Bridging the Gender Gap in Criminology: Liberation and Gender-Specific Strain Effects on Delinquency*

This study explores the empirical grounds for bridging the gender gap between liberation theories of female crime by integrating selected concepts from strain and liberation theses to explain female delinquency and gender differences in delinquency. Additive and interactive analyses were conducted with a sample of 1,613 adolescents. The findings provide little support for combining liberation and strain, primarily because of the inadequacy of liberated attitudes for strongly and consistently differentiating female delinquency. Strain, however, differed for males and females but was consistently and positively related to delinquency for both groups.     

Testimony at the Chicago town hall meeting

On September 17, 2002, the Commission on Opportunity in Athletics held the second of four public meetings to hear testimony about Title IX and its current enforcement mechanisms. One of the panelists at the meeting, held in Chicago, was Katherine Kersten, senior fellow for cultural studies at Center of the American Experiment in Minneapolis, MN. According to Ms. Kersten, the “proportionality” test—currently used to determine compliance under Title IX—is a gender quota of the kind that the language of Title IX specifically rejects. In her view, the proportionality test needlessly limits male students' athletic opportunities. Ms. Kersten recommended that the Commission use statistical analysis to determine whether factors like campus demographics or differences in student interest—rather than discrimination—account for numerical disparities in men's and women's participation in college sports. On Junuary 31, 2003, the Commission released its report to Secretary of Education Rod Paige. Among other things, the report recommended that the Department of Education consider permitting colleges to use interest surveys as part of their planning for athletics. However, on February 28, 2003, Secretary Paige rejected this recommendation, along with all other recommendations that the commissioners did not approve, by unanimous vote. As a result, the Department will likely continue to use the proportionality test as a primary means of judging compliance under Title IX. Ms. Kersten's testimony—a critique of the proportionality test—is thus of continued relevance, and appears below.     

Mental health and firearms in community-based surveys: implications for suicide prevention

Suicide rates are higher among those who own a handgun and among those who [corrected] live in a household with a hand gun. This article examines the association between [corrected] gun ownership and mental health, another risk factor for suicide. Data from the General Social Survey, a series of surveys of U.S. adults, are analyzed to compare general emotional and mental health, sadness and depression, functional mental health, and mental health help seeking among gun owners, persons who do not own but live in a household with a gun, and those who do not own a gun. After taking into account a few basic demographic characteristics associated with both variables, there appears to be no association between mental health and gun ownership. Nor is there any association between mental health and living in a household with a firearm. Findings suggest that the high risk of suicide among those who own or live in a household with a gun is not related to poor mental health. Implications for prevention are discussed.     

Correlates of partner abuse in male same-sex relationships

We investigated correlates of partner abuse in male same-sex relationships in a randomly selected community sample (N = 186). We included factors associated with abuse in heterosexual relationships, as well as factors of relevance to gay relationships. We assessed perpetration and receipt of partner abuse to examine whether variables were associated independently with abuse perpetration and/or receipt. Correlates of same-sex partner abuse were largely parallel to established correlates of heterosexual abuse. Income, education, and attachment orientation were associated with bidirectional partner abuse, and family violence and substance use were uniquely associated with victimization. Further, there were factors unique to same-sex partner abuse; HIV status and public outness were associated with bidirectional partner abuse, and internalized homophobia was uniquely associated with abuse perpetration.     

A History of Research in Social Work Education: 1915-1991

Research has been an important element of social work since the inception of the profession. In social work education, there has been, however, pervasive and enduring confusion regarding the design and implementation of the research curriculum. In 1992, the Council on Social Work Education issued a revised Curriculum Policy Statement that portends profound implications for educators. The author explores the difference in social research and social work research, presents a brief history of research in social work education, and explores the challenges confronting the new policy.     

Portraits and collaborations: a reflection on the work of Wendy Ewald

This reflection on the work of Wendy Ewald as a photographer, storyteller and teacher highlights Ewald's methodology, her manner of presenting work and her images. First, in describing Ewald's artistic practice, I discuss the innovative ways she collaborates with children, sharing control over the process of visually representing children's lives, their stories and their faces. I also describe her influence as an educator and suggest that researchers as well may benefit from Ewald's approach to exploring individuals' social realities. Next, I propose that Ewald's body of work provides a rich source of material for those interested in the analysis of visual culture. As an example, I focus on Ewald's American Alphabets, which presents four visual alphabets and deals with questions of identity and language. The collaborative images simultaneously address and raise sociological questions and offer a compelling visual example of the confluence of gender, race and social class. I finish with a discussion of Ewald's two latest collaborations—In Peace and Harmony: Carver Portraits in Richmond, Virginia and Towards a Promised Land from Margate, England. In these new works, Ewald places larger‐than‐life portraits in symbolically meaningful public spaces. Her public art involves a complicated and conceptual exploration of context.     

Ulstermen and Loyalist Ladies on Parade: Gendering Unionism in Northern Ireland

This article explores parades as central institutions in the construction and maintenance of unionist ethno-gender identities and a crucial part of politics in Northern Ireland. It presents a brief historical review of the origins of Protestant marches and the organizations which are key to sustaining this tradition. It then analyses the contemporary marches, including the highly contested Portadown parade and the tranquil all-Ireland demonstration,held in Rossnowlagh in the Republic. These overwhelmingly male events are important to the maintenance of the gender order of unionism. The parades reveal the subordinated feminity within unionism: women participate in small numbers by invitation only. At the same time, they reveal competing masculinities: traditional, 'respectable' unionist masculinity is challenged by the more virile loyalism of 'Billy boy' and 'kick the pope' bands and marchers. This analysis explains why these competing masculinities are central, not only to the maintenance of male hegemony, but also to the ethno-national politics of parading, helping to set the boundaries of accommodation with nationalists and the state.     

Psychophysiological and subjective responses of a community sample of video lottery gamblers in gambling venues and laboratory situations

Physiological and subjective arousal in lounge and laboratory conditions were explored using heart rate (HR), skin conductance (SCL) and subjective ratings for a community sample (N=30) of video lottery terminal gamblers (14 non-pathological gamblers [NPG] and 16 probable pathological gamblers [PPG]). For all participants, mean heart rates and ratings of subjective arousal were higher in the lounge situation, while SCL did not differ between locations. SCL increased over baseline when gambling in both situations. HR initially increased over baseline in the lounge situation only, but by the end of gambling HR increased in both situations. HR, SCL and subjective reports were moderately correlated between venues. No correlations were found between subjective and physiological measures of arousal.