Acomparison between Northern and Southern blacks residing in the North

Differences between Southern and non-Southern blacks living in the North and West are considered for a wide variety of attributes such as employment, occupation, income, marital stability, and offspring's performance in school. Migrant blacks have generally more favorable rates than their Northern- and Western-born compatriots after standard domographic controls are applied to an unusually detailed set of cross-tabulations based on the One-Percent Sample Tapes for 1960. Perhaps the sharpest gap exists with respect to marital conditions; Southern blacks of both sexes are more likely to marry and, among those ever married, live more frequently with their spouses. Some of the results reported by earlier investigators require considerable modification; For example, the fact that Northern black men are less often at work than migrants has led to speculations about regional differences in work orientation among blacks, but a detailed analysis of labor force activity indicates this pattern does not hold for women. Likewise, the migrant income advantage is found to vary by education such that it is confined to those with low educational attainment. The use of sample tapes permits a novel analysis of differences between Northern-born blacks classified by whether they are second or at least third generation residents of the North (children of Southern- or Northern-born parents, respectively). For the attribute measured, school performance, the gap is essentially nil. Finally, an alternative is suggested to the existing causal interpretations of North-South gaps among black residents of the North. Reconsidered in particular are the higher labor force rates of migrant men and their more frequent employment in blue collar jobs;     

Efficiency of reduced logistic regression models

One feature of the usual polychotomous logistic regression model for categorical outcomes is that a covariate must be included in all the regression equations. If a covariate is not important in all of them, the procedure will estimate unnecessary parameters. More flexible approaches allow different subsets of covariates in different regressions. One alternative uses individualized regressions which express the polychotomous model as a series of dichotomous models. Another uses a model in which a reduced set of parameters is simultaneously estimated for all the regressions. Large-sample efficiencies of these procedures were compared in a variety of circumstances in which there was a common baseline category for the outcome and the covariates were normally distributed. For a correctly specified model, the reduced estimates were over 100% efficient for nonzero slope parameters and up to 500% efficient when the baseline frequency and the effect of interest were small. The individualized estimates could have efficiencies less than 50% when the effect of interest was large, but were also up to 130% efficient when the baseline frequency was large and the effect of interest was small. Efficiency was usually enhanced by correlation among the covariates. For an underspecified reduced model, asymptotic bias in the reduced estimates was approximately proportional to the magnitude of the omitted parameter and to the reciprocal of the baseline frequency.     

Past Activeness,Solidarity, and Local Development Efforts1

Abstract Actions by local groups and leaders constitute an essential but poorly understood element of many rural development strategies. Previous studies suggest that local development efforts can influence community change, but questions remain about why localities differ in mobilization to achieve development goals. Drawing upon community field theory and human ecology, this study uses data for rural school districts in Pennsylvania to examine the argument that activeness in the past and development of solidarity can contribute to a higher probability of local mobilization than would be predicted by ecological characteristics alone. Hierarchical regressions support this argument for some local actions, while canonical correlations show a generalized pattern strongly associated with past activeness and solidarity.     

Building a National Strategy for Digital Preservation: Issues in Digital Media Archiving

Abstract

Workflow mapping can yield valuable results wherever complex processes are used. Some of its many benefits include knowledge retention, identification of inefficiencies, and more effective decision making. However, despite the promise of improved productivity and stewardship of library resources, tackling diagrams of complex and often long-unexamined workflows can seem too daunting a task to even attempt—at least without the right tool. This review takes a look at the robust features for flowchart creation offered by Lucidchart, a free online software that greatly reduces the challenges of constructing complicated diagrams. Lucidchart’s intuitive interface and built-in library of templates and design elements bring the benefits of visual mapping well within the reach of busy librarians and managers attempting to chart, understand, and streamline workflows in their units.     

Demographic Predictors of Consistency and Change in Heterosexuals' Attitudes toward Homosexual Behavior over a Two-Year Period

This study investigated demographic predictors of consistency and change in heterosexual people's attitudes toward homosexual behavior. A nationally representative sample of Australian men and women were recruited via random digit dialling in 2004 through 2005. Participants completed annual computer-assisted telephone interviews over the next five years. Questions about attitudes toward male and female homosexual behavior were assessed at Wave 1 (2004–2005) and Wave 3 (2006–2007) of the study. The majority of the sample reported tolerance of both male and female homosexual behavior (with women slightly more tolerant than men). Multivariate analyses showed that those who regularly attended religious services were more likely to consistently disapprove of homosexual behavior and more likely to change from tolerant to disapproving. Among those who were initially tolerant, younger respondents and those with higher educations were less likely to become homophobic. The results of this study show that individual attitudes toward homosexual behavior are open to change, particularly toward a more tolerant position. Religiosity appears to be consistently associated with the development and reinforcement of homophobic tendencies.     

