Die Organisation kollektiver Aktionen durch Beeinflussung der individuellen Teilnahmeentscheidung

Computer simulations allow a more optimal organization of collective action. For this purpose, the present study followed an actor-centered approach, in which the actor’s decision to participate in collective action is modeled on the basis of an expansion of the Theory of Planned Behavior. The variables used in the model of the individual’s decision to participate in a collective action are attitude, return, subjective social norm, and perceived behavior control with regard to participation. With these four variables, various social scientific theories are integrated (Elaboration Likelihood Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, Rational Choice Theory). These theories allow a conceptualization of interactions among individuals, and the effect of the active people, who seek to recruit others to participate in a collective action, can be studied. Simulations of a population of 10,000 individuals reveal the influence of the following factors on the effectiveness of collective action campaigns: different forms of recruitment by activators, the amount of contributions to the collective good of the participants, the size of the collective good, and the resources available to activators (training in persuasion methods, possibility to reward participants). Finally, simulation results are summarized in the form of recommendations for implementation when organizing collective action.     

Comparisons of some tests for validation of stochastic simulation models

Properties of proposed parametric and nonparametric tests for the problem of validating stochastic simulation models are discussed. Asymptotic efficiencies for various types of alternatives are developed for some of the tests. Numerical procedures along with simulation methods are used to evaluate the adequacy of normal approximations to the null distributions of the statistics and the small-sample power of the tests.     

Segregation of minorities in the metropolis: two decades of change

Data from Census 2000 show that black-white segregation declined modestly at the national level after 1980, while Hispanic and Asian segregation rose in most metropolitan areas. Changes that may have produced greater changes for blacks proved to have insignificant effects: there was no net shift of the black population toward less-segregated areas, segregation at the metropolitan level did not decline more in areas where the incomes of blacks came closer to the incomes of whites over time, and the emergence of more multiethnic metropolises had no impact. As in the past, declines were centered in the South and West and in areas with smaller black populations. Increases in Hispanic and Asian segregation in individual metropolitan areas were counterbalanced by a net movement of these two groups toward areas of lower segregation. These increases were associated especially with the more rapid growth in the Hispanic and Asian populations. Hispanic segregation increased more in regions where group members had declining incomes relative to the incomes of whites and included a growing share of immigrants.     

Older women's experiences with chronic pain: daily challenges and self-care practices

The subjective nature of chronic pain leads to challenges in describing, treating, and accommodating pain. Twenty older women, who engaged in focus groups, and eight of whom also participated in individual interviews, discussed the influence of chronic pain on their perception of self as well as daily functioning. Managing pain forced many of the women to withdraw from social activities that they valued and interfered with sleep patterns, household tasks and recreational activities. Varied acceptance by social network members added to the challenge of adjusting to complications associated with pain. Self-care practices that supported independence contributed to women's perceived success in daily functioning.     

Two deadly diseases and one nearly fatal cure: The sorry state of American sociology

Recent diagnoses of the contemporary crisis in American sociology generally fail to address some of the discipline's most deeply rooted problems and therefore cannot provide an effective remedy. If sociology is to escape from its current moribund condition in the United States, it must move away from prevalent “biologizing” and “naturalizing” attitudes, while also rejecting the false cure of “postmodernism.” A true renaissance will require a critical approach that combines moderate empiricism and moderate relativism with a strong human-rights perspective. Larry T. Reynolds, is the author of over one hundred publications, including twelve books. A senior fellow of the Rockport Institute, he is also past president of the North Central Sociological Association and former chair of the Marxist section of the American Sociological Association.     

Attitudes and beliefs about mental health among African American older adults suffering from depression

Depression among older adults is a major public health concern leading to increased disability and mortality. Less than 3% of older adults utilize professional mental health services for the treatment of depression, less than any other adult age group. And despite similar rates of depression, African Americans are significantly less likely to seek, engage and be retained in professional mental health services than their white counterparts. Cultural differences in the way depression symptoms are manifested, defined, interpreted and labeled may in part explain some of these racial differences in help-seeking behaviors. Focus group methodology was utilized to identify and explore attitudes and beliefs about depression and mental health treatment utilization among 42 older African Americans who had recently suffered a major depressive episode. Thematic analysis of identified six overarching themes: (a) perceptions of depression, (b) the African American experience, (c) seeking treatment as a last resort, (d) myths about treatment, (e) stigma associated with seeking treatment and (f) culturally appropriate coping strategies. We discuss implications for practice, education and research.     

Comprehensive assessment of youth violence in five Caribbean countries: Gender and age differences

Differences in gender and age have been established in the context of crime, violence, and prevalence of risk and protective factors. These studies are often notable only in the Western Hemisphere. Despite growth in crime and violence in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), relatively little understanding of violence in CARICOM member states exists. In light of these concerns, the major purposes of this study include: (1) comprehensively assessing the scope of the four behaviors (i.e., engagement, victimization, witness, and report) in relation to violence and youth’s perceptions of risk and protective factors in family and school domains, and (2) examining how they differ by youth’s gender and age. This study draws on assessment data on youth violence in five CARICOM Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago using a completed 51-item quantitative questionnaire from approximately 512 students. The results suggest that violence engagement, victimization, witness, and report significantly differed by gender and age. Male students were more likely to engage in violence, but less likely to report such violence to adults. Similarly, older students reported that they were more likely to engage in and witness violence. For risk and protective factors, female students reported significantly higher scores on domestic violence, whereas male students had higher scores on the access to drugs/weapons. Older students also tended to report higher levels of some school risk factors and lower levels of some protective factors in both family and school.