Department: College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology ![[clear]](close-x.png "Remove this limiter")
35 matches in the database.
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1.
Adkins, Timothy Joel.
Fishing for Masculinity: Recreational Fishermen's Performances of Gender.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2010, Kent State University
► Against the tide of continuing deindustrialization and the decline of the male…
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▼ Against the tide of continuing deindustrialization and the decline of the male “breadwinner,” how do men in the Midwest continue to construct masculine identities? This study aims to address this question by examining the masculine social context of recreational fishing in Ohio. Recreational fishing is a widely- popular activity for men and an important contributor to our local and state economies. Using qualitative, ethnographic methods of in-depth interviews and participant observation, I find that fishing is a unique non-work context in which men reconstruct and negotiate their masculinity. Previous research on masculinity confirms that men are increasingly drawing upon their recreational or other unpaid activities in order to feel like and to be seen as men/masculine. Through fishing, men can participate in a masculine environment that is not exclusive by age, class, employment, or ability. Men who fish demonstrate their masculine selves through controlling nature, eliciting deference from others, and by feeling efficacious in pursuing and catching fish. This study contributes to our understanding of masculinity by examining a understudied context that includes a wider variety of men than traditional studies of athletic team sports. It shows how men's non-work activities can serve as cultural shock absorbers in times of gender crisis. It debunks the myth of fishing as a solitary act and sheds light on how men use nature and animals (i.e. fish) for their own masculinity projects.
Advisors/Committee Members: Stacey, Clare L.
Keywords: men, masculinity, gender, masculinities, fishing, fish, sport, recreation, inequality, ohio, outdoors
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2.
Antestenis, Gwendolen K.
An Examination of the Effects of Students SES, School Funding, and Teaching Resources on Test Scores Among Ohio High School Students.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2007, Kent State University
► This thesis examines indirect discrimination in Ohio's public schools. Student SES and…
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▼ This thesis examines indirect discrimination in Ohio's public schools. Student SES and teaching resources influence student achievement. Federal, state, and local tax revenues purchase institutional resources in America's public school. Disparity in community property tax revenue results in unequal funds for public schools. Using path analysis I examined the direct and indirect effects of student SES and institutional resources on percentage of students passing the proficiency exams. In this thesis I introduced a label, indirect institutional discrimination, in the examination of property wealth based public school funding systems. Federal revenue, in comparison to state and local revenue, has a significant effect on proficiency test scores. Future research should examine subgroups selected by student SES to further explore the differential effects of federal, state, and lcal revenue on teaching resources variable and proficiency test scores.
Advisors/Committee Members: Gallagher, Timothy.
Subjects: Education, Sociology of
Keywords: institutional discrimination, path analysis, public school funding, student achievement
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3.
Ayers, Lindsey L.
Stigmatized STD Status and Well-Being: The Role of Sexual Attitudes.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2009, Kent State University
► Research concerned with the experience of having a stigmatized STD status has…
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▼ Research concerned with the experience of having a stigmatized STD status has primarily consisted of qualitative approaches to the study of HIV/AIDS-related stigma experience. Scholars often use social psychological concepts to describe STD stigma and related management processes; however, the relationship between STD status and well-being remains largely unexplored by social psychologists. In this thesis, I explore how the relationship between a stigmatized STD status and well-being can be better understood by taking into account attitudes about sexual behavior. I use the stress process model to examine this relationship. The model suggests that stressors cause disruption, which in turn results in decreased health and mental health. I conceptualize STD status as a stressor because STDs represent a stigmatized status. Stress process researchers have shown that attitudes and beliefs related to a stressor can exacerbate or attenuate the influence of a stressor. Thus, I examine how sexual attitudes condition the relationship between having an STD health status and well-being. Finally, scholars have criticized the individualistic focus that is prominent in stigma research, calling for a conceptualization that incorporates how broader social forces shape stigma. Therefore, I also examine how these processes vary by gender, which may help to elucidate structural aspects of sexual attitudes and the experience of stigmatized STD statuses. Using the National Health and Social Life Survey data (NHSLS), I find that STD statuses are associated with decreased levels of well-being, with respect to happiness, but are not related to self-rated health. I also find that general sexual attitudes condition the relationship between STD status and happiness, such that the negative effect of having an STD on individual happiness is greater for those who hold more conservative attitudes about sexual behavior, compared to those who hold more permissive attitudes about sexual behavior. While general attitudes about sexual behavior condition the relationship between STD status and happiness, personal sexual attitudes do not. Although men are significantly more likely to report permissive sexual attitudes than are women, I do not find that gender is associated with the relationships among STD status, attitudes and well-being. This study contributes to current knowledge about the role of sexual attitudes in the relationship of stigmatized STD health statuses to well-being for women and men.
Advisors/Committee Members: Marcussen, Kristen.
Subjects: Social psychology; Sociology
Keywords: sexually transmitted disease; stigma; attitudes; well-being
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4.
Blackwood, Andria Lynn.
Curating Inequality: The Link Between Cultural Reproduction and Race in the Visual Arts.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2011, Kent State University
► Public art museums project an image of cultural inclusiveness however, in reality…
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▼ Public art museums project an image of cultural inclusiveness however, in reality art museums function as vehicles of cultural reproduction for the dominant social group. This paper expands upon Bourdieu’s theories of cultural reproduction, cultural capital and symbolic violence by exploring the concept of whiteness as a privileged social construct within the field of art. I draw upon critical white studies, a part of critical race theory, to underline the manner in which whiteness presents itself as a position of dominance. I explore the process by which concepts of race are reproduced through the art as well as through the social interactions connected to the art museum board, staff, patrons and donors. Through face-to-face in depth interviews with museum curators I investigate the means by which the dominant cultural narrative of whiteness is maintained through the beliefs, attitudes and preferences of curators, board members and their affiliates. My findings show how hegemony maintains the social hierarchy of race through the process of exclusion by presenting the white cultural narrative as both ordinary and invisible. Exclusion is found in the practices of the board, directors and curatorial staff and in turn, the presentation of art exhibits within the public art museum.
Advisors/Committee Members: Purcell, David.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: cultural reproduction, critical white studies, whiteness, Bourdieu, art
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5.
Buemi, Sam J.
