Voluntary Childlessness in the 1980s

No abstract available for this article.     

Political Advocacy in the 1980s

Abstract

Government support for human services programs de creased considerably during the 1980s while defense spending rose dras tically. The shift in spending priorities is thought by some to be due to insufficiently active or incapable social welfare lobbyists. This paper ar gues that human services advocacy groups were as active as supporters of defense programs. Human services advocates were shut out of the de cision-making process primarily due to the lack of public support for their ideas. The implication, that social welfare advocates must build a solid base of public support for their proposals, can be applied to current issues.     

Individualism and conformity in the 1950s vs. the 1980s

If the 1950s are remembered for conformity, the 1960s for rebellious individualism, and the 1970s for narcissistic individualism, images of the 1980s contain an ambiguous mixture of individualism and conformity, with similarities to the 1950s. But if the 1980s resemble the 1950s in some respects, are portraits of individualism and conformity in the later decade nevertheless different from their earlier incarnations? A comparative analysis of best-selling self-help books in the 1950s and the 1980s reveals the following changes: from “maturity” as a desirable end to an ever-changing self; from determinism about the self to antideterminism and constructionism; from institutional constraints and joys to interpersonal ones. These changes reflect the incorporation of ideas from the counterculture of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and may also stem from perceptions of a simultaneous increase in structural determinism and individual empowerment.     

Student and Institutional Characteristics as Determinants of the Prompt and Subsequent Four-Year College Graduation of Race and Sex Groups*

Recent national data were used to examine the impact of individual and institutional level variables on the ability of race and sex groups to complete a four-year college promptly (i.e., within three to four consecutive years) versus six to seven years after having entered college in 1972 or 1973. The results showed that black students were less successful than whites in prompt and in subsequent four-year college completion. In addition, males were far less successful than females in completing college on schedule. Initial race and sex differences favoring whites and females remained when examining subsequent college graduation rates. The magnitude of the race and sex disparities was reduced, however, when taking these rates into consideration. In addition, the proportion of blacks and males completing their B.A. degree increased substantially when college re-entry rates were examined. This finding indicates the importance of including college re-entry rates when describing the educational attainment of students. College grade performance was a major determinant of prompt and subsequent college completion for all race and sex groups. In addition, high school rank was an important determinant of prompt graduation for white males and prompt and subsequent graduation for black females. Attending a private college had a significant positive effect on prompt college graduation for white and black males but no significant effect for females; however, attending a selective college did not have a significant effect on prompt or subsequent graduation for any of the four race/sex groups examined.     

Sex and Gender in the 1970s

The late 1960s through the early 1970s was a time of profound social change both in American society and in sociology. Sociological attention shifted from social pathology to deviant subcultures and to labeling processes, shifting again by the 1990s to the study of social control. Many ethnographic studies of homosexuality were undertaken in the 1960s and 1970s in the tradition of labeling and stigma, including Laud Humphreys' Tearoom Trade (1970) and my Identity and Community in the Gay World (Warren 1974). Male ethnographers in particular were often stigmatized along with the deviants they studied, while the women (including me) were sometimes discouraged from doing graduate-level sociology at all. Thirty years later, the terrains of gender, sexuality and stigma have changed, yet pockets of pro-stigma resistance remain. Even in the 2000s, the stigma of homosexuality has not entirely disappeared. And, above all, the essentializing categories of homosexual, bisexual and heterosexual remain firmly entrenched in public discourse, sociological analysis, homophobia and gay activism.     

Mental Health Computing in the 1980s

This is the first of a two-part state-of-the-art review concerning current trends in mental health computing. It deals principally with general mental health information systems, the emerging role of microcomputers and general applications software, computerizing medical records, and computer support for quality assurance programs.     