Gay Affirmative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Sexual Minority Youth: A Clinical Adaptation

Sexual minority youth (SMY) are at high risk for negative mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidality. However, there has been a disconnect between clinical social work practice and research with SMY, resulting in a lack of rigorous research that demonstrates the use of effective interventions. While cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has long been established as a best practice option for the general adolescent population suffering from mental health problems, knowledge about the use of CBT with SMY lags far behind. Thus, the purpose of this article is to present a clearly defined adaptation of CBT for SMY that integrates gay affirmative practices for youth (e.g., coming out, stigma and discrimination, the role of social support and community). Specifically, the authors: (a) discuss the impact of minority stress on SMY; (b) highlight the specific components of CBT that represent a good fit for SMY and also address the criticisms of using such an approach; (c) consider the importance of using gay affirmative practices with SMY; and (d) offer recommendations for incorporating gay affirmative practices into traditional CBT models to better meet the needs of SMY.     

Middle‐Class Parents,Urban Schooling,and the Shift From Consumption to Production of Urban Space

Dominant approaches to the study of gentrification tend to attribute this process either to the production of urban space by elites or to the consumption of urban space by individual consumers. In this article, we take a preliminary step toward bridging this gap by illustrating how these groups may, in some cases, be the same actors. Drawing on in‐depth interviews with middle‐class parents in Boston, we explore the transitions that gentrifiers undergo as they age and have children. As young singles and childless couples, our respondents interacted with the city mainly as passive consumers. Years later, however, facing pressures to relocate in search of high‐quality educational options, these parents emerged as active producers of the urban landscape through their substantial involvement in their children's public elementary schools. This school‐based engagement reinforced their loyalties to their neighborhoods, dissuading them from moving to the suburbs. Since it is based on intense interactions with small local institutions, though, this strategy will likely be more difficult for parents to sustain in larger, less personal high schools. Thus, these parents may reconsider their dedication to city living as their children age. We discuss the implications of this research for urban theory and policy.     

The impact of outpatient priming for induction of labour on midwives’ work demand,work autonomy and satisfaction

BackgroundInduction of labour often begins with the application of a priming agent to soften the cervix, generally requiring women to stay in hospital overnight (inpatient priming). An alternative is outpatient priming by a midwife, where women are allowed to go home following priming. This approach has the potential to impact, either positively or negatively, on the midwives involved.QuestionTo what extent did the introduction of outpatient priming influence midwives’ work demands, work autonomy, stress and job satisfaction.MethodsA before–after study (with two separate cross-sectional samples) was conducted alongside a randomized controlled trial of outpatient versus inpatient priming, conducted at two metropolitan teaching hospitals in Australia. Midwives completed a questionnaire before the introduction of outpatient priming and again approximately two years later.Findings208 midwives participated (response rates-time 1:81% (87/108); time 2:78% (121/156)). A mixed model analysis test of pre-post intervention differences found no changes in work demand, work autonomy and satisfaction. At time 2, over 80% of midwives reported that the introduction of the practice had reduced or made no difference to their work stress and workload, and 93% reported that outpatient priming had increased or had no impact on their job satisfaction. Furthermore, 97% of respondents were of the opinion that the option of outpatient priming should continue to be offered.ConclusionResults suggest that outpatient priming for induction of labour is viable from a midwifery practice perspective, although more research is needed.     

Reflections on the Use of DWR in Intercultural Collaboration

This article is a reflection on a Developmental Work Research project focused on the introduction of information and communication technology in schools in Africa. The longstanding project incited us to examine developmental research partnership as a joint mediated activity that takes place in a developing country. The data include several workshops, Change Laboratories (CLs) in three schools, and ethnography from these schools. By tracing the bottom-up approach of CLs, and to capture the complexity of the effects of related activities represented in the partnership, we were led to focus on dialogue where the dialectic of local and global forces evolve.