Adult Perspectives on Children's Autonomy

A representative sample of 1,002 Los Angeles adults respondedto vignettes on parent-child conflict by indicating their supportfor the position of either the parent or the child. Adults'perspectives on children's rights to autonomy were examinedin the nine substantive areas of education, privacy, appearance,religion, economics, sexual conduct, access to media, politicalparticipation and public responsibility, and social participation.In all these areas, there is a lack of consensus about children'srights among adults. Social characteristics of the sample, however,correlate with views on this issue in ways consistent with ageneral liberal-conservative orientation.     

Under New Orders: The Redefinition of Social Work with Young Offenders

Correspondence to Dr. H. Parker, Department of Sociology and Social Work Studies, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Myrtle Street, P.O.Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX Summary This paper reports on the significant changes in policy andpractice presently being implemented by the Probation Serviceand other social work agencies responsible for work with juvenileand young adult offenders. These changes concern Social EnquiryReport writing, the more intensive supervision of young offendersthrough the attachment of day centre type requirements to Supervisionand Probation Orders and the extension of Community ServiceOrders. Illustrating their analysis with data from a nationalsurvey of the Probation Service, the authors argue that thesechanges which have emanated in various forms from central governmenthave had a mixed reception. Whilst on the one hand, this thrustfrom above has been viewed as an unwelcome extension of communitycontrol through social work practice, it has also been seento contain opportunities to provide genuine alternatives tocustody for young offenders. The authors argue that, taken inthe context of recent overall sentencing trends, it is unlikelythat custody rates will decrease significantly, as Courts willtend to use community service and supervision packages to serveother purposes.     

THE EFFECT OF CADAVERIC KIDNEY DONATIONS ON LIVING KIDNEY DONATIONS: AN INSTRUMENTAL VARIABLES APPROACH

Transplantation is notable for the degree to which resources are allocated via administrative rather than market mechanisms. However, non‐monetary incentives still permeate the system. Using instrumental variable regression, we estimate the substitution patterns between cadaveric and living kidney donations in the United States from 1988 to 2008. On average, a decrease of two to five cadaveric donations causes living kidney donations to increase by one. Disaggregating living donors into blood‐related and non‐blood‐related donors, the strongest effect is found among non‐blood‐related donors known to the organ recipient. A 1% increase of cadaveric donations decreases living donations from this group by 1.54%. (JEL D62, D64, I1)     

Changes in Family Life in Middletown, 1924-77

Characteristics of family life described by Middletown highschool students in 1924 and reported in Robert and Helen Lynd'sMiddletown are contrasted with data from students interviewedin 1977. Comparisons of students' responses suggest that therehas been an attenuation of certain family functions and an enhancementof others. The 1977 students were more likely to earn theirown spending money and less likely to receive their sex educationfrom their parents; and females were more likely to spend eveningsaway from home. There were changes in definitions of women'sroles, and the range of desirable parental characteristics hadnarrowed to focus on direct parent-child relationships of anemotional or expressive nature. Analysis of reported topicsof disagreement suggest that the generation gap in 1977 is nowider than it was in 1924.     

HOW THE SCOPE AND METHOD OF PUBLIC FUNDING AFFECT WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR PUBLIC GOODS

This article examines the sensitivity of survey measures ofwillingness to pay for public goods. Visitors to a science museumin San Francisco were asked to provide estimates of their willingnessto pay for saving seabirds from oil spills and for teachingEnglish to immigrants under various experimental conditions.Willingness to pay was substantially reduced by a seeminglyinnocuous reminder about how many individuals would be affectedby a tax or would be asked to contribute to a given cause. Thisfinding, which cannot be explained by standard economic interpretationsof willingness to pay, is consistent with previous studies showingthat subtle changes in question order and wording can affectthe nature of the responses.     

Variation in White House Polling Operations: Carter to Clinton

Using an entirely new data source, this article presents evidencethat significant variation exists in how much different presidentialadministrations use private White House polls. Federal ElectionCommission (FEC) disclosure records reveal the amount of moneythat presidents since Jimmy Carter paid (through their respectiveparty organizations) to the designated White House pollsters.These financial figures, in turn, roughly correlate with theestimated number of polls commissioned for the White House,as determined through archival research and information providedby the pollsters themselves. Two patterns emerge: some presidentspoll heavily from the start of their administrations (RonaldReagan and Bill Clinton); others poll only lightly during thefirst 3 years in office (Jimmy Carter and George Bush). Thesefindings reinforce scholarly assessments of Reagan and Clintonas pursuing a "permanent campaign" approach to leadership, whereasCarter and Bush lacked much interest in public relations techniques.Our evidence suggests a need for a refinement of the institutionalizationconcept as found in the academic literature on White House polling.We agree that all modern presidents inherit sophisticated toolsfor understanding public opinion, but we demonstrate that theydo not use these tools with equal attention or regularity. Putdifferently, a polling capability has been institutionalizedwithin the White house, but substantial variation still existsin how much a given administration uses that capability.