Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: In this study, I attempt to link individual-level and country-level analysis of voluntary association memberships. Specifically, I examine how the structural contexts of a nation influence the level of gender and class disparity in voluntary association memberships. I hypothesize that (1) the effects of socioeconomic status on voluntary association membership are stronger in nations with higher levels of socioeconomic stratification, and (2) the effects of gender on voluntary association membership are stronger in nations with higher level of gender stratification. I test the hypotheses using hierarchical nonlinear models with individual-level and country-level data from 29 nations. Although none of the hypotheses were supported, the results show significant cross-national variations in the effects of gender and socioeconomic status on voluntary association memberships. This research shows the promise of a multi-level approach in the study of voluntary association memberships.

Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: Depressive symptoms are elevated among women recalled for cancer screening (Ekeberg et al., 2001) and among those diagnosed with cancer (Burgess et al., 2005), but the effect of depressive symptoms on likelihood of screening for breast and cervical cancers is unclear (Dooren et al., 2003; Pirraglia et al., 2004). This research tests the hypothesis that depressive symptoms are associated with a lower likelihood of follow-up among low-income uninsured women enrolled in state public health program and explores relationships between depressive symptoms and program satisfaction, barriers to screening, and likelihood of cancer diagnosis. Methods: A random sample of 207 low-income women participating in the CDC-funded Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s breast and cervical screening program was surveyed by phone. Depressive symptoms were measured with a two-question screening index tested by Haggman et al. (2004) with physical therapy patients. Results: 38% of the sample was identified as having at least one depressive symptom; 19% as having two. Depressive symptoms were associated with less frequent help from case managers, less satisfaction with case management, and reports of more problems in receiving services. Depressive symptoms were also associated with poorer ratings of physical health, but not with a greater likelihood of receiving a cancer diagnosis. Conclusions: Depressive symptoms are associated with greater anxiety about health service utilization and less satisfying interactions with service staff. Medical and allied staff should be sensitive to the prevalence of depressive symptoms in low-income women being screened for breast and cervical cancer and seek to overcome associated barriers.

Publication Type: Individual Paper
Abstract: George H. Woodson was much more than one of the original 29 men who met at Niagara Falls, Canada, 100 years ago. He was a Buffalo Soldier, Howard University Law School graduate, charter member of the Niagara Movement, attorney in Buxton and Des Moines, Iowa, active Republican party member and candidate, journalist, and co-founder of the National Bar Association in Des Moines in 1925.

The proposed "paper" will be the audio portion of an audio-visual presentation of 10-15 minutes that will focus on George H. Woodson's life and career. Mostly his career in Iowa as the state's leading African-American professional in the first two decades of the 20th century. His life from 1865 to the 1930s is a portrait of the making of a "New Negro," representative of the best of a generation who took full advantage of the limited opportunity available and made more opportunity for those who followed in his steps.

Hopefully, this would be one of two or three other presentations in a session entitled: "The Original 29," and I can only hope that others have or will submit proposals about other members of that little known, but mightily deserving group who answered Du Bois' call.

Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: This study investigates, using semiotic methods, media representation of business executives, specifically, that of Chief Executive Officers in the 50 largest corporations in the United States. We examine how these prominent executives are represented in two media outlets: one mainstream and one specialized business newspaper, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, respectively, in the 1980s. Our findings reveal that the representation of CEOs is constructed through two codes that define competing leadership characteristics. The primary code indicates that a valued executive is fast thinking, aggressive, risk taking, outgoing and outspoken, among other characteristics. The secondary code is mostly positively valued as well, describing CEOs as analytic, cautious, and introspective. The latter principal function is to underscore the superiority of the executive that is described through the first code. Executive representation does follow the same semiotic in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal which suggests that they are part of a same ‘business’ cultural system. However, the investigation gives insight, on how the representation subtly changes by media outlet in the context in which meaning creation is done. The Wall Street Journal, according to its character, provides a more extensive and technical foundation than The New York Times, which is geared towards a general audience. Our results demonstrate that representation of the dominant group of organizational leaders, CEOs of large corporations, is not homogeneous, as could be hypothesized. This offers insights for the analysis of media representation of other hegemonic groups by introducing nuances to their, sometimes conceptualized, monolithic nature.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Murders committed by juveniles remain a serious concern in the United States. A review of the literature reveals that most studies on juvenile homicide offenders (JHOs) have used small samples and have concentrated on male offenders. As a result, little is known about female JHOs and how they differ from their male counterparts on a national level. This paper utilizes the Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) data base to examine thousands of homicide cases committed by juveniles during 1976-2004. Victim and offender characteristics, weapons used, and homicide circumstances are examined by gender to determine if differences exist and if certain variables are more predictive of homicides committed by girls than by boys. Our findings are compared with earlier SHR analyses by Rowley, Ewing, and Singer (1987) and Loper and Cornell (1996) to see if changes have occurred since their analyses of juvenile homicide in 1984 and 1984-1993, respectively. The paper concludes with a discussion of our findings in terms of the clinical literature, including possible explanations for gender differences, treatment implications and possible intervention strategies.