Asian American ethnic identification by surname

Few data sources include ethnicity-levelclassification for Asian Americans. However, it isoften more informative to study the ethnic groupsseparately than to use an aggregate Asian Americancategory, because of differences in immigrationhistory, socioeconomic status, health, and culture. Many types of records that include surnames of personsoffer the potential for inferential ethnicclassification. This paper describes the developmentof surname lists for six major Asian American ethnicgroups: Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, AsianIndian, and Vietnamese. The lists were based on SocialSecurity Administration records that include countryof birth. After they were compiled, the lists wereevaluated using an independent file of census records.The surname lists have a variety of applications forresearchers: identification of individuals to targetfor study participation; inference of ethnicity indata sources lacking ethnic detail; andcharacterization of the ethnic composition of apopulation.     

Validation of an inferential approach for the measurement of illegitimacy

An inferential model which utilizes surname comparisons in inferring legitimacy status is developed and validated. Criterion validation is employed to assess the level of agreement between the inferential approach and the conventional reporting procedure. Data for the analysis are based on a sample of birth certificates contained in files of the National Center for Health Statistics for calendar year 1973. Results indicate that despite excessive error within some categories of the control variables, the inferential method is generally adequate to obtain reliable estimates of illegitimacy.     

Mortality among elderly hispanics in the United States: Past evidence and new results

We used vital records and census data and Medicare and NUMIDENT records to estimate age- and sex-specific death rates for elderly non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics, including five Hispanic subgroups: persons born in Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, other foreign countries, and the United States. We found that corrections for data errors in vital and census records lead to substantial changes in death rates for Hispanics and that conventionally constructed Hispanic death rates are lower than rates based on Medicare-NUMIDENT records. Both sources revealed a Hispanic mortality advantage relative to non-Hispanic whites that holds for most Hispanic subgroups. We also present a new methodology for inferring Hispanic origin from a combination of surname, given name, and county of residence.     

Child gender and father involvement in fragile families

In this article, we use data from the first two waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine the effects of child gender on father involvement and to determine if gender effects differ by parents' marital status. We examine several indicators of father involvement, including whether the father acknowledges "ownership" of the child, whether the parents live together when the child is one year old, and whether the father provides financial support when the child is one year old. We find some evidence that child gender is associated with unmarried father involvement around the time of the child's birth: sons born to unmarried parents are more likely than daughters to receive the father's surname, especially if the mother has no other children. However, one year after birth, we find very little evidence that child gender is related to parents' living arrangements or the amount of time or money fathers invest in their children. In contrast, and consistent with previous research, fathers who are married when their child is born are more likely to live with a son than with a daughter one year after birth. This pattern supports an interpretation of child gender effects based on parental beliefs about the importance of fathers for the long-term development of sons.     

Mortality rates of elderly Asian American populations based on Medicare and Social Security data

We present sex- and age-specific death probabilities for the elderly of six Asian American subgroups--Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese--based on data from social Security Administration files. We determined ethnicity by combining race, place of birth, surname, and given name. The data source and ethnic determination are the same for deaths and the population at risk, avoiding the problem of noncomparability present when data for the numerator come from vital records and data for the denominator come from census records. We found that death rates for elderly Asian Americans are lower than those for whites, and that socioeconomic differences between subgroups do not translate into like differences in mortality.     

Spanish Surname and Anglo Infant Mortality: Differentials Over a Half-Century

Using a half-century of death records from San Antonio/Bexar County, Texas, we examine the timing and cause structure of Spanish surname and Anglo infant mortality. Our findings show that despite the substantial disparities between ethnic-specific infant mortality rates in the early years of the study, there have been consistent declines in overall, neonatal, and postneonatal mortality for both groups, as well as a major convergence of mortality rates between Spanish surname and Anglo infants. Further, we demonstrate that the convergence is of relatively recent origin and is due primarily to shifts in postneonatal mortality. Finally, we examine the transition reflected in the cause structure of ethnic-specific infant mortality and show that the convergence was largely the result of reductions in deaths from exogenous causes. Implications for research into the "epidemiologic paradox" are discussed.     

