Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: Purpose: Research has demonstrated that participation in voluntary associations benefits both the individual and society, yet most Americans do not participate. Educational attainment is one of the strongest, most consistent predictors of participation, but how education matters remains unclear. This study explored how psychological, social, and contextual factors might moderate the link between education and social participation. Of particular interest was whether the concomitants of involvement are distinct for those with greater versus lesser educational attainment.

Method: Using data from the National Survey of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS), we performed hierarchical multiple regression analyses to test whether psychological well-being, social well-being, and contextual variables moderate education’s effect on voluntary participation.

Findings: Respondents with less education were more likely to volunteer when they had purpose in life and perceived society as meaningful. Respondents with more education were more likely to volunteer when they were socially integrated, accepted others, and lived in a smaller county. Similarly, respondents with more education were more likely to attend social or professional meetings when they were socially integrated, had frequent conversations with neighbors, and lived in their neighborhoods longer.

Implications: Although the cross-sectional nature of the data make it impossible to determine which of these factors were antecedents or consequents of participation in voluntary associations, we surmise that the effects for those with low education may be outcomes of participation, while the effects for those with more education may be precursors to their participation. Longitudinal research will be needed to validate these interpretations.

Supporting Publications:
Supporting Document
Supporting Document

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: As a social phenomenon, the disintegration of couples is not easy to be measured. Usually in vital statistics breakups are limited to divorces and only register some kind of information. In this way, we can only know the amount of separations in a certain period of time but we can not easily reconstruct the history of each generation and relate it to other demographic events in the live of the persons. In this paper we analyze the data of the Encuesta Demográfica Retrospectiva in Mexico (EDER) that allows us to analyze all kind of breakups in marital and consensual unions and relate it to other demographic and socioeconomic phenomena. Using this survey we compare the trends of separation in males and females from three generations in Mexico, and through a model of events history analysis we try to identify the main socioeconomic factors that influence the breakup during first unions.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Hong Kong, a quasi-democratic society, provides a unique context for the study of political participation. A random-sample telephone survey empirically examined the relationship between Hong Kong residents’ sense of political efficacy and their propensity to participate in a protest march against the possible enactment of a bill which deals with acts of treason, secession, sedition, and theft of state secretes. This law-making process actually brought to an unprecedented political crisis in Hong Kong history. Results show that people with high degree of internal efficacy and low degree of external efficacy are particularly likely to engage in a protest march, suggesting the existence of a universal pattern identified in political participation research.

Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: Until recently the Dominican Republic was integrated into the global economy based primarily on its sugar and other traditional agricultural exports. The country's current mode of insertion into the global economy depends heavily, however, on new activities such as tourism. This poster presentation depicts and theoretically interprets some Dominican workers' experience in their country's tourism sector, focusing on lower-paid workers such as housekeeping and grounds maintenance staff.
Although tourism work provides workers with income they might not otherwise be able to obtain – given the Dominican Republic's current class, economic, and occupational structure – these jobs make enormous demands on workers. Working hours are very long, and to keep their jobs, workers must keep smiles on their faces when they interact with guests. Relying partly on information collected by students in a study abroad course, I will examine aspects of tourism workers' emotional labor, how their work is organized along gender lines, and how their emotional labor itself is gendered.
On a pedagogical note, I will briefly outline benefits and challenges of study abroad coursework focused on working in the global economy.

Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) provides free access to the highest quality data on religion. The ARDA allows you to interactively explore American and international data using online features for generating national profiles, maps, church membership overviews, GIS mapping, QuickStats, QuickLists, denominational heritage trees, tables, charts, and other summary reports. Over 430 data files are available for online preview (including multiple years of the General Social Survey) and virtually all can be downloaded free of charge. In February 2008, the ARDA completed major upgrades to the site, including a new look and many new features. Two of the most significant features are GIS U.S. Maps and a Learning Center. Partnering with Social Explorer, the ARDA now provides interactive mapping of demographic data by census tracts and religious adherence data by counties. The expanded Learning Center contains many new Learning Modules for classroom use as well as a Dictionary of Religious and Statistical Terms. Housed in the Social Science Research Institute at the Pennsylvania State University, the ARDA is funded by the Lilly Endowment, the John Templeton Foundation, and the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion.