A Split Labor Market: Mexican Farm Workers in the Southwest*

Edna Bonacich's split-labor-market theory is used to explore the dynamics of agriculture in the southwest. This theory helps to explain the following developments: (1) importation of foreign contract workers; (2) passage of farm labor legislation; (3) development and implementation of mechanized equipment; (4) expansion of the “runaway shop”; and (5) a decrease in the number of independent farmers concurrent with an increase in large-scale corporate farms. One additional factor having a major impact on the industry is (6) the farm worker movement, the United Farm Workers (UFW) and the Arizona Farm Workers (AFW) being two of the most familiar examples.     

Gender differences in predicting high-risk drinking among undergraduate students

The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in college students' high-risk drinking as measured by an estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) based on gender, height, weight, self-reported number of drinks, and hours spent drinking. Using a developmental/contextual framework, high-risk drinking is conceptualized as a function of relevant individual characteristics, interpersonal factors, and contextual factors regularly mentioned in the college drinking literature. Individual characteristics include race, gender, and age; interpersonal characteristics include number of sexual partners and having experienced forced sexual contact. Finally, contextual factors include Greek membership, living off-campus, and perception of peer drinking behavior. This study is a secondary data analysis of 1,422 students at a large university in the Southeast. Data were gathered from a probability sample of students through a mail survey. A three-step hierarchical logistic regression analysis showed gender differences in the pathway for high-risk drinking. For men, high-risk drinking was predicted by a combination of individual characteristics and contextual factors. For women, interpersonal factors, along with individual characteristics and contextual factors, predicted high-risk drinking, highlighting the importance of understanding female sexual relationships and raising questions about women's risk-taking behavior. Implications for prevention and assessment are discussed.     

The Student Watershed Research Project (SWRP): collecting watershed data for use by resource management agencies

From 1992 to 1994, Saturday Academy and the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology instituted the pilot phase of a long-term monitoring program called the Student Watershed Research Project (SWRP). The SWRP program was developed to create and maintain collaboration among eighth through twelfth grade teachers and students, scientists, businesses, governmental agencies, and community members which would couple environmental education with the collection of high quality, reproducible watershed health data.The original authors of this paper set out to evaluate the impacts of the SWRP program in terms of changes in educational attitudes of participants and collection of accurate data. Findings demonstrate that assuring accuracy of student collected data was challenging, that teachers and students benefited greatly from a hands-on research approach to science education, and that such an approach would be difficult without the support of a program like SWRP.The SWRP program is entering its seventh year in the Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington metropolitan areas with approximately half of the pilot phase participants still involved. A Quality Assurance Project Plan has been developed to assure data accuracy. Evaluation student science education attitudes documents improved results on a yearly basis.     

Discrepancies About Adolescent Relationships as a Function of Informant Attachment and Depressive Symptoms

Developmental scientists studying interpersonal relationships often find that informants disagree in their reports, and two theoretical perspectives suggest that these discrepancies may be predictable. In two studies of adolescents' interpersonal relationships, we examined two factors that may predict the absolute magnitude and the direction of the discrepancies in reports about several types of relationships. Specifically, we examined informants' depressive symptoms and attachment as predictors of absolute and directional discrepancies in reports about (a) adolescents' relationships with peers, (b) parent–adolescent relationships, and (c) adolescents' friendships. Findings revealed that informant depressive symptoms sometimes were associated with discrepancies. In contrast, informant attachment more consistently accounted for absolute and directional discrepancies.     

The unstudied reference neighborhood: Towards a critical theory of empirical neighborhood studies

Ethnographic and quantitative studies of urban neighborhoods have played an essential role in contrasting deeply held stereotypes, highlighting systemic injustices, and shaping federal urban policy. However, the majority of these studies focus on a small slice of the most marginalized urban neighborhoods, leaving much unknown about the vast majority of communities and how to address persisting inequality. This piece examines these empirical and theoretical shortcomings and proposes integrating critical theory into empirical studies of neighborhoods. This new theoretical approach has implications not only for how scholars conduct their research but also for how this research is applied in public policy. Suggestions for future studies and policy are discussed.     

Contextual Influences on Work and Family Roles: Gender,Culture, and Socioeconomic Factors

Multiple factors influence the ways in which men and women combine work and family roles. Career counselors and other career development professionals must be cognizant of the cultural shifts in gender roles and the unique perspectives of younger generations regarding work–family interface. Workplace characteristics, economic trends, and personal values converge to influence decisions related to career, family, and other life roles. Much of the existing literature addressing work–family interface has been conducted in the United States and may not generalize to international populations. In this conceptual article, the authors examine current empirical knowledge and culturally sensitive frameworks for understanding work–family interface across countries and cultures. The authors discuss implications and recommendations for practice based on an integrated conceptualization of the literature.     

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.     

On the ‘Urbanness’ of Metropolitan Areas: Testing the Homogeneity Assumption, 1970–2000

In recent decades, population dynamics, have made definitions of what localities are rural or urban somewhat unclear. The vast majority of demographic work has simply used metropolitan classifications with various forms of a non-metropolitan residual (e.g., adjacent to metro versus non-adjacent). The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) periodically redefines metropolitan areas, which makes temporal comparisons difficult. In fact, some demographers have offered the idea that, due to these shifting reclassifications, the so-called “rural rebound” is a misnomer, in that non-metropolitan counties that transitioned to metropolitan status were, in fact, already more ‘urban’ than those that did not become reclassified as metropolitan (Johnson et al 2005). This argument depends largely on the assumption of homogeneity in rural or urban ‘character’ in those counties. Following arguments by others (Wilkinson 1991; Isserman 2001; Bogue 1950), we take population and land use into account to examine whether these transitional counties were more or less urban than comparable others, all at the county level for the contiguous 48 states for 1970–2000. Our results show that adjacent non-metropolitan counties that were later reclassified as metropolitan were indeed characterized by a larger population and heavier urban land cover than those not making this transition. However, the results also show that metropolitan areas were also quite heterogeneous in terms of traditionally rural activities. A discussion of the homogeneity assumption in demographers’ conceptualization of metropolitan areas is included.     

(Unintended) Consequences of initiating an alcohol sales policy at college football stadiums: A case study

University officials are increasingly considering selling alcoholic beverages at campus football stadiums. To inform this decision, we report on offenses occurring at a campus football stadium and surrounding community on game day weekends between 2009 and 2013. Campus police log data for 35 home football weekends were examined, accounting for 1,940 distinct incidents. There was a general upward trend in crime incidents. On average, 330 total crime incidents occurred when alcohol was not sold (2009–2011) compared to 475 annually when alcohol was sold (2012–2013). Liquor law violations and alcohol consumption by a minor were the two most frequently cited offenses. Liquor law violations (317) was highest after alcohol sales initiated. Police incidents were markedly higher when playing a traditional football rival at home. College administrators, health officials, athletic departments, and local law enforcement must work together to weigh the potential benefit of enhanced financial profit against the risk of increased alcohol-related crime.