Effect of Racial/Ethnic Composition on Transfer Rates in Community Colleges: Implications for Policy and Practice

This study examines factors associated with community college transfer rates. Regression models are developed using community college data at the institution level. The analyses employ two different definitions of the transfer rate and two different time spans over which to observe transfer behavior. Holding constant other factors expected to influence differences in transfer rates, the results reveal disparities in transfer rates according to the racial/ethnic composition of the student body. Community colleges with higher percentages of either Latino or African American students have lower 6-year transfer rates. The findings also confirm the results of other studies: community colleges with higher transfer rates tend to have younger student populations, students with higher socioeconomic status and better academic preparation, and a greater focus on academic programs. The important policy implications of these findings for states where the percentages of students of color are increasing are discussed.     

Understanding Relations Among Early Family Environment, Cortisol Response, and Child Aggression via a Prevention Experiment

This study examined relations among family environment, cortisol response, and behavior in the context of a randomized controlled trial with 92 children ( M  =   48 months) at risk for antisocial behavior. Previously, researchers reported an intervention effect on cortisol response in anticipation of a social challenge. The current study examined whether changes in cortisol response were related to later child aggression. Among lower warmth families, the intervention effect on aggression was largely mediated by the intervention effect on cortisol response. Although the intervention also resulted in significant benefits on child engaging behavior, cortisol response did not mediate this effect. These findings demonstrate meaningful associations between cortisol response and aggression among children at familial risk for antisocial behavior.     

The Cost of the Veil: Visual Communication Impacts of Hijab on News Judgments

Using disposition theory as a framework, this 2 (headscarf vs. no headscarf) by 2 (US citizen vs. refugee) experiment sought to elucidate the impact of visual and verbal cues in mediated messages on conclusions drawn from a television news package about a woman accused of consorting with a known terrorist group in the US, in terms of parochial empathy for and perceived innocence of the woman. Parochial empathy measures the difference between ingroup and outgroup empathy; higher levels indicate ingroup empathy is greater than outgroup empathy, meaning the individual’s empathy is very narrow in scope or “parochial.” Political identity was a measured independent variable. The data supported a model in which political identity was a significant moderator of the headscarf’s effect on parochial empathy, and that parochial empathy mediated the relationship between the manipulated and measured predictor variables on perceived innocence. Details of the relationships among variables are reported and the implications for theory and journalism practice are discussed.     

Changes in Myocardial Mass Associated with Age and Stress: Reexamination of Ventricular Hypertrophy

Abstract

Hearts from 126 male Sprague-Dawley rats (two age groups) were studied to determine effects of age, chronic hypoxia, and exercise on ventricular weight. Exercised rats had significantly heavier absolute total ventricular weights (right plus left) compared with chronically hypoxic or control rats. Whether expressed as absolute or percent total ventricular weight, chronically hypoxic rats had significantly larger right ventricles but significantly smaller left ventricles than exercised or control rats. Expressed as absolute weight, older rats (11 months) had significantly larger right or left ventricles than young rats (3 months). Expressed as percent total ventricular weight, young rats had left ventricles 4% smaller, but right ventricles 4% larger than older rats (p <.05). Type of work overload (volume or pressure) and functional location of workload (pulmonary or systemic) were suggested physiological mechanisms for stress- and age-related changes in myocardial mass.     

Seeking the Levers of Change: Participant Attitudes and School Improvement

In this paper we argue that to improve schools we must change the relationships between teachers, parents, and students to render these more satisfying to all parties. Using data collected as part of a long‐term project, we show that certain aspects of teacher practice have a strong impact upon student and parent attitudes, and hence upon their ratings of schools; we contend that improving schools requires attention to these powerful attitudinal levers of change.     

Conceptualisations of disability and inclusion: perspectives of educators of young children

This grounded theory study explores beliefs about disability and inclusion from the perspectives of educators of young children in their respective roles as elementary school teachers and early childhood educators, in Ontario, Canada. The social relational model described by Reindal is used as a theoretical framework for interviews with four educators. The interview data provide a theory of educators' beliefs and show the relationship of the beliefs to their practice. Implications based on the theory are presented for both policy and professional development.     