How Race-Gender Status Affects the Relationship between Spanking and Depressive Symptoms among Children and Adolescents.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2009, Kent State University
► Using the Stress Process Model as a theoretical framework, this study examines…
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▼ Using the Stress Process Model as a theoretical framework, this study examines data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) and the Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY-C). Cross-sectional and change models are utilized to illustrate the symptoms of depression that exist among youth initially and over time. The purpose of this study is to investigate how race-gender status moderates the relationship between spanking and depressive mood among youth. Depressive symptoms do not vary among African American boys and girls and European American boys and girls either initially or over time. Results indicate that spanking is significantly and positively related to depressive symptoms for African-American girls and European American girls initially, but only for African American girls over time. These results suggest that spanking has a negative impact on depressive mood for girls of both races initially, but only for African American girls over time. Further, results of this study demonstrate that spanking does not appear to affect depressive symptoms among boys either short term or long term. Other notable factors under consideration in this study are maternal depression and emotional support offered by the mother. Maternal depression has a positive impact on youth regardless of race- gender status. Emotional support appears to have a positive effect on depressive symptoms for European American boys and girls initially, but only European American boys over time.
Advisors/Committee Members: Christie-Mizell, Dr. C. André.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: Race; Gender; Spanking; Depressive Symptoms; Children; Adolescents
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6.
Dippong, Joseph C.
A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Scope Condition-Based Participant Exclusion on the Relationship Between Status and Influence in Expectation States Research.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2009, Kent State University
► Expectation states theory employs several scope statements to specify the situational conditions…
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▼ Expectation states theory employs several scope statements to specify the situational conditions that must be met for any test of the theory to be considered valid (Foschi 1997). Collective orientation and task orientation are two such scope conditions, and they are frequently implemented as selection criteria for a participant to be included in a study’s analytic sample. While excluding participants who fail to meet scope conditions is certainly theoretically consistent, researchers have yet to establish whether or not this practice has any direct influence on observable experimental outcomes. Previous research and theory suggest that increasing task and collective orientation strengthens the relationship between status and influence. In this paper I employ meta-analysis to compare studies within the expectation states tradition in which participants are excluded for failure to meet scope conditions to studies in which no scope condition-based exclusions are made. Results suggest that studies in which researchers exclude participants for scope violations demonstrate a decreased baseline tendency to reject influence. I argue that differences in the ways that researchers implement scope conditions affect the comparability of studies conducted in the expectation states paradigm, which in turn compromises the capacity for cumulative research. Further, I contend that adopting a more universal approach to the measurement and application of scope conditions would be methodologically and theoretically beneficial to expectation states research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kalkhoff, Will.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: expectation states; scope conditions; meta-analysis
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7.
Drinkard Ilg, Allyson M.
The Influence of Gender, Verbal Ability, and Socioeconomic Adversity on the Development of a Prosocial Disposition in a Sample of Urban Adolescents.
Degree: PhD, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2012, Kent State University
► Having a prosocial disposition is an important predictor of mental and physical…
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▼ Having a prosocial disposition is an important predictor of mental and physical health and is a key factor for one’s integration into society and the maintenance of a civil society. A prosocial disposition can be characterized as being inclined to act in ways that benefit other people or society. Common conceptualizations include altruism, helping behaviors, volunteerism, empathy, sympathy, and other-oriented perspective taking. The development of a prosocial disposition is known to be an age-salient developmental task which usually crystallizes during adolescence. The focus on factors that contribute to the positive development of adolescents is part of a burgeoning field that rejects the focus on antisocial behaviors and the characterization of adolescents as problems to be fixed. Rather, the positive youth development approach recognizes the innate and unique potential for successful, healthy, positive development that all young people possess. For these reasons, it is important to understand what encourages or inhibits adolescents’ development of a prosocial disposition. I focus on family and neighborhood correlates as opposed to only individual traits that have largely been the focus of research on the development of a prosocial disposition. This study examines how gender, verbal ability, socioeconomic adversity, and several family- and neighborhood-level variables impact adolescents’ development of a prosocial disposition. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) study, I conduct hierarchical linear modeling on a 12 year old cohort. I find that, consistent with past research, being female, having a better verbal ability, and having reliable relationships with adults are all significantly associated with more prosociality. In contrast to previous research, I find no statistical relationship between socioeconomic status or parenting quality and the development of a prosocial disposition. Although socioeconomic adversity has been shown to negatively impact prosocial behaviors in several other studies, my findings do support research and theory that suggests that socioeconomic status alone cannot (and should not) be used to explain variations in well-being. Furthermore, I find that collective efficacy is a protective factor in the development of a prosocial disposition for boys, but not girls. I discuss these findings in the context of the theoretical and empirical contributions of my dissertation as well as policy implications, study limitations, and directions for future research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Roxburgh, Susan.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: prosocial; adolescents; PHDCN; gender; socioeconomic status
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8.
Feigenbaum, Audrey Beth.
A Study of Occupational Conditions.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2007, Kent State University
► This study examines the relationship between structural occupational conditions and psychological and…
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▼ This study examines the relationship between structural occupational conditions and psychological and attitudinal outcomes of work. Specifically, it addresses how structural conditions that determine how a worker must present him/herself to clients/customers affect conditions of self-esteem, mastery, locus of control, and job satisfaction for workers while on the job. Existing research in the social psychology of work does not address this relationship alone. This study defines this relationship by drawing on concepts from the three major perspectives within the social psychology of work: social structure and personality, symbolic interactionism, and psychological social psychology. Data was collected via a web-based computer adaptive survey. Of the 21,988 Kent State University students solicited to participate in the study, 1,280 individuals responded. This study also reveals how patterns of interaction, facilitated by structural occupational conditions, between workers and clients/customers affect workers’ psychological and attitudinal outcomes.
Advisors/Committee Members: Serpe, Richard T.
Keywords: emotional labor; self-esteem; mastery; locus of control; job satisfaction; social psychology of work; occupational conditions
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9.
Gallagher, Mary.
Multiple Identities, Self-Concept, and Psychological Distress.
