the racial/ethnic composition of the local micro-neighborhood has even stronger effects on the race/ethnicity of the new residents than does the racial/ethnic composition of the broader census tract. The results also reveal that even when the racial/ethnic composition of these two contexts are accounted for, the race/ethnicity of the prior residents has a very strong effect on the race/ethnicity of the new residents. I consider possible explanations for this household-level effect. One new theoretical explanation I put forward is that prospective residents use the race/ethnicity of the prior residents as a signal regarding the neighborhood??s appropriateness for them; I test and find that this hypothesized signaling effect is even stronger in certain micro-neighborhood, neighborhood, and county contexts.