Legalization of lotteries in the 1980s

The decade of the 1980s has witnessed an explosion in legalized gambling. Most dramatic has been the growth of state-sponsored lotteries. The spread of these state-operated lotteries is the result of pressure for more revenues for state operating costs. Lotteries are viewed as a means of raising these revenues: In 1987, state-operated lotteries grossed over $12 billion in sales. Eight states had sales exceeding $1 billion (New York Times, 1988). Clearly, state lotteries have become big business. The purpose of this article is to describe the spread of lotteries in the 1980s and to note the minimal attention given to compulsive gambling in debates on lotteries.Mr. Braidfoot is General Counsel for the Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is the author ofGambling: The Deadly Game.     

Cultural Change and Gender Identity Trends in the 1970s and 1980s

Abstract  As in most capitalist countries, the advent of the "consumer society" has brought about radical cultural change in Japanese society. In this paper I aim to illustrate the undercurrents of this change, focusing on the transformation of social consciousness and gender identity as it is reflected in the popular and youth cultures. In order to show these changes, I have sellected several bestsellers from youth fictions ( sekhun-shousetsu ) as my main object of study and have presented several diagrams to illustrate the apparent relationship between this type of fictions and the so-called "aprgs-guerre" generation, the "gang of sun," the "baby-boomers," the "moratorium generation," the "mutant generation." While analyzing the historical trend of youth fiction for the last 45 years and refering to the other types of popular culture (films, popular songs, comics etc.), I shall attempt to throw light upon the substance of these changes and predict what directions the Japanese culture is likely to take in the future.     

The Welfare State and inequality in the 1980s

A travers une etude surtout du systeme de transferts fiscaux, nous tentons de comprendre le r6le redistributeur de 1'Etat canadien dans les annees contemporaines. Nous faisons l'inventaire des facteurs qui ont module la structure des politiques sociales diveloppee disle debut des annees soixante-dix. Nous evaluons les modes de pression majeurs au cows des dix dernikres annCes en vue d'un changement dans les outils de redistribution, pourensuite mesurer I'impact de ces pressions sur la substance des politiques sociales et surle r d e redistributeur de I'Etat. Dans notre article, nous identifions un mouvement evident vers une plus grande inCgalitC dans les revenus du marche. Cependant, aucune des pressions structurelles ou ideologiques recentes sur I'Etat indique clairement une attCnuation des buts redistributeurs; les reactions ont CtC plut6t multi-directionnelles et ont tendu vers un accroissement. Au milieu des annees quatre-vingts, les changements de politiques n'avaient pas vraiment altC:C I'impact global des systkmes de transferts fiscaux, qui continuaient i neutraliser I'inPgalitC croissante au niveau des revenus du marche, suite i la plus profonde crise Cconomique des dernikres decennies. On est force de conclure quetoute interpretation des politiques sociales comme instruments de stabilite socio-politique a encore force de loi au Canada. This paper examines the redistributive role of the Canadian state in the contemporary period, focussing in particular on the tax-transfer system. The paper surveys the factors that shaped the structure of social policy that had developed by the early 19705, examines the major pressures for change in redistributive instruments during the last ten years, and then analyses the impact of those pressures on both the substance of social policy and the overall redistributive role of the state. The paper identifies clear movement towards greater inequality in market incomes. However, none of the structural or ideological pressures on the state in recent years points unambiguously towards a dramatic retreat from redistributive goals, and the policy response has tended to be multi-directional and for the most part incremental. At the mid-point of the 19805, policy changes had not significantly altered the overall impact of the tax-transfer system, which continued largely to neutralize the growing inequality in market incomes inherent in the deepest economic crisis in over four decades. This evidence suggests that interpretations of social policy as an instrument of social and political stability in Canada retain considerable force.     

Funding uncertainty and nonprofit strategies in the 1980s

The degree to which strategic action is related to changes in the perceived uncertainty of income from major types of funders was examined for a panel of nonprofit organizations. Uncertainty was found to be a pervasive phenomenon. Nonprofits in some parts of the sector reported increases in uncertainty over time, while those in other parts reported decreases. The use of new revenue, legitimation, or retrenchment strategies was associated with the reduction of uncertainty for some types of nonprofit organizations but not for others.     