Degree: PhD, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2012, Kent State University
► Identity processes play a central role in the social psychological understanding of…
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▼ Identity processes play a central role in the social psychological understanding of psychological distress. To better explain the influence of identities on distress, it is important to consider differences in meanings between particular types of roles, such as those that are obligatory or voluntary. Obligatory identities are characterized by long-term, affectively intense ties to others that include strong mutual rights and responsibilities among role partners. Voluntary identities are characterized by relatively shorter-term, less affectively intense ties to others that include fewer responsibilities to role partners. Theoretical differences between these identities have been specified in the literature, but they have not been empirically examined. Identity research suggest that when people feel that others evaluate them differently than they evaluate themselves with respect to any of their identities, that difference (or discrepancy) can be conceived of as a stressor that could contribute to or exacerbate distress and/or damage self-concept. Obligatory and voluntary identity discrepancies may affect particular components of self-concept and distress to different degrees. This study examines the relationships among identities, self-concept and distress in the context of voluntary and obligatory identities. First, I find that respondents rate their obligatory and voluntary identities in ways that are consistent with their theoretical differences. Second, I find that obligatory identities affect distress in mostly direct ways, while voluntary identity discrepancies are related to distress indirectly, through self-esteem and mastery. However, I also find a difference between models in which I examine obligatory identities alone and those in which I combine them with voluntary identities. I re-estimate the final model developed in one sample (the U.S. sample) in a second, independent sample (the California sample), but find that they are not equivalent. Thus, I conduct two multi-group analyses to determine whether racial/ethnic or gender variation in the identity discrepancy process explains the inconsistency between the results in the two samples. I find that the model is equivalent for women and men, but not for whites, blacks, and Latinos. I discuss these findings in the context of the theoretical, methodological, and empirical contributions of my dissertation as well as limitations and directions for future research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Marcussen, Kristen.
Subjects: Mental Health; Social Psychology; Sociology
Keywords: identity; self-concept; distress; mental health
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10.
Graor, Christine Heifner.
Weight Loss, Subculture Socialization, and Affective Meanings.
Degree: PhD, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2008, Kent State University
► Using a purposive convenience sample (N = 400), I investigate how intentional…
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▼ Using a purposive convenience sample (N = 400), I investigate how intentional weight loss and involvement in a weight loss and fitness subculture are related to the affective meanings (evaluation, potency, and activity) associated with aspects of the self (myself as I really am, myself as others see me, and my body), weight-related identities (e.g., a slender woman, an obese man), and weight and fitness related behaviors (e.g., to exercise, to eat three desserts). I operationalize subculture involvement with four dimensions: extensive (the size of social networks within the subculture), affective (the importance that significant others give to subculture related activities), duration (duration of involvement with the subculture), and frequency (frequency of involvement in subculture activities). I find that duration of weight loss maintenance is positively related to evaluation, potency, and activity associated with fitness behaviors (to exercise and to be physically active) and negatively related to the evaluation, potency, and activity associated with an overeating behavior (to eat three desserts). Subculture involvement, particularly extensiveness and frequency, is positively related to the evaluation and activity associated with slender identities and positively related to the evaluation, potency, and activity they see in themselves and their bodies and that they think others see in them. All dimensions of subculture involvement, except for affective involvement, are positively related to the evaluation, potency, and activity associated with fitness behaviors. Subculture involvement also tends to be negatively related to the evaluation, potency, and activity associated with overweight and obese identities and one overeating behavior (to eat three desserts). Weight loss success (e.g., weight loss and weight loss maintenance) also tends to accentuate the effects of subculture involvement on behavior meanings and to weaken the effects of subculture involvement on identity and self meanings. The findings suggest that intentional weight loss and subculture socialization jointly shape the meanings individuals associate with themselves and weight- and fitness-related identities and behaviors. The findings also suggest that two features of subculture involvement – extensiveness of social networks and frequency of involvement – tend to have the strongest effect on meanings. I conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for theories and studies of socialization and subcultures.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kroska, Amy.
Subjects: Social psychology
Keywords: weight loss; weight loss maintenance; subculture socialization; subculture involvement; affective meanings
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11.
Gross, Christi L.
The Mental Health Implications of Unmet Parenting Efficacy Expectations.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2011, Kent State University
► Research demonstrates that parenting efficacy is linked to numerous positive outcomes for…
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▼ Research demonstrates that parenting efficacy is linked to numerous positive outcomes for both new parents and their children. A common finding in the literature also indicates that parenting inefficacy is associated with negative mental health outcomes for new parents, particularly postpartum depressive symptomatology and anxiety. Because prenatal mood and behavior are important determinants of postpartum outcomes, this thesis examines the impact of unmet parenting efficacy expectations on the mental health statuses of new parents as measured during the prenatal and postpartum periods. Specifically, I focus on the mental health consequences for new mothers and fathers when prenatal expectations of parenting efficacy are unmet at 1-month postpartum. Consistent with the stress process model, I examine the role of parenting efficacy in the relationship between parental transition and postpartum distress. Two waves of data from the Baby Transitions in Marital Exchanges (Baby T.I.M.E.) study will be used in this thesis: time 1/Baseline (third trimester of pregnancy) and time 2 (1 month following the birth of the child). Results indicate that mothers whose parenting efficacy experiences were more negative than their prenatal expectations of parenting efficacy reported higher levels of postpartum depressive symptomatology. Fathers with parenting efficacy experiences that were more negative than expected reported higher levels of both postpartum depressive symptomatology and postpartum anxiety. In addition to the implications of these findings, directions for future research are discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Marcussen, Kristen.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: parenting efficacy; parenting efficacy expectations; mental health during the transition to parenthood; postpartum distress; paternal postpartum depression; maternal postpartum depression; postpartum anxiety
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12.
Hays, Jay W.
Institutional and Individual Factors Affecting Identity among Minority and Female Science Students.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2011, Kent State University
► Minority students and females are underrepresented in the Biomedical fields. This longitudinal…
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▼ Minority students and females are underrepresented in the Biomedical fields. This longitudinal study of 1420 minority students specifically addresses these underrepresented groups in science majors at 48 U.S. colleges and universities. Using an Identity Theory framework, individual (race, gender, cognitive activity, educational status) and institutional factors (mentoring, commitment, undergraduate research opportunities) that contribute to the development of the scientist identity (identity salience and psychological centrality) are examined. Findings suggest that traditional gender roles are still at play in the sciences and that involvement in undergraduate research and participation in mentoring activities can have an influence on minority science identity.
Advisors/Committee Members: Serpe, Richard.
Subjects: Higher Education; Sociology
Keywords: Identity; Social Psychology; Student Development; minority science; female science
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13.
Hennessee, Kimberly K.
Neighborhood Disorder and Health: The Mediating Effects of Powerlessness and Psychological Distress.
