The cook, the cooker and the gendering of the kitchen

This article combines the approaches of actor‐network theory and poststructuralism to consider how a household technology has interacted with patterns of gender hierarchies over time. Two major innovations in cooking technologies are analysed in relation to cooking activities and the related conceptions of women's roles in families, which are central to these concerns. The first technological development is the thermostat oven control, introduced in the 1920s and 1930s; the second is the microwave oven, introduced in the late 1980s and 1990s. Important conceptions of the cook's performance are examined and various implicit roles that have been tacitly assumed by innovating agents in the use of cookers are made explicit. The study contributes to discussions of gender and technology in the context of domestic life.     

Frequentist-Bayesian Monte Carlo testing

Abstract

Conventional methods for statistical hypothesis testing has historically been categorized as frequentist or Bayesian. But, a third option based on a reconciling hybrid frequentist-Bayesian framework is quickly emerging. Although prominent, there are applications where the exact hybrid test is not computable. For such cases, the present paper introduces a straightforward Monte Carlo procedure for performing frequentist-Bayesian testing.     

Research note: Promoting intercultural education through art education

Taking UNESCO’s proposal ‘learning how to live together’ as a starting point, we examined to what extent visual education can be used as a tool to promote the aims of intercultural education. We analyzed the power of using artistic images from different cultures to change students’ perception of cultural differences, thereby facilitating the development of attitudes of respect towards different ethnic/cultural groups. We also investigated to what extent this strategy could contribute to the integration of minority peers into a majority group. Students were assigned to either an experimental or a control group. The experimental treatment consisted of exposing students to several art object images associated with different cultures. Our measurement instrument was based on an adapted version of the ‘Draw‐A‐Person‐Test’, which we have called the ‘Draw‐Two‐Persons‐Test’. We also used a questionnaire to examine attitudes among subjects     

Reconciling Scientists' Beliefs about Radiation Risks and Social Norms: Explaining Preferred Radiation Protection Standards

Social scientists have argued about the role of political beliefs in highly charged policy debates among scientific experts. In debates about environmental hazards, the focus of contention is likely to rest on the appropriate scientific assumptions to inform safety standards. When scientific communities are polarized, one would expect to find systematic differences among combatants in the choice of appropriate assumptions, and variation in the application of "precaution" in standard setting. We test this proposition using an experiment applied in a mail survey format to groups of scientists from opposing sides of the nuclear policy debate. Questions were asked about the role of political, social, and epistemological beliefs in reaching scientific and policy judgments about the relationship between radiation dose and cancer incidence in human populations. We find that the precautionary tendency is pervasive regardless of whether the scientist is associated with a putatively pro- or anti-nuclear group. Using a multinomial logit model, we explain a modest percentage of the variation in the choice of preferred judgments about safety standards, but find that distinct sets of political and social values are significantly associated with policy positions among scientists. Implications for scientific advice to policymakers are discussed.     

The Topp–Leone odd log-logistic family of distributions

We introduce a new class of continuous distributions named the Topp–Leone odd log-logistic family, which extends the one-parameter distribution pioneered by Topp and Leone [A family of J-shaped frequency functions. J Amer Statist Assoc. 1955;50:209–219]. We study some of its mathematical properties and describe two special cases. Further, we propose a regression model based on the new Topp–Leone odd log-logistic Weibull distribution. The usefulness and flexibility of the proposed family are illustrated by means of three real data sets.     

Disentangling an avian assemblages’ evolutionary and functional history in a Chihuahuan desert city

Urban Ecosystems - Urban green spaces have been shown to be important hotspots of biodiversity in cities of temperate and humid/semihumid tropical ecoregions. Nonetheless, whether this pattern...     

Pregnancy avoidance and coital behavior

This study proposes a behavioral model that identifies determinants of coital activity in the context of pregnancy avoidance and assesses the relationships using weekly panel data collected on 300 rural married women in Sri Lanka in 1988. We discuss the utility of the design, which is similar to that of an epidemiological surveillance system, for the measurement of coital behavior and pregnancy risk perceptions. Perceptions of pregnancy risk, spousal agreement on sexual relations, menstrual and lactational status, and cycle timing, all measured daily, are found to influence significantly the probability of coitus on that day. The findings suggest that substantial gains in studying fertility regulation are likely from closer investigation of the behavioral connections between motivation for pregnancy avoidance and coital incidence. Comparison of such panel data with those of cross-sectional sample surveys also provides insights into the validity of measures of coital and contraceptive behavior.     

Urban forest and environmental inequality in Campos dos Goytacazes,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

Social and spatial inequality regarding environmental resources and services is one of most complex issues affecting contemporary urban life. The objective of this research is to study the spatial distribution of trees in public areas in Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This research presents data gathered in ten neighborhoods in Campos. These neighborhoods were split into three distinct groups using wealth levels. Data obtained include the number of trees and private gardens and tree species diversity per neighborhood street. Our results demonstrate that the wealthier neighborhoods have both the highest tree biodiversity and number of trees. In contrast, the poorer neighborhoods present a low biodiversity level and fewer tree species. Our results also showed that age of the neighborhoods was not a factor in explaining the number of trees in public spaces. Socioeconomic and education levels of the population seem to play a more causal on tree quantity and species diversity. This inequality stresses a problem with environmental justice, a characteristic of Brazilian cities intrinsically connected to urban sustainability.     

The Effect of Environmental Disclosure Requirements on Willingness to Pay for Residential Properties in Borderlands Community*

Objective. This study examines the effect of environmental information disclosure requirements on future real estate transactions. The setting involves pollution from a concrete products and quarrying site near a largely Hispanic, residential community. Methods. The survey‐based contingent valuation (CV) method is used to test the hypothesis that a split‐sample treatment for an information disclosure requirement with a potentially negative affective quality will reduce the willingness to pay (WTP) of potential buyers for a typical property. Results. Results indicate that the information disclosure treatment reduces WTP, and that this effect is significantly exacerbated when the surveys are conducted in Spanish. Conclusions. In addition to identifying significant reductions in the WTP of potential home buyers, our findings demonstrate the importance of cultural and regional considerations for how information disclosure requirements are conducted in real estate transactions. Future CV studies should also consider Spanish‐language options in applications involving significant Hispanic populations.     

Does Immigration Help or Harm Children’s Health? The Mayan Case

Objective . We explore how the health, as measured by physical growth, of children in Guatemalan Maya families is impacted by immigration to the United States. Methods . We analyze anthropometric data on Maya children in Guatemala and in the United States. In addition, we use survey data from the Maya–American children and their parents about lifestyle and SES to examine the factors associated with overweight and obesity. Results . The Maya–American children are on average 10 centimeters taller, indicating better health. However, nearly half the Maya–American children are overweight and 42 percent are obese. Children who report watching TV or playing computer games as one of their favorite leisure time activities face a higher chance of being overweight. Conclusion . Immigration from Guatemala to the United States improves the health of children in that they generally grow taller. However, immigration also raises the risk of weight problems, increasing the likelihood of health problems such as hypertension and diabetes.