White,black, and Hispanic male youths in central city labor markets

Data from the 1% 1980 Census Public Use Sample are used to estimate the determinants of employment and wage rates for out-of-school male youths residing in central cities. Separate calculations are undertaken for white, black, and Hispanic youths. Independent variables include individual, family background, and local labor market characteristics. Three basic findings emerge. First, racial inequality persists, with whites showing the best outcomes, Hispanics second, and blacks at the bottom. Second, underlying these unequal outcomes are rather different patterns of effect for personal and family characteristics by race. Note-worthy here is the Hispanic pattern of low reliance on schooling and high reliance on family. Finally, net of these effects, intercity differences are interesting and important. These include negative effects of city size and race composition effects which show white gains where blacks and Hispanics are a larger share of the population.     

USING REPEATED MEASURES DESIGNS IN PROGRAM EVALUATION OF FAMILY THERAPY*

Data from 14 simulated families were analyzed with both a repeated measures and an ordinary analysis of variance design in order to illustrate the differences between the two approaches. The advantages of repeated measures designs for the analysis of family data in the program evaluation of family therapy are highlighted.     

Impact of Adult Sons’ Incarceration on African American Mothers’ Psychological Distress

This longitudinal study examines the effect of sons’ incarceration on their mothers’ psychological distress. Interviews were conducted over the life course with a community cohort of African American mothers who had children in first grade in 1966 – 1967 when the study began (N =615). Thirty years later, their sons had significant rates of incarceration (22.4%). Structural equation modeling showed that the more recent the incarceration, the greater the mothers’ psychological distress, even controlling for earlier socioeconomic status and psychological well‐being. Financial difficulties and greater burden of grandparenting are associated with having a son incarcerated and they mediate the relationship between the incarceration and a mother’s psychological distress. Results suggest that incarceration has important effects on family members’ well‐being.     

Impact of the Most Frequently Reported Traumatic Events on Community Mental Health Clients

This survey of 354 community mental health clients examined the relative impact of client self-reported events that they deemed “most traumatic” for predicting posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) symptom severity. Results of the voluntary survey revealed the most traumatic lifetime events to be (in descending order of frequency): sudden death of a loved one, sexual abuse, physical abuse, suicide attempt, and having been in a serious/life-threatening accident. These factors were then tested for gender differences, and regression models were developed to test the predictive power of traumatic events relative to primary diagnosis, psychosocial well-being, other key psychiatric indicators, and drinking to cope with negative emotions. Results demonstrated that sexual abuse was reported to be among the strongest predictors of PTSD symptom severity. Separate regression models also revealed important gender differences. Implications for social work assessment of seriously mentally ill clients are suggested.     

Sex and gender: What do we know?

The study of sex and gender is concerned with documenting the existence of differences between the sexes and explaining why those differences exist. This paper first examines what we know about how women and men differ, focusing on differences in social roles, and in the abilities and traits associated with those roles. The paper then examines why women and men differ. In addressing this question, the roles of both biological and social influences are considered. Although there is reason to believe some sex differences in behavior and attitudes have a biological basis, the existence of historical and cross-cultural variation in gender role differentiation and stratification provides strong evidence that social influences play an important role in the determination of differences between the sexes. Both biological and social factors have influenced the division of labor by sex, and the division of labor provides the basis for gender stratification by affecting the degree to which each sex is able to acquire and control the valuable resources of a society. Reduction of gender inequality in contemporary societies therefore requires reduction of gender differentiation in the division of labor.