Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Three hundred and nine respondents are examined to investigate the effects of the division of household labor on distress. Because few studies have looked at the mediating relationship of marital satisfaction, our study includes marital relationships in the analysis. We also examine the extent to which relationship satisfaction mediates the relationship between housework divisions and distress. Equity theory and role theory theories are proposed and applied to the data. Findings provide little support for the mediating effect of marital satisfaction. Results indicate slight support for equity theory and support for role theory among men. Findings are consistent with prior studies that support that women and men are affected differently by the division of labor. Women are more affected by the proportion of housework and men are more affected by the actual hours of housework, which suggests evidence for differential vulnerability.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper examines one of the unforeseen consequences of chronic illness "social isolation". Social isolation refers to a negative state of aloneness or diminished participation in social relationships which can happen in two ways:either the ill person, given the symptoms, unexpected crises, lengthy hospitalizations and convalescence, difficult regimens and loss of energy, withdraws from most social contact, or the ill person is avoided or even abandoned by friends and relatives. In either case, social relationships are disrupted or falter and break down. My interviews with a large number of non-hospitalized ill persons suffering from a variety of chronic conditions reveal that lessened and impaired social contact and a sense of increased social isolation are among the more detrimental consequences of chronic illness and has serious implications for effective health care.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study examines the association between residential proximity to industrial activity and psychological distress. Using individual level data from the 1995 Detroit Area Study, industrial activity data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory, and demographic data from the U.S. census, we find that residential proximity to industrial activity increases psychological distress among survey respondents. This association holds after controlling for individual and neighborhood level correlates.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Previous research on the association between role and mental distress emphasizes role acquisition or loss (e.g., the number-emphasized role accumulation theory and the expected role acquisition perspective). From these perspectives, expected role absence is detrimental to mental health. I argue that absence of expected roles does not necessarily lead to damage on mental health at any time, and the role configurations incorporated with expected role are not always beneficial. To clarify the relationship between roles and mental health, the life stage should be taken into consideration. From the perspective of the hardship in the resocialization process, I propose that (1) expected role transformation phases no matter of getting, losing or failing to get the expected roles are associated with higher distress than transformation stunting phases; (2) the impact of expected role absence on distress varies by phase and gender: in the expected role transformation stunting phase, keeping out of the expected role repertoires is not necessarily related to more mental distress; role configurations impact more to women’s mental health than men’s. Using data drawn from a 1990 national probability sample of 1978 respondents age from 18 to 90, this paper found that the stunting phases are related to lowest average distress level in life, and the impact of expected role repertoires absence on the mental health varies by life phase and gender. In spite of the prevalence of expected-role holders in the stunting phase, expected role repertoires absence are not significantly associated with more mental distress, compared with the highly positive correlation between expected role absence and mental distress in role transformation phase. However, some role repertoires incorporated with expected role in the transformation life stage have not positive effect on mental health. From the re-socialization perspective, when approaching middle life, most of the people are either expected role holders or abnormal successful role transformation actors, which shed a light on the lowest average distress level of this phase in life time.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper argues that hysteria shares numerous symptoms with other periods in western history during which women’s bodies and behaviors of women have been pathologized. It tracks these similarities by deconstructing the “symptoms” ascribed to different disorders applied to women, including neurosis in the 1950’s, personality disorders and post traumatic stress disorder in the 1980's, and in the latter 20th century, depression. Even while psychiatric literature describes depression as a disease that doesn’t discriminate, this study argues that the psychiatric discourse works specifically to dub women’s coping mechanisms and low productivity as dysfunctional. By drawing out the similarities among 20th century “female” disorders, the study contends that depression and depression-linked diagnoses have become normalized in the late 20th century. More, this cultural comfort with naming women’s distress as disorder has allowed for new “technologies” of behavioral discipline to arise, namely activities of self-scrutiny, self-diagnosis, an appetite for psychopharmaceutical drugs and self-conducted treatments, and finally, new diagnosis created by mainstream media.