The Impact of Anti‐Gay Politics on the LGBTQ Movement

Since the late 1970s, the Religious Right has mobilized to oppose the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) movement in the United States. Sociologists have studied the relationship between these two movements as a classic movement‐countermovement dynamic, in which the strategies, actions, and framing of one movement impact the other. I analyze the way Religious Right reactive and proactive opposition to gay rights has affected the LGBTQ movement. First, I provide an overview of the literature on the negative impacts of the Religious Right, including the diversion of movement goals, transformation of frames, and marginalization of queer politics. Second, I examine the way Religious Right activism may increase mobilization.     

Social work students in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: correlates of post-disaster substance use as a negative coping mechanism

Social work students’ post-disaster coping while in the field is an important workforce issue with ethical implications. The current study utilized secondary data collected in a previous study examining post-disaster alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among social work student volunteers (N = 416) in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (HKR). The current sample included participants from the original study who responded to a single-item measure of AOD use as a negative coping mechanism (N = 290). The present study examined potential explanatory variables of AOD use in the aftermath of HKR, including demographic (age, gender, and race) and psychosocial characteristics (hurricane-related stressors, previous traumatic stressors, and post-traumatic stress). The multivariate logistic regression model distinguished between students who never or rarely used AOD and those who used AOD often to cope with HKR, accounting for 24% of model variance. Social work students who report post-disaster AOD use may risk experiencing additional, trauma-related vulnerabilities, should be further assessed, and provided necessary specialized supports to enable their well-being and to prevent impaired practice.     

Transition from Foster Care to Independent Living: Ecological Predictors Associated with Outcomes

Nationally, the outcomes for youth aging out of foster care are dismal. Most children leaving foster care do not have the financial, medical, or social support tools necessary to bridge this transition successfully, placing a significant burden on youth leaving care (Courtney, Piliavin, Grogan, & Nesmith in Child Welfare 80:685–717, 2001; Kools & Kennedy in Pediatric Nursing 29(1):39–45, 2003; Simms, Dubowitz, & Szilagyi in Pediatrics 106:909–918, 2000). Given the poor outcomes for youth aging out of foster care, and the small body of literature on what works to improve outcomes, the purpose of this study was twofold. First to examine youth characteristics associated with better outcomes, and secondly to explore what program characteristics were correlated with outcomes. A causal comparative research design was used, employing pre-existing data. Records were collected from an agency in a large urban/suburban area in the State of Texas. Data was collected from both the Transition Resource Action Center (TRAC) and Children’s Protective Services databases. To determine outcomes, both TRAC’s Self-Sufficiency Matrix and case records were used. TRAC’s Self-Sufficiency Matrix has five domains: Education, Employment, Employability, Financial Literacy, and Shelter. t tests were used to examine differences in outcomes between youth who received TRAC services before and after leaving care. t tests were also used to examine changes in overall Self-Sufficiency Matrix scores. Furthermore, linear and stepwise regressions were conducted to determine which variables were predictive of scores on the Self-Sufficiency Matrix. The results of this study indicate that TRAC is having a positive influence on the youth receiving services. Youth show significant improvement across four of the five identified domains and maintained on the fifth domain, employment. Implications for research practice and policy are presented.     

Warriors and Terrorists: Antagonism as Strategy in Christian Hardcore and Muslim “Taqwacore” Punk Rock

This article contributes to new scholarship in the sociological study of religion, which looks at how people define and communicate religion in secular spheres. I show how U.S. Christian Hardcore and Muslim “Taqwacore” (taqwa means “god consciousness” in Arabic) punks draw on the tools of a punk rock culture that is already encoded with its own set of symbols, rituals and styles to: 1) understand themselves as religious/punk and 2) express religion in punk rock environments. I find that both cases draw on a punk rock motif of antagonism—oppositional attitudes and violent rituals and symbols—to see themselves as religious/punk and express religion in punk in different ways. Christian punks use this motif to condemn other Christians for denouncing punk and create space for Protestant evangelical Christianity in punk. Taqwacores use this motif to criticize Islam for its conservatism as well as non-Muslims for stereotyping Muslims as religious fanatics. In the process, Taqwacores build a space for alienated brown youth who exist on the margins of mainstream American culture and traditional Islam.     

A Peer-Facilitated Intervention to Reduce Risky Drinking Among Fraternity and Sorority Members

Results from a pilot study of a peer-facilitated brief motivational interview using personalized normative feedback with members of fraternities and sororities are presented. Eight fraternity and sorority houses were randomly selected and then randomized into treatment or control conditions. Quantitative data testing intervention efficacy indicated no differences between treatment and control group 30 days postintervention on measures of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences. Qualitative information from follow-up focus groups of intervention participants identified themes related to intervention dosage, and credibility of the normative data and peer educator. Recommendations are made for future research and intervention strategies with this population.     

