Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Gang groups and terrorist groups generally seek achievement of their interests through violent activities. Both of the groups operate within well organized group structures. They use deadlier methods against their targets. They generally prefer youths, especially males, for recruitment. Despite these and other commonalities in the background of them, there is no adequate level of, if there is not any, research that comparatively focus on these violent groups. With this in mind, there are two main purposes of this study. First, it aims at revealing similarities and differences between gang and terrorist groups in terms of structural, operational, tactical, motivational, ideological, and some other characteristics. Second, it focuses on different theoretical approaches used in the studies on gang and terrorism related violence, and points out differentiation in the perception of these two groups. This study is based on detailed analysis of existing literature.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper is about the influence of interpersonal attraction and shared social identities on group negotiation productivity. Three studies showed that interpersonal attraction and shared social identification are crucial aspects of group communication and influence each other to a great extent. That is, shared social identification leads to the development of productivity norms (Study 1), which will develop particularly in situations where an organic identity formation took place (Study 2). Furthermore, the path from interpersonal attraction to productivity appeared to be indirect: interpersonal attraction lead to the recognition of a shared social identity, which then –fostered by shared cognition and productivity norms- lead to increased workgroup productivity (Study 3).

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Arguably, the most important and controversial debates about pubic opinion, science and the mass media in this century will focus on the promises and threats of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Governments in the Northern Hemisphere, Europe, and Asia are “expecting big things from small science,” an overworked cliché seen in newspaper headlines from around the world.
Largely in response to a National Academy of Sciences review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) in 2002, Congress passed in November 2003 a 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act. The legislation would authorize $713 million in nanotechnology investment in fiscal year 2004, $784.5 million in fiscal 2005, and $864 million in fiscal 2006, complementing the nearly $1 billion annually that industry is expected to spend on nanotechnology research over the next several years.
The NanoBusiness Alliance, whose advisory board is headed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, is the major interest group promoting nanoscience applications. The Foresight Institute whose chairman Eric Drexler is author of the 1986 book, Engines of Creation, while generally positioned as a pro-nanotech organization, is also associated with sentiments [Drexler quote] “that the rush of scientists to jump on the nanotech bandwagon has played a big part in creating media hype, and whatever public anxiety that may in turn have caused.” Greenpeace and the ETC Group are two other public interest groups that are concerned about the societal implications of nanoscience/nanotechnology initiatives.
In this proposed AAPOR paper, the author will examine the opinions of these various interest groups as represented on their own web sites and by the opinions their official representatives have expressed to journalists. The focus is on sentiments regarding the promises and threats of nanoscience/nanotechnology and the period covered generally focuses on content published since January 1, 2000, though some articles date to the 1980s.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper explores the impact of candidate demographic cues and partisan affiliation on citizens’ preferences in a low-information setting. I use an experimental design to control the sex and ethnicity of actual candidates presented to subjects, and I manipulate the presence and absence of partisan cues. I predict the extent to which (1) shared group characteristics, (2) explicit measures of group sentiment, and (3) implicit measures of group sentiment shape citizens’ preferences in the presence and absence of party cues. I find that the presence of party cues attenuates the impact of group-based sentiments (whether explicitly or implicitly measured) in the evaluation of a Hispanic candidate but not in the evaluation of a female candidate.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) (Sidanius and Pratto 1999) has been assumed to contribute to the willingness of minority group members to accept their subordinate position in the society. Inversely, it has been purported to be associated with majority group members’ acceptance of their dominant position. Following this logic, I expect that political participation will be positively associated with SDO among majority group members and negatively associated with SDO among minority group members. Data from a representative survey of El Paso, TX residents shows that SDO is positively related to voting and other conventional forms of public participation, as well as unconventional public participation among whites in El Paso. On the other hand, SDO is negatively related to these forms of public participation among Latinos in El Paso. SD theory is both upheld and refined in this test – (1) the expected relationships between SDO and groups are demonstrated and (2) that SD theory does not apply to baseline rates of political participation by nationally subordinate groups in minority-majority localities.