Drawing the Line: An Exploratory Study of Single College Student Perceptions of Marital Boundaries in Opposite Sex Relationships

Marital boundary expectations among single young adults are examined within the context of gender and religiosity among a diverse single young adult sample (n = 422) consisting of college students residing in California, Utah, and Nebraska. Participants (ages 18–29, M = 22.42) completed an online survey and were given extra credit for their participation. The results show that these young adults tend to perceive the need for communication and gift-giving boundaries within the context of heterosexual marriages. Analyses also indicate a trend for women to have higher perceptions of marital boundaries than men and for religiosity (assessed in two different ways) to be linked with marital boundaries. Limitations and recommendations are discussed.     

School Spillover and College Student Health

This article uses a stress carryover perspective to examine the association between school spillover and mental and behavioral health outcomes among college undergraduates. School spillover occurs when the obligations and pressures of student life extend into other domains through shared behaviors or stress. The sample (N = 250) consisted of undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 29 enrolled at a midsized midwestern university. Findings showed that on average, students reported a moderate level of school spillover. Among mental health outcomes, school spillover was positively associated with feeling nervous, restless or fidgety, worthless, depressed, and hopeless. Among behavioral health outcomes, results showed that school spillover was negatively associated with sleep hours per night and positively associated with number of sex partners. Contrary to past empirical studies, school spillover was not significantly associated with drinking or binge drinking. Findings have implications for those who work in student support and campus mental health services.     

大学生社团与马克思主义大众化

大学生社团作为学生自发形成的以共同志趣、爱好为出发点的非正式群体组织,具有独特的价值导向功能,是高校推动马克思主义大众化的有效载体。以大学生社团为载体推动高校马克思主义大众化,不仅是重要的,而且是可行的。     

Women inventors in Canada in the 1980s

Les femmes inventrices sont rares. Elles sont redéfinies, reformées et rendues invisible par des structures patriarcales et de genre. Dans cette étude, les expériences et réalités de 21 femmes inventrices contemporaines canadiennes, des femmes qui sont dans des occupations inusités même pour des hommes, sont rapportées. Les femmes inventrices, n'importe leur degré de succès, ont souvent de la répugnance à reconnaître qu'elles sont, de fait, inventrices. Un inventeur, dans notre imagerie culturelle, est un pionnier mâle qui est eccentrique, incompris, mais qu'on estime talentueux. Les femmes semblent être moins voulante ?accepter le stigmate associéà ces images. Les personnes qui sont proches des femmes inventrices, incluant leurs maris, font collusion en trivialisant les tentatives des femmes à inventer. Plusieurs forces entrelacées sont en opérations parmi les expériences des femmes inventrices. Les contributions des femmes ont tendance àêtre rendues invisibles dans une société patriarcale qui redéfinie tout ce que les femmes font en terme mâle. ?idéologie masculin prédomine ?en terme dont elle contribue à reformer ?expérience vécue des femmes dans un moule qui renforce les mythes de ce que la femme est et fait. Les femmes ne sont pas percues comme jouant un rôle actif dans la création et le contrôle de la technologie, mais plutôt comme étant contrôlé par celle-ci. Women inventors are rare. They are redefined, reshaped and rendered invisible by patriarchy and gender structure. In this study, the experiences and realities of 21 contemporary Canadian women inventors, women who are in an unusual occupation even for men, are related. Women inventors, no matter how successful, are found to be reluctant to acknowledge that they are, indeed, inventors. An inventor, in our cultural imagery, is a male pioneer who is eccentric, misunderstood but ultimately brilliant. Women seem less willing to accept the stigma associated with these images. People who are close to women inventors, including their husbands, collude in trivializing women's attempts to invent. Several interwoven forces are operative in the experiences of women inventors. Women's contributions tend to be rendered invisible in a patriarchal society which redefines all of what women do and are on male terms. Male ideology predominates in such a way as to reshape women's lived experiences to fit myths of what women are and do. Women are not seen as playing an active role in creating and controlling technology but in being controlled by it.