Politics and fertility: a new approach to population policy analysis

This paper aims to explain why divergentpopulation policies and programs arise in otherwisesimilar countries and to clarify how such policiesrelate to fertility decline. An analysis wasundertaken of demographic and policy change over a 30year period in four pairs of developing countries: Algeria and Tunisia; Bangladesh and Pakistan; thePhilippines and Thailand; and Zambia and Zimbabwe. Insome countries, popular demand for family planningfacilitated changing policy. In others, independentfactors, such as economic crisis or internationalpressure, pushed policy makers into action onpopulation policy, often in the absence of populardemand. In these countries, governments whichidentified a coherent rationale, usually economic, forreducing population growth, tended to develop moresuccessful policies. Strong and financially securecoalitions of policy elites were important in sharingthe political risk associated with such policies. Analysis of these processes has lessons for policymakers and researchers interested in expeditingimplementation of new approaches to population andreproductive health.     

Segregation and Fragmentation: Extending Landscape Ecology and Pattern Metrics Analysis to Spatial Demography

Though demography’s roots involve a strong spatial component, recent attention to capitalizing on widely available spatially referenced demographic data has returned the focus to spatially enabled analyses. Landscape ecology offers a theoretical framework and concomitant methodology in pattern metric analysis well suited for extracting process through the examination of spatial patterns. Applied on the environmental side of population–environment interaction research, pattern metric analysis has not been brought to bear on population data per se. This research illustrates the utility of a pattern metric approach utilizing U.S. Census data from 1990 and 2000 to document changes in spatial configuration of race and class in South Carolina. The results corroborate similar findings elsewhere of exurban growth as well as an increasing income gap and spread of Hispanic population, both statistically and spatially. Further insight into the forces related to these processes is gained from explicit assessment of spatial configuration. The method is offered as a complementary tool to the richly evolving field of spatial demography.     

A Content Analysis of Sexual Consent and Refusal Communication in Mainstream Films

Young adults have limited access to comprehensive sex education. As such, they may seek sexuality information through such alternative sources, such as mass media. Previous research suggests that media, including films and television shows, can influence sexual behaviors and attitudes. Because sexual consent communication is important to sexual experiences, the purpose of this study was to assess how sexual consent and refusal communication were depicted in films. We also examined contextual factors that influence consent and refusal communication, such as gender, relationship status, location, and types of sexual behaviors. Four researchers analyzed popular mainstream films (N = 50) from 2013 based on a codebook developed inductively and deductively. The most common consent and refusal communication cues were nonverbal or implicit. The majority of scenes portrayed consent immediately before sexual activity. We also conducted chi-squared analyses to assess differences in consent and refusal communication based on gender and relationship status. There were no gender differences in the portrayal of consent cues; however, characters in established relationships used nonverbal cues more often than those in novel relationships. Mass media can normalize behaviors, and our results suggest that films may further normalize nonverbal or implicit consent cues.     

Biodiversity conservation implications of landscape change in an urbanizing desert of Southwestern Peru

Internal migration from the Peruvian highlands and rural areas has burdened urban areas with rapid growth. Urban expansion is threatening the desert habitat and unique vegetation communities surrounding Arequipa, one of Peru's largest cities. A 511 ha tract contiguous to the city of Arequipa has been informally designated an ecological park. Analysis of Landsat satellite imagery over a 16-year interval indicates that urban expansion is occurring in the direction of the park. The land use/land cover change analysis revealed other landscape patterns and processes, such as agricultural expansion, which are relevant to the study area. These dynamics, plus principles of landscape ecology, suggest that the park's size and shape may not be the most suitable. Conservation alternatives include the expansion of the park, the spatial connection to another nature reserve, or the design of co-management strategies. Given local historical events and the paucity of regional conservation efforts, social actors in Arequipa and in national governmental institutions will need to find practical ways to collaborate.     

The United States as a Sending Country for Intercountry Adoption: Birth Parents’ Rights Versus the 1993 Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption

This article reviews the relatively new and emerging issue of children from the United States being placed in intercountry adoption. It specifically explores current practices of intercountry adoption involving the United States as a country of origin within the framework of the 1993 Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Data from several receiving countries are explored to identify commonalities and concerns related to the practice of placing U.S. children with foreign families and the role of the birth parents in this process. The authors conclude with recommendations for future research and improved practice.     

Social Support for Exercise by Experts in Older Women Post–Hip Fracture

ABSTRACT

Using the data of the Baltimore Hip Study 5 (a home-based exercise intervention), this study examined how social support for exercise by experts (SSE-E) affected the self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and exercise behavior among older women following a hip fracture. The total sample included 164 females aged 65 years (M = 81.0; SD = 6.9) who had surgical repair of a nonpathologic hip fracture. Model testing showed a direct relationship between SSE-E and outcome expectations for exercise. There was, however, no direct or indirect relationship between SSE-E and self-efficacy or exercise behavior. The positive effect of SSE-E on the outcome expectations for exercise in older women recovering from a hip fracture provides an opportunity for health care providers in improving physical activity in this population.     

Extending the Conceptualization of Listening Fidelity

An exploration of variables potentially related to Listening Fidelity (LF) was conducted through two separate studies. Study 1 indicated that when the potential fidelity of the stimulus message was varied as a function of the number of words and time length, the message with lowest potential fidelity produced significantly lower LF than either the moderate or high potential LF message versions. The moderate potential fidelity message produced the more normal score distribution although not significantly different LF scores than the high potential message. Differences in LF were not indicated as a function of participant sex, gender, or listening style. Study 2 found that LF and two of the three internal scoring components of LF were significantly correlated with four of five dimensions of the Watson Barker Listening Test. Continued emphasis on developing alternative cognitions and exploring listener confidence, cognitive complexity, and the specific function and relationship of LF with listening outcomes were recommended.