Degree: PhD, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2012, Kent State University
► How does living in a dangerous community impact a person’s physical health?…
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▼ How does living in a dangerous community impact a person’s physical health? Research shows that people living in neighborhoods that they perceive to be dangerous or high in neighborhood disorder have poorer health outcomes than people living in neighborhoods they believe are safe or less disorganized (Hill, Ross, and Angel 2005; Hood 2005; Ross and Mirowsky 2001). However, evidence of a direct relationship between neighborhood conditions and physical health has remained weak. I argue a better way to explain this association is by examining the mediating factors between neighborhood conditions and physical health. Utilizing the 1995 Community, Crime, and Health Dataset (ICPSR); a random sample of English speaking adults in Illinois, I employed the classic stress model framework (Pearlin, et al 1981) for my research. Specifically, I proposed that perceived powerlessness and psychological distress mediate the relationship between perceived neighborhood disorder and self-reported physical health. To further understand the impact of perceived neighborhood disorder on physical health, I asked whether my model operated differently for socially disadvantaged groups than for socially advantaged groups. Specifically, I examined the moderating effects of race, class, and gender on the relationship between perceived neighborhood disorder and self-reported physical health when mediated by perceived powerlessness (both internal and external) and psychological distress. In sum, my research was an examination of the mediating effects of perceived powerlessness and psychological distress on the relationship between perceived neighborhood disorder and self-reported physical health with the use of path analysis. Both the direct and indirect effects of perceived neighborhood disorder on self-reported overall health were statistically significant and in the predicted directions. Further, when comparing minority/majority group differences, the model had more significant paths for European Americans than for African Americans and more for the higher class group than the lower class group. The models were very similar for women and men, with the exception that perceived neighborhood disorder had a direct effect on physical health for women, but not for men.
Advisors/Committee Members: Adams, Richard E.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: Neighborhoods; Health; Psychological Distress; Powerlessness
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14.
Huber, Wesley Blake.
Gynecomastia, Hegemonic Masculinity, and Stigma: Researching Male Corporeal Deviance.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2012, Kent State University
► In the social sciences, little is known about gynecomastia – a condition…
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▼ In the social sciences, little is known about gynecomastia – a condition where males can develop obtrusive breasts. Because males with gynecomastia can exhibit bodies significantly different from current hegemonic standards of masculinity, breasted-men may be subject to stigmatization and subordination. I examine how “normative” conceptualizations of the male body affect the experiences of males with gynecomastia, and how those experiences may change following male mastectomy. Using a grounded theory approach (Corbin and Strauss 1990), I conduct a qualitative content analysis of online dialogues by males with gynecomastia, their significant others, and parents of children with gynecomastia. I find that dominant ideals about masculinity and the male body inform breasted-men that their chests are “abnormal,” despite statistical data suggesting otherwise. Stemming from these hegemonic ideals, males with gynecomastia are often stigmatized, resulting in embarrassment, distress, and a perception of personal devaluation. In response, these stigmatized individuals employ various stigma management techniques to mitigate the ill-effects associated with their “condition.” Moreover, I find that many males with gynecomastia desire and benefit from social support and, among those breasted-men who undergo aesthetic surgery, breast reduction results in increased psychosocial well-being. I conclude by explicating the contributions this line of research offers to the scientific community, the limitations of the present study, and suggestions for future areas of inquiry regarding the breasted-male population.
Advisors/Committee Members: Stacey, Clare.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: Hegemonic Masculinity, Stigma, Gynecomastia, Male Bodies, Mastectomy
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15.
Hunt, Pamela M.
A Quantitative Approach to Studying Subculture.
Degree: PhD, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2008, Kent State University
► I examine the factors contributing to within-subculture variation in the affective meanings…
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▼ I examine the factors contributing to within-subculture variation in the affective meanings (evaluation, potency, and activity) associated with roles and behaviors central to the jamband subculture belief system. The jamband subculture is a group somewhat like a contemporary version of the subculture surrounding the rock music band the Grateful Dead. The analyses are divided into two studies. In the first study I use two continuous measures of subculture involvement (ideological embeddedness and behavioral-relational involvement) to examine the relationship between involvement in the jamband subculture and the affective meanings associated with eighteen roles. I find that the two continuous measures of subculture involvement are related positively to the evaluation of subculture roles, yet only ideological embeddedness is associated with the potency of subculture roles. Both measures are negatively to the evaluation of authority roles. However, neither ideological embeddedness nor behavioral-relational involvement is related significantly to the potency of authority roles. Thus, jamband subculture members are not a homogeneous group. In the second study I use differential association theory to explain the distinctive affective meanings associated with six behaviors that are relevant to the jamband subculture. The findings suggest that although differential association theory does in part explain the development of unique behavior meanings, the theory may not be suited to fully explain distinctive behavior meanings that develop in this subculture. Further findings suggest that the relationships between the modalities and behavior meanings may be more complex than differential association theory proposes. Specifically, there may be mediating and suppressing relationships among the modalities. This dissertation makes methodological contributions to studies of subcultural meaning socialization and the general subculture literature. First, whereas past studies of subcultural meaning socialization use bivariate statistics to examine subcultural meaning variation, I use multivariate methods to do so. Second, whereas subculture studies generally use qualitative methods to investigate attitudes and behavior, I provide a quantitative measure of ideological embeddedness and behavioral-relational involvement in the first study. Third, I measure behavior definitions with affective behavior meanings in the second study. Measuring definitions with affective meanings provides a universal, unintrusive, and parsimonious way of measuring attitudes within subcultures.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kroska, Amy.
Subjects: Music; Social psychology; Social research; Sociology
Keywords: subculture, jamband, affective meaning
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16.
Huter, Aimee L.
Gender Composition and Turnover in the Academic Workplace.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2011, Kent State University
► This study examines the relationship between gender composition and turnover in fifty…
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▼ This study examines the relationship between gender composition and turnover in fifty academic departments from 1980 through 1989 in order to substantiate support for either of two competing theories of intergroup relations; social contact theory or competition theory. Regression analysis results of turnover models, constructed to represent five categories of female faculty ranks and five categories of male faculty ranks, offer support for social contact theory. These findings suggest that as proportions of female faculty become greater, turnover incidents among this group decline. Further analysis reveals; however, that turnover among some female and male faculty ranks may not be exclusively influenced by gender differences but by academic rank as well. The female assistant professors in this study experienced higher turnover incidents as proportions of tenured female faculty became greater while the turnover incidents of tenured female faculty declined as their proportions increased. The tenured ranks of male faculty; however, experienced higher turnover incidents as the proportion of female associate professors became greater but decreased as female full professors gained ground in faculty proportions. This study serves as a retest of previous work that examined gender composition and turnover in the academic workplace and also serves as the groundwork for an extension of work in this area.
