An Empirical Analysis of Strike Durations in Ghana from 1980 to 2004

Abstract. This paper provides a seminal analysis of strike activity for an African country in investigating the determinants of strike durations in Ghana over the period 1980–2004. The empirical approach uses a set of well‐known parametric accelerated failure time strike duration models. There is a broad consensus among the different empirical models about the role exerted on average strike duration by strike size, the rate of inflation, enterprise ownership, and political governance. However, evidence on the relationship between strike durations and business cycle activity in Ghana is less clear‐cut.     

Health Services Utilization Among Graduate Students: Patterns of Use,Access, and Satisfaction

Abstract

Utilization of health services by graduate students has been a neglected area of college health research. This paper describes the access problems and utilization patterns of a systematic random sample of the graduate student population at the University of Mississippi.

Survey methodology was used to assess sociodemographic, health status, and attitudinal characteristics of the study sample. In addition to type and number of visits for various health services, other utilization-related items included access to and satisfaction with care, and information received about these health services.

The results indicated that graduate students and their dependents were reliant to a large degree on local health care. Inadequacy of information was viewed as a major problem relating to access. Satisfaction with care appeared to be a function of the quality of care received.     

WHAT MAKES THE LOCAL? A BRIEF CONSIDERATION OF THE REJUVENATION OF HONG KONG IDENTITY

This paper ascertains what makes the local and why the local is important, in the context of change in Hong Kong due to the political transition to PRC sovereignty.In doing so, I hope to pose a modest polemical challenge to cultural studies' tendency to overlook seemingly simplistic empirical information. The return of Hong Kong to China in 1997 has led to a contraction of the political sphere, as the convergence of political structures curbed the development of local identities. The label or category ‘Hong Kong people’ was then appropriated with a specific meaning for the local to resist encroachment of the national. It was true that the high intensity of dominant national discourses during the political transition created a favourable atmosphere for re-nationalization. However, as soon as the political transition was over, Hong Kongers re-adhered to their own label in their struggle for cultural autonomy.Their strong cultural affect toward various national icons during the transition quickly diminished. This multiyear discourse study (1996–1998), which utilizes social scientific methods in conjunction with cultural theories, illustrates important political and methodological impulses necessary for the formulation of a socio-political approach to cultural studies within the Hong Kong context.     

Caregiver–Youth Communication about Sex in South Africa: The Role of Maternal Child Sexual Abuse History

Much of the research on child sexual abuse focuses on negative outcomes. This brief report explores a potentially protective parenting behavior among black South African female caregivers with and without a child sexual abuse history. Using cross-sectional baseline data, we hypothesized that caregiver child sexual abuse history would be positively associated with caregiver–youth sex communication and this relationship would be strongest for girls. Youth whose caregiver experienced child sexual abuse were more likely to report communicating with their caregiver about sex than youth whose caregivers did not experience child sexual abuse; however, this relation did not hold for caregiver reported communication. Child sexual abuse survivors’ ability and decision to discuss sex with their youth has the potential to protect youth from sexual risk and demonstrates resilience among a group rarely acknowledged for positive parenting practices.     

Sexual Orientation Victimization and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Youth

This cross-sectional study utilized data gathered from 350 lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth, and examined the relationship between significant life experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PSS), with an ultimate goal of analyzing contribution of sexual orientation victimization (SOV) to PSS among LGB youth. Results of bivariate analyses indicate that verbal and physical sexual orientation victimization, childhood gender atypicality, internalized homophobia, and stressful life events unrelated to sexual orientation were all individually related to PSS. Multivariate analysis showed that verbal and physical sexual orientation victimization explained a significant portion of variance, over and above the study's other variables. Internalized homophobia, stressful life events, and verbal sexual orientation victimization were found to be the most significant predictors of PSS among LGB youth.     

Creating the park cool island in an inner-city neighborhood: heat mitigation strategy for Phoenix, AZ

We conducted microclimate simulations in ENVI-Met 3.1 to evaluate the impact of vegetation in lowering temperatures during an extreme heat event in an urban core neighborhood park in Phoenix, Arizona. We predicted air and surface temperatures under two different vegetation regimes: existing conditions representative of Phoenix urban core neighborhoods, and a proposed scenario informed by principles of landscape design and architecture and Urban Heat Island mitigation strategies. We found significant potential air and surface temperature reductions between representative and proposed vegetation scenarios: 1) a Park Cool Island effect that extended to non-vegetated surfaces; 2) a net cooling of air underneath or around canopied vegetation ranging from 0.9 °C to 1.9 °C during the warmest time of the day; and 3) potential reductions in surface temperatures from 0.8 °C to 8.4 °C in areas underneath or around vegetation.     

Moral Judgment in Chicano,Black, and White Young Adults

Abstract

The present research examines whether there is moral judgment differentiation among Chicano, black, and white young adults. Regression results indicate age, ethnicity, and social class as the best predictors of moral judgment. It is concluded that perhaps morality is located more in the structure of society than it is in the structure of human cognition.     

Permission-Giving and Marital Infidelity

ABSTRACT

The research used qualitative methods to begin exploring how individual’s decision-making enhances their risk of having a marital affair. Particularly how does a woman give herself permission to move forward with having an affair? Semistructured interviews were recorded with women who had a marital affair and then transcribed in preparation for coding. The transcendental phenomenological model was used to analyze the data collected. Sensitizing concepts were used as a base in identifying how participants were able to limit their cognitive dissonance as a way of giving themselves permission to have an affair. The results found four methods of limiting cognitive dissonance: not being worthy of loyalty, rationalization, guilt-free infidelity, and compartmentalization. Clinical implications are discussed.     

The solid waste crisis and support for recycling: A research note

The American waste stream is quickly reaching crisis proportions. According to Environmental Protection Agency estimates, municipal solid waste has increased 80% since 1960 and will increase another 20% in the next 10 years. Despite the sociopolitical and ecological importance of the solid waste crisis, little research exists examining public opinion and behavior toward this issue. Using survey data from a study of 290 residents in St. Tammany parish, Louisiana, this article examines attitudes regarding the parish's own impending solid waste crisis and its level of support for various recycling and source reduction programs. As suggested by recent national polls, residents show an increasing concern about waste‐disposal issues and a willingness to support initiatives that reduce the waste stream. Some political and ecological implications of these data for future research are suggested.