Age,period, and cohort effects in demography: a review

This paper considers only the vital events of demographic measurement, the factors influencing the rate at which those events occur and then investigates the consequences of patterns of these events. It reviews the state of the art of age, period and cohort analysis for demographic dependent variables. Major examples of such analyses are given in both mortality and fertility studies. In the area of mortality the conventional approach to such analysis apears to be well suited to a wide range of applications yielding useful results. The reasons for this suitability are: early childhood experience is important in many major disease and death processes, so that cohorts are legitimately viewed as acquiring early on a certain fixed susceptibility; data sometimes stretch back far enough that stationary standards of age patterns can be developed empirically, and applied to later experience; and, logarithmic or logistic transformations linearize comparisons of age schedules or mortality so that standard statistical procedures are suitable. Applications of age, period, and cohort analysis are not always routine; external constraints are required, in the form of theoretically based and mathematically expressed age patterns of mortality, in order to distinguish effectively between period and cohort effects. A set of models of age patterns of mortality that are based on cohort as well as period experience could be constructed with useful applications. With fertility analysis the conventional approach is much less suitable. Once goal directed behavior is introduced, empirical examinations must be based on theories or assumptions about how such goals are formulated and pursued. Conventional analysis might suffice only if one is prepared to accept the assumption that all pertinent goals and strategies are formulated before the initiation of childbearing and remain unaffected by subsequent events. This assumption is untenable for modern developed populations and the forms of analysis appropriate to age period cohort investigations of fertility will have to develop along with theories of reproductive behavior.     

GIS without GPS: new opportunities in technology and survey research to link people and place

This paper presents innovative ways to relate survey data to GIS maps, thereby making the connection of people and place more accessible for the research community. Based on data from rural areas in the Brazilian Amazon, we describe a successful effort to sample households while linking farm-level data to property boundaries, these boundaries generated from subjects’ interpretations of satellite images on a computer screen. The sampling framework is based on legislation requiring farmers to report to a government agency in a four-week period, and the farmers’ input allows for a more efficient means of identifying property boundaries as compared to GPS. We show that the resulting sampling is statistically representative. We discuss the potential of this association of institutional design and low-cost methods of data collection to allow for more cost-effective generation of spatial data and of geospatial analysis.     

Structuring injustice: partisan politics in the making and unmaking of James Madison University's equal opportunity policy

This analysis contributes to LGBT campus climate research on the quality of campus life in higher education in the United States. We argue that public education institutions in different states face divergent impediments to improving campus climate, and that more research is needed identifying structural factors affecting campus climate. Using a social systems analysis of policymaking at one university as a case study, we illustrate how partisan politics and state regulation make Virginia colleges and universities more vulnerable to political scrutiny and control. Finally, we propose a social justice-oriented policy agenda to address structural inequalities.     

Using surname data in U.S. Puerto Rican mortality analysis

Evidence suggests that among mainland-born decedents. Hispanic (particularly Puerto Rican) origin may have been underreported in states that have added an ancestry item to their death certificates. This study uses the 1980 Census Bureau Spanish-surname list to code surnames on New York City death certificates. By examining the correspondence between surname type and the response to the ancestry item, we identify potential underreporting of Hispanic ethnicity for Spanish-surnamed decedents. A surname-based method then is used to adjust mortality data for mainland-born Puerto Rican decedents.     

Optimizing the Lee-Carter Approach in the Presence of Structural Changes in Time and Age Patterns of Mortality Improvements

Researchers using the Lee-Carter approach have often assumed that the time-varying index evolves linearly and that the parameters describing the age pattern of mortality decline are time-invariant. However, as several empirical studies suggest, the two assumptions do not seem to hold when the calibration window begins too early. This problem gives rise to the question of identifying the longest calibration window for which the two assumptions hold true. To address this question, we contribute a likelihood ratio–based sequential test to jointly test whether the two assumptions are satisfied. Consistent with the mortality structural changes observed in previous studies, our testing procedure indicates that the starting points of the optimal calibration windows for most populations fall between 1960 and 1990. Using an out-of-sample analysis, we demonstrate that in most cases, models that are estimated to the optimized calibration windows result in more accurate forecasts than models that are fitted to all available data or data beyond 1950. We further apply the proposed testing procedure to data over different age ranges. We find that the optimal calibration windows for age group 0–49 are generally shorter than those for age group 50–89, indicating that mortality at younger ages might have undergone (another) structural change in recent years.     

Neighborhoods, Ethnicity and School Choice: Developing a Statistical Framework for Geodemographic Analysis

Geodemographics as the “analysis of people by where they live” has origins in urban sociology and social mapping, and is experiencing a renaissance in applied spatial demography. However, some commentators have expressed reservations about the statistical limitations of common geodemographic practices, especially focusing on the potential internal heterogeneity of the geodemographic groupings, as well as the problem of clearly identifying predictor variables that might account for or explain the socioeconomic patterns revealed by geodemographic analyses. In this paper we argue that geodemographic typologies are structured methods for making sense of the spatial and socioeconomic patterns encoded within complex datasets such as national census data. By treating geodemographics as more a framework than a tool for analysis in its own right we are able to integrate it with the flexibility and statistical conventions offered by multilevel modeling. We demonstrate this with a case study of whether pupils from different types of neighborhood in Birmingham, England are more or less likely to attend their nearest state-funded secondary school and how that likelihood varies with the ethnic composition of the neighborhood. In so doing we build on previous research suggesting that ethnic segregation between schools is at least equal to that between neighborhoods in England and speculate in this regard on the consequences of current government plans to extend choice to parents within a schools market.     