Advisors/Committee Members: Webster, Stephen.
Subjects: Gender; Sociology
Keywords: Gender Composition, Academic Departments, Turnover, Intergroup Relations
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17.
Jacobs, Michelle R.
Negotiating American Indian Identity in the Land of Wahoo.
Degree: PhD, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2012, Kent State University
► Despite the post-1970s resurgence of American Indian identity, American Indians remain largely…
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▼ Despite the post-1970s resurgence of American Indian identity, American Indians remain largely invisible in contemporary society. Racial formations, including "common sense" notions of race and place, contribute to the racial misidentification (and further invisibility) of American Indians who live in urban spaces – approximately 60% of the U.S. American Indian/Alaskan Native population. This dissertation explores the effects of macro-historical racial projects on the formation of urban American Indian racial/ethnic identities, as well as the meso and micro level strategies utilized by American Indians as they negotiate these identities in the urban sphere of Northeast Ohio. Specifically, I delineate two pathways – reclamation and relocation – to urban American Indian identity. Utilizing an ethnographic approach, I illustrate how these pathways manifest in different experiences of American Indian identity for the members of two NE Ohio Native community organizations: Native People Reclaiming Indian Identities (NatPride, Reclaimers) and the Relocated Indians of Ohio (RelOH, Relocators). In addition to participating in and observing these community groups, I conducted formal interviews with 39 self-identified Native residents of NE Ohio. My comparative analysis of NatPride and RelOH members' experiences reveals that pathway to urban Indianness affects (1) the process of becoming Indian, (2) the ability to accomplish Indianness intrapersonally and in interactions with others, and (3) the organizational priorities and strategies of urban Indian communities. The dissertation also explores NE Ohio Natives' perceptions of the Cleveland Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise's pseudo-Indian mascot, "Chief Wahoo." Although pathway does not map neatly onto Native respondents' views regarding the mascot, the respondents who most vehemently resisted Chief Wahoo lived in reservation environments prior to moving to the urban environment of NE Ohio. Ultimately, this research investigates American Indian racial/ethnic identity as a macro, meso, and micro level phenomenon, and in doing so, reveals the multi-tiered effects of racial formations on the day-to-day lives of urban American Indians.
Advisors/Committee Members: Stacey, Clare L.
Subjects: Ethnic Studies; Native Americans; Sociology
Keywords: race, ethnicity, American Indians, identity, Indian mascots, ethnography
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18.
Jacobs, Michelle Renee.
FRAMING PSEUDO-INDIAN MASCOTS: THE CASE OF CLEVELAND.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2007, Kent State University
► Members of American Indian communities and their allies nationwide struggle to eradicate…
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▼ Members of American Indian communities and their allies nationwide struggle to eradicate stereotypical Native imagery in the form of pseudo-Indian athletic team mascots. This research investigates the claims-making activities of Northeast Ohio residents with regard to this issue. Northeast Ohio is home to the Cleveland “Indians” baseball franchise, which utilizes and profits from stereotypical Native imagery, and a small, non-profit, antiracist social movement organization named the Committee of 500 Years of Dignity and Resistance, which has been involved in protests against the baseball franchise’s “Indians” moniker and “Chief Wahoo” mascot since 1992. Thus, Cleveland, Ohio is a prime location for this study, which documents the salience of the pseudo-Indian mascot issue to residents of this region as well as the universe of frames used to “make meaning” of this issue in the Cleveland environment. I have conducted two separate analyses of the content of Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper articles published between 1992 and 2006 that refer to “Chief Wahoo” and/or the “Committee of 500 Years” in my effort to document the struggle over contested, socially constructed meanings of the franchise’s name and mascot. My findings include the overall lack of visibility of this issue in the Northeast Ohio region and the utilization of eighteen conceptual schemas to construct and define the social problem of pseudo-Indian mascots in the Cleveland area. A cross-tabulation and chi-square analysis of article “overtone” (i.e., “Pro-Wahoo” or “Anti-Wahoo”) by article theme reveals that proponents of the franchise’s “Indians” moniker and “Chief Wahoo” mascot are more likely to accentuate themes of importance, ownership, and power, while opponents are more likely to accentuate themes of harm, morality, and racism. I conclude with several suggestions for countering hegemonic conceptions of pseudo-Indian mascots.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hall, Elaine J.
Subjects: Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies
Keywords: Indian mascots; Racial inequalities; Framing; Content analysis
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19.
Jones, Adrian M.
When in Rome: Examining the Influence of Neighborhoods on the Relationship with Self-Control and Offending.
Degree: PhD, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2012, Kent State University
► The aim of this dissertation is to integrate concepts from the…
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▼ The aim of this dissertation is to integrate concepts from the general theory of crime, social disorganization theory, and social learning theory to advance our understanding of juvenile offending. I argue that neighborhood characteristics representing opportunity condition the effect of low self-control on offending. To test my arguments, I examine cross-level interactions between low self-control and aggregate, neighborhood-level self-control because, in line with social learning theory, individuals may align their self-control and other behaviors based on perceptions of acceptable conduct conveyed by salient role models. Next, I examine whether a central concept in social disorganization theory, collective efficacy, moderates the relationship between low self-control and deviant behavior. I test predictions concerning how levels of aggregate self-control and collective efficacy interact with individual-level low self-control to produce different patterns of offending. I use secondary data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN). My sample consists of approximately 2,800 juveniles in cohorts aged 9, 12, 15, and 18 from 76 Chicago neighborhoods. I analyze these data and test my theoretical predictions using Zero Inflated Negative Binominal (ZINB) modeling with random intercepts for neighborhoods. This analytic strategy is appropriate for modeling multilevel, neighborhood data with excessive zeros in the dependent variable. Consistent with the general theory of crime, I found that low self-control is an important predictor of offending. However, contrary to the general theory, my findings suggest that neighborhoods do matter when it comes to the relationship between low self-control and juvenile offending. The occurrence and frequency of self-reported delinquency is amplified in neighborhoods with low levels of aggregate self-control, and the frequency of self-reported serious offending and delinquency is amplified in neighborhoods with low collective efficacy. Because my modeling strategy (ZINB) estimates parameters for both the occurrence of offending (i.e., never offending) and the frequency or rate of offending, I was able to explore these patterns separately. Unexpectedly, I found that individual-level factors (e.g., low self-control) are more important for predicting the occurrence of offending, while community-level factors (i.e., aggregate self-control and collective efficacy) are more important overall for predicting the frequency of offending. At the end of this dissertation I summarize my expected and unexpected findings, highlight theoretical and methodological contributions, discuss limitations, and indicate directions for future research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kalkhoff, Wiliam.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: Self-Control and Neighborhoods; Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN); Zero Inflated Negative Binominal (ZINB)
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20.
