Testing the Effects of Collectively Expected Durations of Migration: The Naturalization of Mexicans and Cubans

This study tests a hypothesis that Mexican foreign‐born immigrants who came to the United States for economic reasons naturalize less often than Cubans who immigrate for political reasons. It uses information from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, Latino Sample, a national sample of 7,453 respondents from the 1989 Latino National Political Survey (LNPS) and the 1990 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). Ordinal logistic regression is used to examine the hypothesis. The results indicate that while more Mexicans plan to apply or have applied for naturalization, proportionately more Cubans than Mexicans have naturalized. Cuban political immigrants who came to the United States during the first half of the 1960s naturalize more often than their Mexican counterparts. However, the effect of ethnic identity on naturalization is mediated by a number of other predictors of naturalization such as gender, race, urban residence, socioeconomic status and acculturation.     

Methodological,Ideological, and Conceptual-Theoretical Criticisms of the Field of Collective Behavior: A Critical Evaluation and Implications for Future Study

Abstract

Criticisms of the field of collective behavior can be categorized as either methodological, ideological, or conceptual-theoretical. For methodological problems we examine the views that research on collective behavior is hampered because collective behavior is unpredictable, transitory, fluid, diffuse, complex, and uncontrolled. For ideological problems we look at the claims that the unsatisfactory state of the field of collective behavior is the result of its controversial material and lack of objectivity, defense of the status quo, trivialization of politics, and attributions of social pathology. For methodological and ideological criticisms, we conclude they are generally invalid or incorrect. A better strategy for improving collective behavior theory and research and advancing it closer to mainstream sociology is to focus on the conceptual-theoretical criticisms, for this tactic would have a greater pay off for sociology generally and collective behavior specifically.     

"Sustainable Development" as Collective Surge

The purpose of this article is to examine a surge in the sciences surrounding the use of the concept of sustainable development. Data come from the annual frequencies of publications in various disciplines that use the concept of sustainable development as well as from a content analysis of documents. The article concludes that the surge was characterized by the use by scientists of established concepts in a new way, a form of cultural emergence; a prevailing locus of interaction revolving around a professional ideology; the prevalence of the emotions of fear and hope of deliverance from the threat; and an international arena of discourse occurring over a period of years and bounded by class-professional identities. The article demonstrates that a newer understanding of fads as collective surges in the sociology specialty area of collective behavior helps describe the use in the sciences of the concept of sustainable development during the late 1980s and 1990s. The surge is relatively short-lived, coterminous with the use of different meanings and practices of sustainable development. It cannot be understood as a superficial, odd, inconsequential, or frivolous event. Rather, it had important, lasting consequences in a number of areas, from economic and social development to professions.     

Structural and Individual Determinants of Outmarriage Among Chinese-, Filipino-, and Japanese-Americans in California*

This study combines structural factors of intergroup relations with personal assimilation factors to examine Asian American intermarriage in California, We conduct a multilevel logistic regression analysis of outmarriage among Chinese, Filipinos, and Japanese in 14 California metropolitan statistical areas with high con centrations of Asian Americans by using the 1980 Census Public-Use Microdata Sample. The results show that Asian intermarriage is affected by both assimilation and structural determinants. Some theoretically unexpected findings are discussed that hint at alternative interpretations.     

Development Guidelines from a Study of Suicide Prevention Mobile Applications (Apps)

Every day, Americans are inundated with advertisements and appeals to purchase the latest mobile technology in the form of smart phones, tablets, and their accompanying applications (apps). Human service organizations (HSOs) across the United States have begun to recognize that apps can provide a valuable resource for individuals and communities by addressing social issues. Additionally, forward-thinking HSOs are aware that apps are a fresh and important way of reaching a rapidly changing, tech-savvy population. But just like the marketplace at large yields a variety of apps that range from useful and engaging to poorly contrived and ineffective, HSOs' foray into app development has achieved mixed results. This report analyzes existing mobile applications available for one specific field of HSO service delivery—suicide prevention—in order to describe what is currently available and to generate beginning guidelines for the development, implementation, and evaluation of new suicide prevention apps for underserved populations. Twenty-seven apps were analyzed and recommendations for HSOs and future research are presented.     

The human ecology of tornadoes

This paper offers an empirical test of the impact of human ecological patterns and other known correlates on tornado occurrence. It uses the National Severe Storms Forecast Center’s information on tornadoes from 1950 through 1990 and employs ecological data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the Environmental Protection Agency. The results show that metropolitan and other urban counties have higher odds of tornado occurrence than rural counties, and that the probability of occurrence of tornadoes increases with increases in the number of previous tornadoes. The paper assesses the meaning of this finding for demographers, atmospheric scientists, engineers, and disaster managers.     

In Search of Asian war brides

Because of the long presence of U.S. soldiers in Asia, war-bride marriages involving servicemen and Asian women have been formed throughout the century. The literature, however, contains little empirically sound information on Asian war brides. This analysis develops a methodology to identify war brides and applies it to estimate the number of war brides from the six major Asian groups, using the national 1980 Public Use Microdata Sample. Further analysis comparing Asian war brides with other groups of Asian wives tends to support the traditional and lower socioeconomic images commonly associated with Asian war brides.     

Magnetic Imagery: War‐Related Ribbons as Collective Display*

The collective display of particular symbols represents an emergent form of social movement participation. This study documents the patterns of the collective display of one such symbol; the magnetic war‐related ribbon (WRR). Using bivariate and multivariate analyses of a sample of 8,100 vehicles, we studied the relationships between WRR display and measures of political affiliation, patriotism, and war support. The results find that that WRR display is positively associated with affiliation with George W. Bush and the Republican Party, and various displays of patriotism and war support. This study demonstrates how advents in communication technologies, shifts in the social, economic, and political structures have converged and given rise to a new form of symbolic participation marked by the collective display of cause‐related symbols.     

Enhancing Learning and Learner Satisfaction Through the Use of WebCT in Social Work Education

Emerging technology has produced changes in the ways that social workers learn, practice, and interact. As communication and educational innovations have increasingly involved the use of ever-improving technologies for social work practice, so too has social work education evolved to incorporate these advances in the classroom setting. This article describes and evaluates various aspects of one particular type of web-based learning environment, WebCT, and its incorporation into five face-to-face foundation courses in a bachelor's and master's level social work program. The authors utilized an online survey to assess frequency of access of the web-based course management system and perceptions of the features. Results of this online survey assessing student use and perception of hybrid courses are shared along with implications and recommendations.