Raising charitable children: the effects of verbal socialization and role-modeling on children’s giving

This paper uses nationally-representative data from the PSID and CDS to estimate the causal effects of two parent socialization actions—talking to children about giving and role-modeling—on children’s decisions whether or not to give to charity. We develop an identification framework based on the intra-household allocation and cultural transmission literatures that shows how different assumptions about parental response to time-varying unobserved changes in children’s prosocial values can be combined with the child fixed effects estimate and the difference between siblings’ over-time-differences estimate to infer a bound on the causal effect of parental action to socialize their children. Under the identifying assumption we think is most reasonable for socializing the willingness to give to charity, that parents treat the socialization actions of others as cultural substitutes, our estimates imply that talking to children about giving raises the probability of children’s giving by at least .13. We find no evidence that parental role-modeling affects children’s giving, except among non-African-American girls. The identification framework and substantive results have implications for those with a general interest in using data from naturalistic settings to estimate causal effects of parental socialization actions, those interested in the external validity of laboratory findings, and those interested in the socialization of warm glow.     

冲突与回应：建国初少数民族地区婚姻问题研究——以贵州省为例（1949-1956年）

建国前贵州少数民族地区的婚姻具有四个异质特征：1．妇女在生产、生活中占有重要的地位;2．除了同宗不婚和特殊的“还娘头”外,相对汉族的“父母之命,媒妁之言”,少数民族的婚姻还是比较自由的;3．“还娘头”与同宗不婚或同姓不婚;4．通婚禁忌与婚姻神判。建国后在《婚姻法》的冲击下迅速嬗变：1．离婚案件呈上升趋势;2．处理婚姻问题的权利由传统的三老四少转移到国家政府手里;30对女性是一次重大的解放,从而终于纳入到了国家预设的轨道。     

Social Indicators of Substance Abuse Prevention: A Need-Based Assessment

We combine a variety of census and archival data to assess the relationships between social area characteristics and substance use. We found a substantial association between social area characteristics and substance use. We focus on intra and inter community, family, school and individual domain correlations to produce a prevention need-based score to rank communities from high to low need areas. Our analyses support the general risk and protective factor model advocated by Hawkins et al. (1992). As an important outcome of this work we suggest an objective criterion for selecting variables for the final model of the social indicators; suggest a set of weights for the selected factors and validate the selected factors with regard to substance abuse by linking the social indicator database to substance abuse outcome measures from another independent database. The selection criterion was based on intra domain correlations and proved to be robust. The weights were proportional to the information conveyed by each extracted factor. Analyses of intra-domain correlations are useful in identifying the types of prevention programs needed for each municipal area. Analyses of inter-domain correlations resulted in producing an overall need score based on social area characteristics. Many of the domains revealed more than one dimension, especially the school and the community/environment domains. Our analysis supports the use of social area characteristics in predicting the need for substance abuse prevention and treatment. It also suggests cautious and well informed decisions in selecting the indicators for a need based model.     

A Multidimensional Approach in International Comparative Policy Analysis Based on Demographic Projections

The present study adopts a multidimensional approach to classifying countries in international comparative policy analyses. The article builds a data-based typology founded on future demographic projections of the United Nations. Latent class analysis is used to identify various demographic profiles of countries based on fertility rates, net migration rates, and dependency ratios. There is great value in identifying future changes in population composition, as it enables governments to set policy agenda, prioritize needs, and prepare better for what lies ahead. The paper demonstrates the value of such typology to social services, by analyzing the demographic profiles and estimating their implications for future challenges in educational provision. The contributions of the paper to international comparative policy analysis are discussed.     