The impact of mosses on the growth of neighbouring vascular plants,substrate temperature and evapotranspiration on an extensive green roof

Currently the majority of vegetation used on shallow extensive green roofs are species of Sedum, which are able to survive in the harsh green roof environment. While mosses frequently colonize green roofs in Europe, intentional planting of mosses on green roofs is less common, especially in North America. Mosses may contribute to the ecosystem services provided by green roofs, and may act as facilitators of vascular plants. This study examined the effect of three different moss species on soil temperature, water loss rates and the growth of neighbouring vascular plant species. Overall, the presence of mosses in this experiment impacted the neighbour species differently, suggesting that mosses are best used in particular species combinations. One species of grass showed a net benefit of moss neighbours, suggesting that facilitation may be operating. Mosses reduced soil temperature relative to bare substrates; net evapotranspiration of green roof modules planted with mosses varied depending on the identity of moss and neighbour species.     

Longitudinal Change in Adolescent Depression and Anxiety Symptoms from before to during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aimed to examine changes in depression and anxiety symptoms from before to during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of 1,339 adolescents (9–18 years old, 59% female) from three countries. We also examined if age, race/ethnicity, disease burden, or strictness of government restrictions moderated change in symptoms. Data from 12 longitudinal studies (10 U.S., 1 Netherlands, 1 Peru) were combined. Linear mixed effect models showed that depression, but not anxiety, symptoms increased significantly (median increase = 28%). The most negative mental health impacts were reported by multiracial adolescents and those under ‘lockdown’ restrictions. Policy makers need to consider these impacts by investing in ways to support adolescents’ mental health during the pandemic.     

MAXIMIZING THE PROBABILITY OF ACHIEVING A TARGET PROFIT IN A TWO-PRODUCT NEWSBOY PROBLEM*

This paper explores the two-product newsboy problem. Solution procedures are developed to find the optimal production quantities of each product that will maximize the probability of achieving a profit target. The problem is shown to be surprisingly challenging, and numerical results obtained for only the more restrictive cases exhibit interesting behavior with important decision implications. For example, the results suggest that, if a firm has two single-product divisions and each will receive a bonus for achieving a profit target, it is beneficial for the two divisions to cooperate if the targets are lax and the profit margins are high, but not if the targets are tight and the profit margins low. Also, between two products having different profit margins, one should produce more of the product with the lower profit margin if the target is sufficiently lax. This exploration motivates further efforts in solving the two-product problem for the more general cases and also in extending the problem to three or more products.     

Helping Young People Stay Afloat: A Qualitative Study of Community Resources and Supports for LGBTQ Adolescents in the United States and Canada

LGBTQ youth are at increased risk of poor health outcomes. This qualitative study gathered data from LGBTQ adolescents regarding their communities and describes the resources they draw on for support. We conducted 66 go-along interviews with diverse LGBTQ adolescents (mean age = 16.6) in Minnesota, Massachusetts, and British Columbia in 2014–2015, in which interviewers accompanied participants in their communities to better understand those contexts. Their responses were systematically organized and coded for common themes, reflecting levels of the social ecological model. Participants described resources at each level, emphasizing organizational, community, and social factors such as LGBTQ youth organizations and events, media presence, and visibility of LGBTQ adults. Numerous resources were identified, and representative themes were highly consistent across locations, genders, orientations, racial/ethnic groups, and city size. Findings suggest new avenues for research with LGBTQ youth and many opportunities for communities to create and expand resources and supports for this population.     

Social Capital Associated with Quality of Life Mediated by Employment Experiences: Evidence from a Random Sample of Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China

Working-age migrants need to possess adequate social capital in order to secure a stable and satisfactory job so that they can pursue a better quality of life (QOL). The positive relationship between social capital and vocational experiences, including successful employment, has been well established. In this study we focused on testing a multi-step mediation model linking social capital with employment experiences, and further to QOL. Survey data from rural-to-urban migrants randomly selected from Wuhan, China were analyzed. Social capital, including bonding and bridging capital, was measured using the Personal Social Capital Scale; employment experiences were measured using five job-related items; and QOL was measured using the Brief Symptoms Inventory. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated that job security and job satisfaction were positively and significantly associated with QOL, and social capital measures were significantly associated with higher QOL (primarily for males). Furthermore, job security and job satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between social capital and QOL after controlling for covariates. Findings of this study suggest the significance of social capital, job security and satisfaction in improving migrants’ QOL, implying the importance of vocational experiences in mediating the effect from social capital to QOL. If the findings can be confirmed with longitudinal data, these factors should be considered in decision making to improve rural-to-urban migrants’ QOL in China.