Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: We formulate and assess thirteen models of how individuals use status differences and expressed claims of ability in task focused groups. The first three models are consistent with an established theory of status characteristics and expectation states, and all of them show good fit with observations. Next we formulate and test ten more models, representing plausible ideas that have appeared in the sociological literature. None of these models does as well at representing the experimental data as the three theoretical models. We use the comparisons to illustrate ideas about the value of theory, the often specious nature of intuition, and the proper uses of behavioral models.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Gift exchanges enact status hierarchies when task group members have unspecified levels of social status, but what occurs when exchange partners are not equally ranked? If one gives gifts to her low status counterpart, will a high status actor gain even more influence? Will the low status actor reciprocate these gifts to “win back” the hypothesized status lost by the high status actor’s largesse? We use behavior-status and social exchange theories to model a social situation with an exchange and status process. We test hypotheses derived from these theories with empirical evidence gathered from an experimental setting that includes actors in a dyad. The experimental test consists of three parts: an individual task that establishes an ability difference between two actors; a Word Formation Task, during which actors can exchange Scrabble tiles to help each other construct words; and a team task that requires actors to take each others’ opinions into consideration before making a decision and that also measures influence. One hundred and fifty-one students from a Midwestern state university participated in the experiment. Preliminary results show that when a high status actor gives gifts to a low status partner who cannot reciprocate, the low status partner loses even more influence. These results support the mechanisms of behavior-status theory, but not its assumptions about salience.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The paper addresses the question if health is influenced not only by individual but also by ecological factors. Three sets of such factors which might influence individual health are identified: (a) environmental variables, mostly air pollution and noise; (b) characteristics of the built environment, such as density or building age; (c) population composition as conceptualized by Social Area Analysis. It is hypothesized that (H1) poor air quality influences health negatively, that (H2) social status of an area and (H3a) family status of an area both influence health positively, and (H3b) that there is an interaction effect between family status of a district and the presence of children at the individual level.
These hypotheses are empirically investigated using data from Cologne, German. Four different health measures are used as dependent variables physical and mental health as measure d by SF-36, an index reflecting health complaints and the body-mass index. At the district level three measures are available: air pollution, social status and family status. In addition a number of individual level variables are included in the analysis.
After presenting the results of exploratory analyses on the individual and contextual level three sets of multilevel models are estimated. With the exception of mental health the results indicate small but significant variations of health between city districts. As predicted social status of the district influences physical health and health complaints; the latter is also true for outdoor air quality. However, neither BMI nor mental health depend on the district level variables investigated in this paper.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Two fundamental propositions are explored: 1) do differences in exposure to social stress account for variations in stress exposure for race and gender and 2) do variations in stress exposure account for the additional stress burden that women caught in the intersections of race, class and gender experience. As regards predicting depressive symptoms, the types of strains that were implicated for Black males was having a serious illness, low decision making latitude jobs, perceptions of financial stress and adverse health behaviors. For Black females, not feeling safe in their neighborhoods and demands from family were predictors of depressive symptoms. Moreover, discrimination and the stress induced by racist acts were significant predictors of adverse mental health for both Black males and Black females. For Whites, the antecedents of stress that were implicated in mental health risk were more acute than chronic. Results indicate for White males that the most influential events associated with depressive symptoms were being a victim of a robbery and not feeling safe in the residential neighborhoods. Not being married, relationship hassles, too many spousal demands, and perceptions of chronic strains were strongly related to depressive symptoms for White females. Placing “social strains” in comparative perspective for status groups, results from the paper provide evidence that the types of stressors Black males and Black females experience are chronic and systemic strains that are a result of racial stratification. For Whites, the predictors of adverse mental health seem to be more domestic than systemic.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This article offers new research at the intersection of power and status. Our goal is to understand how culturally valued status characteristics such as age, education, race and gender translate into power in negotiated exchange. We accomplish this by building upon a recently formulated status value theory of power (Thye 2000). The status value theory of power assumes that that status characteristics produce power because the resources held by higher status actors are perceived to have greater status value than resources held by lower status actors. In turn, the possession of valued resources is allows power exercise for high status actors (Willer 1999, Emerson 1972a). Here, we test core assumptions of that theory and several theoretical scope conditions. Specifically, we ask (i) what are the minimal necessary conditions for resources to acquire status value, and (ii) which status characteristics have the strongest effect in producing status value and power. Further, we ask if status characteristics activate performance expectations in exchange as they do in other groups, and compare the current findings to previous ones.