Variability of Quality of Life at Small Scales: Addis Ababa,Kirkos Sub-City

Urban quality of life (QoL) is becoming a subject of urban research mainly for western and Asian countries. Such attention is due to an increasing awareness of the contribution of QoL studies in identifying intervention areas and in monitoring urban planning policies. However, most studies are carried out at city or country level that can average out details at small scales. In this paper we present a case study where the urban QoL at small scale is measured and its variability is evaluated for Kirkos sub-city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study is based on data from a household survey and some secondary data. Geographic information system (GIS) is applied to extract proximity information (e.g., distance to school facilities) and visualize the spatial distribution of QoL. Statistical methods such as factor analysis are applied to establish an index of objective QoL while coefficient of variation is applied to evaluate spatial variability of subjective QoL. The results of this study reveal that the subjective quality of life (QoL) scores show large variation in the sub-city. The mean QoL score also indicates that the respondents in the sub-city, on average, are dissatisfied with the quality of their life. Respondents with higher education level and income are on average, however, more satisfied with their QoL in the sub-city. The results reveal that the lower the QoL in the Kebele, the larger the variability of QoL within the Kebele. Such indicates how aggregation at large scale can average out the variation of QoL at small scales. The results reveal the presence of QoL variability at small scales. The comparison between the subjective and the objective QoL at Kebele level indicated a state of dissonance, adaptation, deprivation or well-being. Such results suggest that the two measures do not always indicate the same level of QoL.     

Multinational Corporations,Democracy and Child Mortality: A Quantitative,Cross-National Analysis of Developing Countries

This study presents quantitative, sociological models designed to account for cross-national variation in child mortality. We consider variables linked to five different theoretical perspectives that include the economic modernization, social modernization, political modernization, ecological-evolutionary, and dependency perspectives. The study is based on a cross-lagged effects regression analysis of a sample of 59 developing countries. Our preliminary analysis based on additive models replicates prior studies to the extent that we find that indicators linked to economic and social modernization have beneficial effects on child mortality. We also find support for hypotheses derived from the dependency perspective suggesting that multinational corporate penetration fosters higher levels of child mortality. Subsequent analysis incorporating interaction effects suggest that the level of political democracy conditions the effects of dependency relationships based upon multinational corporations. Transnational economic linkages associated with multinational corporations adversely affect child mortality more strongly at lower levels of democracy than at higher levels of democracy–that is intranational, political factors interact with the international, economic forces to affect child mortality. We conclude with some brief policy recommendations and suggestions for the direction of future research.     

The new marriage law and planned birth]

The New Marriage Law was passed during the Fifth National People's Congress. It raised the minimum marriage age from 20 years for men and 18 years for women stipulated by the Old Marriage Law to 22 years for men and 20 years for women. It also differs from the Old Marriage Law in that it strengthens its encouragement of late marriage, late births and birth control, emphasizes that birth planning is the duty of both husband and wife, and prohibits marriage of collateral blood relations within 3 generations (the Old Marriage Law's standard was "to follow custom"). A third of the provisions of the New Marriage Law concern family planning, of which the first 3 clauses are the most important: 1) To set guidelines for the relationship between marriage and family: the New Marriage Law is concerned with not just the family, but also marriage and birth and expects all citizens to comply with and protect these standards. 2) To implement freedom in marriage--equality for men and women; to protect the rights of women, children, and the aged; to implement planned birth. 3) To prohibit any action that prevents freedom of marriage, such as marriage on a mercenary basis and to prohibit financial profit from marriages. Other clauses include: 1) direct blood relations and victims of leprosy or other diseases determined unmarriageable by the medical profession are prohibited from marriage; 2) after marriage registration and with the mutual agreement of both parties, either partner can become a member of the other's family; children can take either parent's surname; both partners have mutual rights of inheritance, as do parents and children. In Heilungjiang Province, data from September 1980 show that 87.5% of its fertile women used contraceptives. From January to September 1980 85.6% married late; the rate of applications for One Child Certificates was 80%. By 1979 the rate of natural population increase was 10.14/1000.     

Application of the “Benefit-Of-the-Doubt” Approach for the Construction of a Digital Access Indicator: A Revaluation of the “Digital Access Index”

The use of composite indicators as a tool for ranking and making decisions is ever increasing in a world marked by the inequalities and competition in all domains. However, the dependence of countries ranking on the weighing scheme used to aggregate individual indices or sub-indicators, most of the time set by experts/stakeholders may weaken the credibility of composite indicators. One method which is able to overcome these limits is the “Data Envelopment Analysis” approach, particularly named “Benefit-Of-the-Doubt” in the context of composite indicators’ construction. We propose a revaluation of the Digital Access Index given that Information technology is the most important factor driving improvement in a wide array of areas critical for the quality of life for individuals as well as societies. We have shown that this method is more suitable for identifying trends and drawing attention to particular issues and also for setting policy priorities. In fact, the weights of the individual indices, used to compute the composite indicators are based on the data itself and are proper for the country under consideration. These weights contain adequate information in order to help policy-makers to better understand the nature of the new innovation economy and the types of public policies needed to drive innovation, productivity and broad-based prosperity for its citizens.