The Effects of Gender and Relationship Context Cues on Responsive Sexual Desire in Exclusively and Predominantly Androphilic Women and Gynephilic Men

Sexual desire may be “responsive,” emerging from sexual arousal to sexually competent cues. Cues that elicit sexual arousal and desire differ, however, by gender and direction of sexual attractions. Further, relationship context cues are thought to be important for responsive desire, but this has not been tested directly. The current study examined gynephilic men’s (n = 27) and exclusively (n = 23) and predominantly (n = 17) androphilic women’s dyadic and solitary responsive sexual desire, as well as genital and self-reported arousal, to audio narratives varying by gender (male, female) of the sexual partner and relationship context (stranger, friend, long-term relationship). Consistent with previous literature, gynephilic men’s solitary and dyadic desire were gender-specific (greater to female than to male sexual partners). Exclusively androphilic women’s dyadic desire differentiated less to cues of gender than gynephilic men’s, and their solitary desire did not differentiate by gender cues at all, replicating previous research. Androphilic women with some gynephilia reported a gender-nonspecific pattern of dyadic and solitary desire (i.e., responsive desire to both male and female narratives). No effect of relationship context was found for any groups. Results suggest that responsive sexual desire may be more closely associated with self-reported than genital arousal patterns.     

Exploring the experiences and dynamics of an unconditional cash transfer for low-income mothers: A mixed-methods study

ABSTRACT

Little is understood about how an unconditional cash transfer might operate and affect behavior among low-income parents of infants in the United States. We investigate these questions using data from a random-assignment pilot study (N?=?30) in which unconditional cash transfers were distributed monthly on debit cards to two groups of low-income parents in New York City during the first 12 months of their newborns’ lives. Mothers were randomized to receive either $100 per month or $20 per month. Mothers distinguished spending the cash transfer on essentials vs. extras, such as going out to dinner with family. The monthly cash transfer “tided them over,” even at the lower amount of $20, especially when income from other sources ran short at the end of the month. Some mothers reported saving money for unexpected expenses.     

Parental unemployment and child health in China

This paper studies the causal effect of maternal and paternal unemployment on child health in China, analyzing panel data for the period 1997–2004, when the country underwent economic reforms leading to massive layoffs. Using a FE-IV strategy, we find that paternal unemployment reduces child health, while maternal unemployment has beneficial child health impacts. Analysis of channels shows that paternal and maternal unemployment have different effects on income, time use, and children’s diets. Though many estimates are imprecise, a key finding is that paternal unemployment significantly reduces children’s fat intake and dietary diversity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first evidence on the causal effect of parental unemployment on the nutrient intake of children aged 0–17. In all, our estimates are consistent with the notion that traditional gender roles can explain why mothers’ and fathers’ unemployment affect child health differently.

     

Resource use overlap between urban carnivores: Implications for endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vulpes macrotis mutica</Emphasis>)

An urban population of Endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis mutica) has persisted in the city of Bakersfield, (Kern County, California), for several decades. Urban kit foxes may play an important role in future range wide recovery efforts for the species. As such, a comprehensive understanding of the issues that can influence the long-term survival of this population is essential for the development of effective management strategies. Although urban kit foxes have been studied extensively in Bakersfield, interactions between kit foxes and other urban carnivore species are poorly understood. Urban environments can provide a number of opportunities for species to interact in ways not usually observed in natural habitats. Interactions between urban populations of striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) and kit foxes were investigated at denning locations and cat feeding stations on the California State University-Bakersfield campus, California, USA. A total of 130 individual denning sites were identified, of which 39 (30%) were used by both species. Simultaneous den use by foxes and skunks was recorded on four occasions. Inter and intra-specific aggression was recorded at cat feeding stations on ten separate occasions including three incidences of aggression towards kit foxes by skunks and feral cats (Felis catus). Telemetry data and cat feeding station observations clearly show that interspecific contact does occur in urban environments.     

