Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: I add to the literature on leaving home by considering the understudied role of access to housing. Since housing forms the material basis for the household, both familial and non-familial, I expect access to housing will have an important effect on household formation. The theory of social reproduction posits a positive relationship between access to housing and leaving to begin a new family household. By contrast, the theory of individuation predicts a positive relationship between access to housing and leaving to live alone, or in a non-family household. I employ Sweden as a case study of particular interest to test these hypotheses. I develop measures of infrastructural and financial access to housing and use multinomial event history modeling to assess their effects on competing risks of leaving the parental home for familial (cohabiting with a romantic partner) and non-familial (single) settings. The findings support the theory of social reproduction. Better access to housing increases the likelihood of leaving home to cohabit with a partner for both men and women in Sweden.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Researchers assert that communities are emerging over computer-mediated communication in various Internet formats such as interactive chat rooms (Blanchard and Horan, 1998). In chat rooms, people type each other messages in real-time or read others' conversations as they are occurring. I have chosen to study a trauma/abuse survivors chat room because this chat room seems to have more longevity and continuity in its membership than other chat rooms I visited.
Through this research I seek to understand relationship building and the establishment and modes of function of a chat room community. Additionally, my goal is to explore how “community” is defined and maintained in this virtual setting.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Internet predators are finding new ways every day to prey on the vulnerabilities of youth in chat rooms and lure them into sexual activities. This study will examine chat room transcripts between adult predators and adult volunteers of the group “Perverted Justice” posing as youth. The method of content analysis will be used to interpret the underlying meanings behind the words and actions of the predators and how they affect potential victims. The purpose of this study is to not only encourage further research in a field with too few studies, but to make others aware of the predators searching for children on the Internet and their methods of seduction

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper examines the stereotypes that have been associated with the abilities of football players of different races. This practice often leads to "stacking", which Coakley (1998) defines as "players from a certain racial or ethnic group being either over- or under-represented at certain positions in team sports". Traditionally, this has meant that African Americans were less likely to be found in "thinking" positions in football, most notably at quarterback, offensive center, and inside linebacker. The author attempts to discern whether these stereotypes still exist in the minds of those most intimately involved with the issue: college and professional scouts. The paper explores these issues by using a content analysis of National Football League (NFL) draft periodicals published by a popular sports magazine in the United States. The results of the analysis show that scouts are significantly more likely to describe African American players in terms of their physical/athletic capabilities, and white players in terms of their mental/intelligence abilities.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The psychiatric emergency room (PER) plays an increasingly important role in the community mental health system. Research regarding individuals who repeatedly use PER services has been hampered by the lack of a grounding theoretical construct from which to examine PER service utilization. The current study uses two years of data from an urban PER to examine the impact of four different definitions of repeated PER service use. Results suggest that predictors of PER service utilization differ depending on the definition of frequent service use applied. For example, Hispanic ethnicity was predictive of using the PER for times or more in 12 months, but was not predictive of other definitions. African-American ethnicity was predictive of using PER services twice or more in 12 months, and four times or more in 12 months, but was not predictive of using PER services six or more times in 12 months or being two standard deviations above the mean number of PER visits.This variation in results across definitions highlights not only the need to be mindful of definitions when examining PER service utilization data, but also the need for increased integration of theory driven models to better inform research, intervention, and practice when attempting to understand individuals who are repeat users of services.