Older adults’ perceived sense of social exclusion from the digital world

ABSTRACT

A great deal of information and many services can now be accessed digitally. In order to make use of such services, however, it is necessary to have some form of Internet access. A lack of involvement in digital society may produce new forms of social exclusion. Older adults are particularly at risk of Internet-related social exclusion, since they tend to use the Internet less than younger adults. Little is known, however, about whether this lower level of Internet use among older people is in fact accompanied by a sense of social exclusion. In order to investigate the subjective sense of digital social exclusion resulting from a lack of Internet usage, we conducted a secondary analysis of a representative, cross-sectional telephone survey of 1,037 adults aged 65 years and over and living in Switzerland. We found that 33% of “onliners” reported that they would feel socially excluded were they to stop using the Internet, compared with 14% of “onliners” who felt socially excluded on account of their lack of Internet use. Our analyses show that onliners’ attitudes toward Internet use and the variety of online applications available were related to their sense of social exclusion. By contrast, offliners’ attitudes toward Internet use and their feelings of loneliness in general were predictors for their sense of social exclusion as a result of not using the Internet. The results of the study as well as its implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Low-income African and Latina immigrant mothers’ selection of early childhood care and education (ECCE): Considering the complexity of cultural and structural influences

Grounded in ecocultural theory and utilizing in-depth interview data, this paper explores the experiences of 40 low-income immigrant mothers as they selected and secured early childhood care and education (ECCE) for their young children. Cultural and structural aspects of low-income immigrant families’ lives and their influence in shaping these families’ ECCE decision-making processes were examined. Latina and African mothers’ experiences were considered, as these mothers’ country of origin (COO) experiences were varied as well as their documentation statuses upon arrival in the US, with 15 of the Latinas being undocumented. Mothers discussed reasons for seeking ECCE, with maternal employment being most important. Some mothers looked to ECCE to recreate social experiences for their children similar to those in their COOs. Many mothers indicated looking for ECCE programs in which their children could learn English and interact with children from diverse backgrounds. Mothers tended to utilize social and organizational connections to secure ECCE and documentation of residence shaped the number and severity of obstacles mothers faced in securing ECCE. The findings from this study inform researchers, policymakers, and practitioners as to how both culture and structure shape ECCE decision making among low-income African and Latina/o immigrant families.     

“Feminism Begins at Home”: The Influence of Mother Gender Socialization on Daughter Career andMotherhood Aspirations as Channeled Through Daughter Feminist Identification

Intercultural communication in contexts

Judith N. Martin and Thomas K. Nakayama, Intercultural Communication in Contexts. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 1997.

Communicating in the classroom

Kathleen Kougl, Communicating in the Classroom. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 1997.

Relating: Dialogues and dialectics

Leslie A. Baxter and Barbara M. Montgomery, B.M., Relating: Dialogues and dialectics. New York: Guilford, 1996.     

An Examination of Relational Uncertainty,Romantic Intent,and Attraction on Communicative and Relational Outcomes in Cross-Sex Friendships

This investigation explored the impact of relational uncertainty and its correlates (i.e., attraction and romantic intent) on cognitive, communicative, and behavioral outcomes in cross-sex friendships. Participants included 352 people who reported on a current cross-sex friendship. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that social attraction increased relational satisfaction while relational uncertainty decreased relational satisfaction. Further, social attraction decreased topic avoidance while romantic intent and relational uncertainty increased topic avoidance. Finally, social attraction increased the use of relationship talk, routine contact and activity, and emotional support maintenance behaviors, while relational uncertainty decreased the use of these maintenance behaviors. This study provides researchers with a starting point for understanding the consequences associated with interpersonal attraction, romantic intent, and relational uncertainty in cross-sex friendships.