Krey, Alicia Denise.
WHAT MAKES SOME NURSING HOMES MORE LIKELY TO OFFER PALLIATIVE CARE: DOES VOLUNTEERISM PREDICT THE PRESENCE OF ADDITIONAL CARE.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2011, Kent State University
► KREY, ALICIA DENISE, M.A., August 2011 SOCIOLOGY WHAT MAKES SOME NURSING HOMES…
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▼ KREY, ALICIA DENISE, M.A., August 2011 SOCIOLOGY WHAT MAKES SOME NURSING HOMES MORE LIKELY TO OFFER PALLIATIVE CARE: DOES VOLUNTEERISM PREDICT THE PRESENCE OF ADDITIONAL CARE (48 pp.) Directors of Thesis: Manacy Pai and Timothy Gallagher Palliative care has recently been certified as a holistic approach that provides comfort and relief during the end of life stages. The goal of palliative care is to alleviate fear and anxiety that the patient may be experiencing, which can reduce physical and mental stress. Nursing homes were specifically targeted in this study because it is estimated that twenty-five percent of all deaths will occur in nursing homes (Forbes-Thompson, Gessert, 2005). Daily pain – which is defined as a physical discomfort that is manifested regularly – was found to be the most prevalent among nursing home residents with cancer as well as older and minority patients, yet pain management remains poor in long-term facilities. This study analyzes the effect that volunteers have on nursing homes and whether volunteers will increase the likelihood of palliative care being offered. The hypothesis is that the more volunteers that a nursing home has, and the more activities the volunteers are involved with, the more likely the nursing home will be to provide extra treatment options such as palliative care. The National Nursing Home Survey from 2004 collected by the Center for Disease Control was used. The sample consists of 1,174 nursing homes across the country. After using a logistic regression, it was found that some aspects of volunteering do have a significant relationship with the likelihood that some nursing homes will offer palliative care. The two variables related to volunteers that are significant are: whether voluntary workers conduct other duties and the number of days per week that volunteers come in. It is possible to explore why some institutions are more likely to provide additional care for patients and potentially increase the quality of life
Advisors/Committee Members: Pai, Manacy.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: Palliative care; nursing homes; volunteers
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21.
Labuda Schrop, Susan M.
The Relationship between Patient Socioeconomic Status and Patient Satisfaction: Does Patient-Physician Communication Matter?.
Degree: PhD, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2011, Kent State University
► The therapeutic efficacy of the patient-physician interaction plays a central role in…
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▼ The therapeutic efficacy of the patient-physician interaction plays a central role in medicine. Many factors impact the patient-physician interaction, and ultimately affect health outcomes. Health follows a social gradient. Being poor matters to health and health care access in the U.S. with socioeconomic status being a strong, consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality. Health disparities include differences in health status; access to, utilization, and quality of care; and health care delivery. Unequal treatment of patients on the basis of their personal or group characteristics warrants attention, unequal treatment not justified by the patient’s underlying health condition or treatment preference. This dissertation examined the relationship between patient socioeconomic status and patient satisfaction, and determined if patient-physician communication mediated this relationship. Three hypotheses were tested though secondary analyses of data from the Direct Observation of Primary Care study, a landmark multi-method study representing the most comprehensive glimpse into the content and context of family medicine outpatient visits to date. The data supported hypothesis 1. Patients’ insurance status related significantly to physician-patient communication. Patients insured by Medicaid had visits that were significantly more physician-centered. In addition, male patients, patients with better physical health, and patients whose visits were more complex had visits that were more patient-centered. Conversely, as patients’ mental health improved, the visits became more physician-centered. Results were mixed for hypothesis 2. Satisfaction with the care-delivery site was unrelated to communication but was significantly related to patient age and overall health with older and healthier patients rating the site significantly higher. Communication related significantly to satisfaction with the physician and overall satisfaction. Satisfaction with the physician and overall satisfaction increased significantly as the visit became more patient-centered. In addition, older patients, those with better overall health and shorter visits rated satisfaction with the physician and overall satisfaction significantly higher. The data did not support hypothesis 3. There was no relationship between socioeconomic status and patient satisfaction. The next steps need to be creating and validating easy-to-administer patient satisfaction measures and the determining the optimal balance between patient-centered and physician-centered communication measured by validated instruments.
Advisors/Committee Members: Gallagher, Timothy.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: patient-physician communication; medical communication; patient satisfaction; patient-centered communication; physician-centered communication
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22.
Leveto, Jessica A.
Integrating Affect Into Structural Identity Theory.
Degree: PhD, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2012, Kent State University
► This dissertation begins to examine the relationship between identities and emotion from…
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▼ This dissertation begins to examine the relationship between identities and emotion from a Structural Identity Theory frame (Stryker 1980, Stryker and Burke, 2000; Stryker and Serpe 1982, Serpe 1987; Stryker and Serpe 1987, 1994; Stets, 2006). It addresses some of the propositions established by Stryker (2004) regarding the placement of emotions within Identity Theory. Specifically, this endeavor is motivated by the following research questions; 1) How do the frequency, intensity and duration of specific emotions fit into Identity Theory? 2) What is the influence of frequency, intensity and duration of specific emotions on commitment and identity salience (emotions as social force)? 3) What is the relationship between commitment and identity salience on the frequency, intensity and duration of specific emotions (emotion as social product)? 4) Does the inclusion of emotions enhance our understanding of Identity Theory’s relationship to self-esteem and mastery? The analysis present in this dissertation is based on a convenient sample of 1100. Through a series of structural equation models I analyze the relationship between emotions, specifically the relationship between the frequency, intensity and duration of happiness, anger and shame as they relate to the key concepts of Identity theory; commitment and identity salience. Additionally, I examine the impact of self-esteem and mastery in mediating the relationship between commitment, identity salience and emotions. I conclude that variation by large social structure (age, race and gender) in experiences of emotion provide some insight into the complexity of the relationship between emotion and social structure. I find some support for distinguishing specific multidimensional emotional experiences as opposed to simple distinctions of frequency or valence of emotion. Results indicate that emotion is both social force and social product; emotion impacts commitment and identity salience and commitment and identity salience impact emotion. The most consistent finding is that of the relationship of affective commitment on happiness. Results also demonstrate that family identity is closely tied to affective commitment. Variation in results of these analyses demonstrates the importance of recognizing emotion as a complex mechanism within Identity Theory and only begins to test and refine the theory inclusive of emotion.
