Ritualized ethnic identity: Asian Indian immigrants in the southern plains

In this article, we add to the literature on feeling over- or underworked (hour mismatch) by examining the influence of work and family relationships; social stratification (occupation, education, financial stability); household labor (hours of housework and childcare); and attitudes toward paid and unpaid labor. Our analysis of hour mismatches is informed by several theories, including Jacobs and Gerson's dual-earner couple hypothesis and notion of the polarization of the workforce and Hochschild's reversed worlds hypothesis. We use the 1994 Americans' Changing Lives data, splitting the sample by sex in our analysis. Our findings indicate that hours spent on childcare affect men's hour mismatches, while hours spent on housework affect women's. In addition, we find that attitudes toward housework and paid labor play an important role in tempering perceptions of hour mismatches. Our findings illustrate the way that gender structures perceptions of ideal work hours and the ability to achieve them.     

Before the Party Starts: Risk Factors and Reasons for “Pregaming” in College Students

Abstract

Objective: “Pregaming”—drinking alcohol prior to going out—is believed to be common, yet empirical examinations are scarce. In this study, we examined who is at risk for pregaming, consequences resulting from it, and motives behind it. Participants: Participants (N = 159, 52% female) were drinkers, aged 18 to 24, recruited from introductory psychology classes. Methods: In 2005 and 2006, interview measures of drinking and pregaming and self-report demographic, motivational, and reasons for pregaming measures were administered. Results: Two-thirds of students pregamed. Younger age, but not Greek affiliation, was associated with heavier pregaming drinking. We found minimal support for the prediction of pregaming by general drinking motives. Specific reasons for pregaming were identified, including saving money and obtaining alcohol when under 21. Conclusions: Findings highlight the risk associated with pregaming, due to selection effects and to event characteristics. The unique reasons for pregaming must be further understood and addressed in targeted interventions.     

Perceived Loss of Social Contact and Trauma Symptoms among Adolescents Who Have Experienced Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACT

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a robust predictor of trauma symptoms. Past research has identified many correlates of trauma symptoms following disclosure of CSA. Theory suggests that loss of social contact may be another important contributor to adolescents’ trauma symptoms following CSA. A clinical sample of 166 adolescents (95% female) between 11 and 19 years (M = 13.80, SD = 1.87) reported on perceived loss of social contact, the extent to which the CSA was coercive, appraisals of self-blame for the abuse, supportiveness of a primary non-abusing caregiver, and trauma symptoms. The adolescent’s relationship to the abuser, abuse severity and duration were coded from forensic interviews. Results indicated that greater perceived loss of social contact was associated with higher levels of trauma symptoms, even after controlling for other correlates of trauma symptoms and demographic variables. These findings suggest that perceived loss of social contact may be an important variable to consider in assessing and intervening with adolescents who have been sexually abused.     

“It is just SICKENING”: Emotions and discourse in an anti-immigrant discussion forum

ABSTRACT

Following 9/11, organizations advocating for stricter immigration policy grew across the United States. This study examines the Web site and online discussion forum of Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee (ALIPAC), a group identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as nativist extremist. While forum participants are geographically dispersed, social media provide them a space to interact with like-minded people. Results show that ALIPAC members provide shared accounts that construct positive moral identities. Forum participants promise positive emotions of pride and power for joining the group, despite the perception that outsiders perceive them as racists. Drawing from tenets of patriotism, participants construct virtual identities and reject the racist stigma by turning them on immigrants, civil rights organizations, and politicians. Participants claim their emotional responses are rational and morally superior to those of the perceived opposition. Failing to share their anger, sense of injustice, and disgust is framed as irrational.     

Adolescent Loneliness and Health in Early Adulthood

The health consequence of loneliness in the early life course is an understudied topic in the sociological literature. Using data from Waves 1–3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we examine pre‐disease pathways in the relationship between adolescent loneliness and early adult health. Our results indicate that loneliness during adolescence is associated with diagnosed depression, poorer adult self‐rated health, and metabolic risk factors related to cardiovascular disease. High depressive symptoms and parent support are important pathways through which the health consequences of loneliness are exacerbated or offset. There is also evidence that lonely youth remain at higher risk for experiencing adult depression and poor self‐rated health even in the presence of equivalent levels of parental support relative to non‐lonely adolescents. Furthermore, lonely adolescent females are more vulnerable to reporting poor adult self‐rated health and being overweight or obese in adulthood. In sum, our study demonstrates the importance of adolescent loneliness for elevating the risk of poor health outcomes in adulthood.     

Parents Dilemmas in Sharing Donor Insemination Conception Stories with their Children

Parents of children conceived by gamete (sperm or egg) donation often find it challenging to share donor conception stories with their children. This study reports findings of a qualitative study of families with children conceived by donor insemination in New Zealand, a country where the policy and practice of sharing information in donor insemination is advanced. Almost all parents had told, or planned to tell, their children about their origins, but some parents faced considerable dilemmas around disclosure. Parents need to be given support and guidance as they inform their children about their donor family history. © 2007 The Author(s). Journal compilation © 2007 National Children's Bureau.     

Trajectories of physical and emotional marital aggression in midlife couples

This study used three-level generalized hierarchical linear modeling to examine trajectories of husbands' and wives' physical and emotional aggression over three assessments and the effects of years since marriage. In this community sample of 118 couples, physical aggression significantly decreased over time (43% per year). Emotional aggression did not significantly change over time, but trajectories significantly differed for husbands (3% increase) versus wives (10% decrease). Longer-duration marriages had lower physical aggression and, for wives only, lower emotional aggression. Aggression trajectories showed considerable variability: 44%-55% of physically aggressive spouses desisted from one assessment to the next; 5%-12% reported start-ups in physical aggression. Discussion addresses the role of gender and type of aggression in aggression trajectories.     

An evaluator of the future

For the evaluator who is part of the management of a human service organization, future expectations will be more demanding than at present. Operating staff, managers, and funders will already be familiar with the methods and the usefulness of capable program evaluation. Improved information tools will help the evaluator meet this challenge, by keeping the organization visible and manageable. A more fundamental change will be an improved “language of accountability”. Program standards, accreditation, and review now focus on structure and process characteristics. What is emerging is a growing consensus on definitions of client problems and program objectives in relation to these problems. This consensus spurs psychometric research on measures of problems and of the attainment of program objectives. Dependable, standard measures and meaningful comparative data will make the evaluation of program effectiveness possible.