‘You can do Nasty Things to your Brothers and Sisters without a Reason’: Siblings’ Backstage Behaviour

This article contributes to the recent, but still limited, literature on the sociology of sibship. It argues that during childhood the ambivalent love/hate nature of sibship is played out through the sharing of knowledge, time and space. It draws on the work of Goffman to illustrate that children's sibling interactions tend to consist of backstage, rather than frontstage, performances. The article is based on children's own perspectives from a sample of 90 children aged 5–17 drawn from 30 families of mixed socioeconomic backgrounds in central Scotland.     

Overnight Custody Arrangements,Attachment, and Adjustment Among Very Young Children

Large numbers of infants and toddlers have parents who live apart due to separation, divorce, or nonmarital/noncohabiting childbearing, yet this important topic, especially the controversial issue of frequent overnights with nonresidential parents, is understudied. The authors analyzed data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal investigation of children born to primarily low‐income, racial/ethnic minority parents that is representative of 20 U.S. cities with populations over 200,000. Among young children whose parents lived apart, 6.9% of infants (birth to age 1) and 5.3% of toddlers (ages 1 to 3) spent an average of at least 1 overnight per week with their nonresident parent. An additional 6.8% of toddlers spent 35%–70% of overnights with nonresident parents. Frequent overnights were significantly associated with attachment insecurity among infants, but the relationship was less clear for toddlers. Attachment insecurity predicted adjustment problems at ages 3 and 5, but frequent overnights were not directly linked with adjustment problems at older ages.     

The Good Life: Moral and Ethical Sexual Considerations

There are an enormous number of studies surrounding predictors of condom use, and an equally impressive number of prevention programs in place to decrease the rate of HIV transmission. Despite such attention, the incidence of HIV infection remains high. One contributing factor to the continued spread of HIV may be the relative absence of recognition by researchers that condoms are imbued with a social meaning that threatens two salient goals for interactants: the desires to maintain positive identities and close relationships. Recent evidence suggests that requests to use a condom may be interpreted in ways that threaten both goals. This investigation examines the roles of identity and relational maintenance goals as influences on safe‐sex decisions. Results from an experimental design confirm the importance of these goals to safe‐sex behavior. Implications are noted and suggestions for changes in prevention programs offered.     

A Comparison of Pro- and Anti-Nudity College Students on Acceptance of Self and of Culturally Diverse Others

This study examined if college students supportive of social nudity would differ from students opposed to social nudity on self-acceptance and acceptance of culturally diverse others. Using data from 384 participants, pro- and anti-nudity groups were formed based on students scoring in the upper (n = 59) and lower (n = 64) quartiles on a measure assessing attitudes toward social nudity. Hypotheses were partially supported. Results indicated that pro-nudity students significantly differed from anti-nudity students on comfort with their bodies' appearances, but not on self-acceptance. Pro-nudity students also were significantly more accepting of other religious groups and gays and lesbians compared with anti-nudity students, but they did not differ on their attitudes toward the disabled. A trend was noted indicating that pro-nudity students were less prejudiced toward ethnically dissimilar others compared with anti-nudity students. Follow-up exploratory analyses suggested that pro-nudity students' increased openness to sexuality in general accounted for the two groups' discrepant views toward religiously dissimilar others and gays and lesbians. Pro-nudity students' relative tolerance for cultural diversity is discussed.     

Concern for Community: A Case Study of Cooperatives in Costa Rica

ABSTRACT

Through enacting the principle concern for community, cooperatives hold promise in promoting social welfare. This article builds on the literature about the intersections of cooperatives and community practice by using empirical evidence gathered through intensive case-study immersion. The data suggest that cooperatives bolster the well-being of their associates and the entire community along economic, social, and political axes. The evidence suggests that ideological, contextual, and social factors provide the rationale for cooperatives’ community engagement. Given the congruence between cooperatives’ community practices and social work aims, the article ends by raising questions about opportunities for collaborations between cooperatives and social workers.