Advisors/Committee Members: Serpe, Richard.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: Identity Theory; Emotions; Structural Identity Theory; Self-Esteem; Mastery
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23.
MacArthur, Kelly Rhea.
“Doing Gender” in Doctor-patient Interactions: Gender Composition of Doctor-patient Dyads and Communication Patterns.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2008, Kent State University
► There are many well documented gender differences in language, but explanations for…
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▼ There are many well documented gender differences in language, but explanations for why they exist vary. Taking a distinctly sociological approach, this thesis uses the “doing gender” framework to analyze gender in interactions. Drawing on past literature on women and men generally and on women and men physicians specifically, this research examines how gender affects doctor-patient communication. Using medical student-standardized patient interactions, several different specific communication behaviors are measured to indicate if women physicians conduct more patient-centered, partnership-building medical encounters and if they have communication skills that are considered to be better than men physicians’. Results show that women physicians do not have medical encounters that indicate greater patient-centered care or greater symmetrical encounters than men physicians do. The results of this study suggest that the influence of patients in forming doctor-patient interactions should not be ignored, as they typically have been in past studies. As with all social interactions, women and men are always “doing gender” in doctor-patient interactions even though diminished gender effects on communication are found here. If gender differences in language were due to essentialist, natural differences between the two sexes, they would be consistent across contexts, which the results of this study show they are not.
Advisors/Committee Members: Gallagher, Timothy.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: sociology; gender; doctor-patient interactions; doing gender
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24.
McCabe, Staci E.
Quantity and Frequency of Alcohol Consumption: Race-Gender Differences During Late Adolescence and Early Adulthood.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2009, Kent State University
► Guided by the literature on the life course perspective, this study examines…
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▼ Guided by the literature on the life course perspective, this study examines race and gender differences in alcohol consumption among African American, Hispanic, and white young adults aged 18 to 30. Utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth – Mother and Young Adult samples, I focus on how the apparent racial/ethnic and gender gap in drinking is maintained during the transition to adulthood, when drinking declines for all youth as they are taking on adult roles such as employment, marriage, and parenthood. Results from the longitudinal analysis indicate that African American, Hispanic, and white women drink less frequently than white men and that all groups, except for Hispanic males, consumed fewer drinks than white males. Race-gender status moderates the frequency of drinking on the number of drinks consumed. Frequency of drinking is related to increases for all groups, but less so for African American men and women compared to white men. In other words, even when African American men and women are drinking as frequently as white men, they consume far less alcohol.
Advisors/Committee Members: Christie-Mizell, C. Andre.
Subjects: Sociology
Keywords: Substance Use; Alcohol; Race; Gender; Life Course Transitions
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25.
Merolla, David M.
Race, Education, and Social Reproduction: A Study of Educational Careers in the United States.
Degree: PhD, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2010, Kent State University
► While disparities in educational attainment between racial groups are a persistent and…
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▼ While disparities in educational attainment between racial groups are a persistent and well-documented feature of American society, questions remain as to how race structures differences in the educational career trajectories of students. For instance, recent sociological studies have found that controlling for family background minority students are more likely to attend college than white students are. Yet it is not known whether this pattern is specific to college enrollment or if this pattern is a feature of earlier educational experiences as well. Additionally, many sociological studies have focused on differences in aspirational orientations and school characteristics as important aspects in the etiology of racial disparities in educational outcomes. However, it is not know how the impact of these factors changes over the course of student careers, or how changes in the impact of these variables contribute to racial disparities in educational outcomes. To address these issues, I analyze how racial disparities in educational attainment are produced using an empirical model of educational careers. Findings indicate that racial differences in educational careers begin in early grades and take a different form at different points in student educational careers. For instance, while aspirational variables do not change the pattern of racial differences in early grades, these variables become increasing important as students progress in their educational careers. These and other findings indicate that current sociological understandings of racial inequalities in education need re-specified to better understand contemporary racial disparities in educational outcomes.
Advisors/Committee Members: Christie-Mizell, C. Andre.
Subjects: Educational sociology
Keywords: Education; Race/Ethnicity; Status Attainment; Social Reproduction; Educational Careers; School Effects; Social Psychology; Multi-Level Models
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26.
Mullet, Stephen D.
The Reflexive Self: A Model of Self-Reflexivity and its Relationship to Depression and Social Anxiety Symptoms.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2009, Kent State University
► While most theorists in the sociological tradition ascribe to a dualistic…
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▼ While most theorists in the sociological tradition ascribe to a dualistic view of human nature, sociology as a discipline has tended toward a one-dimensional view of the self. Sociology has generally emphasized the cognitive determinants of behavior at the neglect of addressing the more atavistic human tendencies such as the basic biological impulses. Despite this, it is ultimately the interaction between the moral life and the lower instincts that determines human behavior and personality. The contention derived from social-psychological theorists is that a “balanced” integration between these binary psychological categories is ideal for optimal social functioning and mental health. The current work advances a conceptual model for operationalizing dual self-structure and examines the relationship between this model and symptoms of depression and social anxiety. Results of empirical tests support the notion that a balanced self decreases the likelihood of experiencing symptoms of depression and social anxiety. The study has implications for those interested in the study of self and its relationship to mental health outcomes. At a more general level, the current work also provides a foundation for bringing biological considerations into the sociological study of the self.
Advisors/Committee Members: Serpe, Richard.
Subjects: Social psychology
Keywords: self; mind; self-reflexivity; depression; social anxiety; dualism; duality; androgyny; mastery; powerful others; internal and external locus of control; flexibility; resilience; attribution theory; mental health
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27.
