Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Few topics have received more attention in recent years than negative campaigning. The bulk of this work focuses on the effects of negative campaigns and/or the normative consequences. We address a more basic question: when do Congressional candidates go negative in the first place? Our approach differs from the few works that systematically explore the determinants of negative campaigning in three notable ways. First, we offer a new theory that specifies conditions under which we expect candidates to go negative against their opponents. Second, we test our predictions using a novel data set based on more than 730 candidate websites, over three election cycles. This means we use non-mediated communication (e.g., compared to news reports) and we have an unbiased sample of campaigns (i.e., we are not limited to competitive races that happen to produce television advertisements). We also offer insight into campaigning on this new medium. Third, we extend prior work by looking at alternative types of negativity such as negativity toward the parties and the president. We find that campaign specific variables, particularly competition, drive negativity towards opponents, however, other more partisan forces lead to alternative types of negativity. We discuss the implications for an understanding of campaign strategy, methodologies of studying campaigns, and studying public opinion formation.

Publication Type: Informal Discussion Roundtable
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to study family dinner rituals to determine who is most likely to engage in the traditional family dinner and how participation affects intra-family relationships. This preliminary study compares dinner practices of families with no children, with children living at home, and those with grown children. These are intentionally selected as they yield a life-course perspective, following the standard family trajectory from early marriage to empty nest. More specifically, we focus on the way that changing value orientations across the life course are reflected in dinner practices. Structured dinner routines reflect an extrinsic value orientation of the caretakers. On the other hand, those who hold self-oriented values prioritize meeting personal needs by seeking convenience and relaxation. The research uses grounded theory to derive a new theoretical taxonomy of family dining rituals which can inform and organize future research. Early research has indicated that a family’s position in the evolving family life-cycle is correlated to specific dining patterns. It is reasonable to assume that a good portion of intra-family communication takes place at the dinner table which can serve to strengthen the relationships among family members and as an origin for other family activities.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This analysis uses a pooled sample from the 2000 and 2002 June Current Population Surveys to investigate how the duration of residence in the U.S. affects female Mexican immigrant fertility. Multiple classification analysis is conducted to observe differences in the mean number of children ever born for native born white, African American, native born Mexican, and foreign born Mexican females. Next, multiple regression is used to predict the mean number of children ever born controlling for selectivity, assimilation, regional, and marital variables. Results indicate that even when controlling for marital status, employment, and income, female Mexican immigrants have more children than all other racial /ethnic groups. A longer duration spent in the U.S. is negatively associated with the number of children born. However, effects of duration vary with the ages of the respondents suggesting that fertility may be influenced by the timing of the years spent in the U.S. with peoples’ specific phase in the life course.