Psychological Gender Issues in Computing

This paper builds on the implication from Rosen et al.'s (1987) work that the variation in findings with respect to gender differences in attitudes towards computers and anxiety caused by computers (i.e. ‘computerphobia’), may be due in part to differences of psychological gender (regardless of biological gender) within subjects. Sandra Bem's (1974, 1981) theory of psychological gender is incorporated into the research, identifying subjects as ‘sex typed’ or ‘androgynous’. A student population of under/post graduates (N=282; 50.7% of which were male and 49.3% were female) is presented with the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI), a computer anxiety questionnaire (Heinssen et al. 1987) and a computer attitude questionnaire (Dambrot et al. 1985). The latter questionnaire has positive and negative subscales. The results indicate that masculinity correlates with positive attitudes towards computers for both sexes. In addition masculinity was correlated with less anxiety and less negative attitudes towards computers for females, lending support to a sex by gender interaction (i.e. that masculinity has a different effect on each sex). Femininity correlated negatively with programming experience in females. This is discussed in relation to computing being seen as a ‘male activity’, and the subsequent educational and organizational implications identified.     

On Estimating Internal Migration for Open Populations

The purpose of this note is to review the case for using the forward census survival ratio (FCSR) method for estimating internal migration. Though this technique seems likely, on certain criteria, to offer usable estimates of migration, it suffers from what some critics regard as a crucial weakness, namely a sensitivity to international migration. It is argued here, however, that this deficiency is less damaging than others have made it out to be. Consequently, a case can be made for preferring the FCSR method to other methods.     

The Sociology of Neuroethics: Expectational Discourses and the Rise of a New Discipline

The sudden emergence of the discipline ‘neuroethics’ is an intriguing event from the perspective of the sociologies of medicine, science and bioethics. Despite calls for greater social science engagement with neuroethics, it has so far received little attention. So that sociologists might consider how to engage with the field, and in order to simultaneously contribute towards a sociology of neuroethics, this paper explores neuroethics’ disciplinary identity via a critical analysis of literature defining neuroethics’ scope and role. Drawing on the sociologies of bioethics and expectations, I argue that in setting the neuroethical agenda, neuroethicists construct expectations about the future of neuroscience. In doing so, they align themselves with neuroscience, rather than maintaining a critical distance. Similar critiques have been made of bioethics, but in its efforts to distinguish itself from bioethics, neuroethics appears to exacerbate many of the attributes which sociologists have found problematic. This reinforces the need for critical social science perspectives to inform neuroethics, and also shows how neuroethics is potentially an interesting area of empirical study for sociology. However, the paper concludes by calling for critical reflexivity in sociology’s engagement with neuroethics, in light of recent debates surrounding the relationship between social science, bioethics, bioscience and expectations.     

Not in my backyard: Las Vegas residents protest casinos

Casino gambling is becoming increasingly attractive to jurisdictions facing severe fiscal crises. Evidence suggests that casinos bring jobs and increased government revenues. However, attitudes and concerns of local residents regarding the location of casinos in their community should be considered in decisions regarding casino legalization. This paper analyzes the importance of factors associated with the selection of homes by persons living in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. A random survey of 967 recent home purchasers was analyzed. Proximity to a casino is of some importance to home purchasers. As expected, purchasers of more expensive homes and those with children in the household were more concerned about casino locations than others. But casinos were not the only concern of purchasers. Crime, industrial plants, and potential nuclear waste route locations were of greater concern than casino proximity. On the other hand, casino locations were of greater concern than shopping centers and fast food restaurant locations.This research project was supported in part by funds from Clark County through U.S. Department of Energy project grant # DE-FG08-89NV10819, and the College of Business and Economics (U.N.L.V.) Faculty Research Fund of the First Interstate Bank of Nevada.     

Differentials in Australian Interstate Migration 1911–21 to 1961–66 by place of birth,Sex and age

Journal of Population Research - Without direct census data on migration prior to 1971, there is a deficit of information on Australian interstate migration this century. This paper uses the Census...     

A performative exploration of the lifeworlds of human capital and financial capital: an intellectual capital case vignette

Journal of Management and Governance - The primary purpose here is to briefly outline and illustrate how one particular relationist/realist ontological approach to performative research, with a...