Norris, Tina.
ADOLESCENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, BULLYING BEHAVIOR, AND THE FREQUENCY OF INTERNET USE.
Degree: PhD, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2010, Kent State University
► Using two waves of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth…
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▼ Using two waves of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), I investigated the relationships among bullying behaviors, internet use, and academic achievement for Black, Hispanic, and White boys and girls. I assessed three measures of academic achievement, including scores on mathematics, reading comprehension, and vocabulary. The four goals of this research project were 1) to investigate the relationships among bullying behaviors, internet use (e.g., chatting, e-mailing, surfing) and academic achievement, 2) to explore whether bullying behaviors and internet use affects academic achievement over time, 3) to test if internet use moderates the relationship between bullying behaviors and academic achievement, and 4) to test if race and gender gaps in achievement persist once accounting for the relationships among bullying behavior, internet use, and social capital. Findings indicate bullying by itself does not have a significant association with achievement outcomes, while the influence of internet use varies in significance and direction of effect based on type of use. Chatting was the only measure of internet use that consistently had a significant negative relationship across all achievement outcomes. The association between bullying behaviors and academic achievement was moderated by some forms of internet use such that at low levels of bullying, children with low levels of internet use had significantly higher test scores. As levels of bullying increased, low/high internet users test scores converged to the point that at high levels of bullying behaviors, differences in test scores between low/high internet users were statistically insignificant. Email use and surfing the web were found to moderate the association between bullying behaviors and reading comprehension. Surfing moderated bullying and math scores. Chatting moderated the relationship between bullying and each of the three outcomes. Lastly, there were no significant race or gender differences in vocabulary or math scores, after controlling for SES, internet use, parent/child relationships and time 1 measures. However, African American (compared to Whites) did less well on reading comprehension scores.
Advisors/Committee Members: Christie-Mizell, Andre.
Subjects: African Americans; Education; Educational sociology; Gender; Hispanic Americans; Minority and ethnic groups; Sociology
Keywords: bullying, internet use, academic achievement, racial achievement gap, gender achievement gap
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28.
Sage, Adam J.
Attributing Deflections to Explain Agency.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2009, Kent State University
► This study seeks to advance the agency-structure debate by utilizing Affect Control…
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▼ This study seeks to advance the agency-structure debate by utilizing Affect Control Theory’s concept of deflection to explain the circumstances under which observers will make internal versus external attributions. A sample of 212 undergraduate students at a large Midwestern university were sampled. Participants were asked to read a scenario and make observer attributions of the actor in each scenario. This study uses deflection as a “variable attribution device” in an attempt to explain how observers prescribe agency to actors.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kalkhoff, William.
Subjects: Social psychology; Sociology
Keywords: Affect Control Theory; attribution; emotions; agency
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29.
Samblanet, Sarah.
Status Inconsistency Among Married Couples: How Status Inconsistency and Gender Ideology Impact Perceptions of Marital Quality, Global Happiness, and Mental Health.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2009, Kent State University
► Status inconsistency theory has traditionally been used to examine outcomes for individuals…
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▼ Status inconsistency theory has traditionally been used to examine outcomes for individuals who experience discrepancy among multiple statuses, such as high educational attainment but low occupational prestige. The current study applies this theory to married couples, investigating how the degree of discrepancy between husbands and wives on dimensions such as education, income, occupational prestige, and work hours is associated with their self-reported mental health and perceptions of marital quality and global happiness. I also explore whether gender ideology moderates the relationships between status inconsistencies and these outcomes. The data come from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH). I use piecewise regression in order to isolate the potentially different effects of positive and negative inconsistencies (i.e. how being higher or lower on a given status characteristic, relative to one’s spouse, might exert differential effects). The findings reveal that, in general, different directions of status inconsistency (advantaged or disadvantaged) benefit women compared to men. Only status inconsistency in work hours and education are relevant for men, who benefit from being status-advantaged relative to their wives. For women, all types of status inconsistency are relevant, and being status-disadvantaged relative to their husbands is beneficial.
Advisors/Committee Members: Kalkhoff, William.
Subjects: Social psychology; Sociology
Keywords: dyad; National Survey of Families and Households; piecewise regression; status; status inconsistency
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30.
Schwarz, Rebecca M.
Cell Phone Communication Versus Face-to-Face Communication: The Effect of Mode of Communication on Relationship Satisfaction and the Difference in Quality of Communication.
Degree: MA, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology, 2008, Kent State University
► With the advent of cell phones, individuals are now able to maintain…
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▼ With the advent of cell phones, individuals are now able to maintain relationships regardless of distance and time. The purpose of this research was to identify what role the mode of communication plays in determining overall relationship satisfaction, in order to identify how communication over the cell phone compares to face-to-face communication. It is also possible that this relationship between mode of communication and relationship satisfaction is mediated by the quality of communication that is experienced within both modes of communication. To test the hypotheses, a random sample of 2,600 university students was drawn in two separate waves, of which a total of 516 students completed a web-based survey. The results of this research yield some interesting findings. First, it appears that the relationship between mode of communication and relationship satisfaction varies according to the type of relationship being studied when the quality of communication indicators are not controlled for. For friendships, communication over the cell phone has a greater positive impact on relationship satisfaction than does face-to-face communication. Family members are just the opposite: face-to-face communication has a greater positive impact on their relationship satisfaction than does cell phone communication. For Romantic Partners, however, both modes of communication are equally important in their overall relationship satisfaction when the quality of communication is not accounted for. When the quality of communication indicators are accounted for, however, it appears that in almost all cases, the frequency and quality of face-to-face communication has a greater effect on relationship satisfaction than does the frequency and quality of cell phone communication, with one exception: the frequency of cell phone communication has a greater impact on relationship satisfaction for romantic partners than does the frequency of face-to-face communication. This study also provides empirical evidence that in all three relationship conditions, the quality of face-to-face communication is significantly higher than the quality of cell phone communication on average, and that overall, the quality of communication is more important for relationship satisfaction than the quantity of communication. The results of this study identify a whole new area for future study by social scientists, and communications researchers alike.
Advisors/Committee Members: Serpe, Richard.
Subjects: Communication; Social research; Sociology
Keywords: Cell Phone; Cellular Phone; Relationship Satisfaction; Mode of Communication; Quality of Communication; Communication Technology
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