Showing papers in "American Behavioral Scientist in 2001"
TL;DR: The authors found that heavy Internet use is associated with increased participation in voluntary organizations and politics, and that people's interaction online supplements their face-to-face and telephone communication without increasing or decreasing it.
Abstract: How does the Internet affect social capital? Do the communication possibilities of the Internet increase, decrease, or supplement interpersonal contact, participation, and community commitment? This evidence comes from a 1998 survey of 39,211 visitors to the National Geographic Society Web site, one of the first large-scale Web surveys. The authors find that people's interaction online supplements their face-to-face and telephone communication without increasing or decreasing it. However, heavy Internet use is associated with increased participation in voluntary organizations and politics. Further support for this effect is the positive association between offline and online participation in voluntary organizations and politics. However, the effects of the Internet are not only positive: The heaviest users of the Internet are the least committed to online community. Taken together, this evidence suggests that the Internet is becoming normalized as it is incorporated into the routine practices of everyday ...
1,787 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the role of the Internet in shaping interpersonal relations is analyzed based on an analysis of four different academic surveys, each focusing to some extent on the impact of Internet use on the quantity and quality of interpersonal communication and sociability.
Abstract: During the course of the past year, at least four different academic surveys have been conducted, each focusing to some extent on the impact of Internet use on the quantity and quality of interpersonal communication and sociability. Remarkably, these studies arrive at starkly different conclusions regarding the social repercussions of Internet use. At the heart of this debate is whether Internet use can be a potentially isolating activity or one that leads to substantially greater communication among people and thus enhances human connectivity and sociability. Based on an analysis of these studies' key findings and methodological approaches, this article attempts to understand the role of the Internet in shaping our interpersonal relations. The key findings suggest that Internet users do not become more sociable; rather, they already display a higher degree of social connectivity and participation, due to the fact that they are better educated, better off financially, and less likely to be among the elder...
787 citations
TL;DR: For a growing cohort of Americans, Internet tools have become a significant conduit of social life and work life as mentioned in this paper, and the surveys of the Pew Internet & American Life Project in 2000 show that more than 52 million Americans went online each day, and there are significant differences in use between men and women, young and old, those of different races and ethnic groups, and those with different socioeconomic status.
Abstract: For a growing cohort of Americans, Internet tools have become a significant conduit of social life and work life. The surveys of the Pew Internet & American Life Project in 2000 show that more than 52 million Americans went online each day, and there are significant differences in use between men and women, young and old, those of different races and ethnic groups, and those of different socioeconomic status. A user typology can be built around two variables: the length of time a person has used the Internet and the frequency with which he or she logs on from home. The authors contend that use of e-mail helps people build their social networks by extending and maintaining friend and family relationships.
487 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the Internet in terms of trends in access, political and civic involvement, and social interaction, and uncovered serendipitously what they call the Internet dropout phenomenon.
Abstract: This research, which began fielding surveys in 1995 (and thereafter with variation in 1996, 1997, and 2000), was apparently the first to use national random telephone survey methods to track social and community aspects of Internet use and compare users and nonusers. The program has explored the Internet in terms of trends in access, political and civic involvement, and social interaction. The authors uncovered serendipitously what they call the Internet dropout phenomenon. The findings have found a decline in some aspects of the digital divide, especially once awareness has been achieved and when the year of adoption is considered. Contrary to the pessimistic assertions of many, no loss was discerned in terms of the indicators of political or community involvement. The findings support a more positive interpretation of the Internet's impact, at least in terms of interpersonal communication, where Internet use was associated with greater levels of telephone use (although not of correspondence by mail) and...
352 citations
TL;DR: For instance, this paper found that women are more likely than men to maintain kin relationships by e-mail, and women's messages sent to people far away are more filled with personal content and were more likely to be exchanged in intense burst.
Abstract: Do the gender differences found when men and women maintain personal relationships in person and on the phone also emerge when they use electronic mail? Alternately, does e-mail change these ways of interacting? The authors explore the types of relationships women and men maintain by e-mail, differences in their e-mail use locally and at a distance, and differences in the contents of messages they send. The findings are based on qualitative and quantitative data collected during a 4-year period. These data suggest that using e-mail to communicate with relatives and friends replicates preexisting gender differences. Compared to men, women find e-mail contact with friends and family more gratifying. Women are more likely than men to maintain kin relationships by e-mail. They are more likely than men to use e-mail to keep in touch with people who live far away. Women's messages sent to people far away are more filled with personal content and are more likely to be exchanged in intense burst. The fit between women's expressive styles and the features of e-mail seems to be making it especially easy for women to expand their distant social networks.
337 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the evolution of the global commodity chains that help to structure industrial change in the international economy, and the most significant impact to date has been in B2B markets, where e-commerce is reshaping the competitive dynamics and power alignment in traditional producer-driven and buyer-driven commodity chains such as automobiles and apparel.
Abstract: There are three main drivers of economic globalization in the latter half of the 20th century: investment by transnational corporations, international trade, and the Internet. Whereas producer-driven and buyer-driven commodity chains characterize the phases of investment-based and trade-based globalization, respectively, the emergence of the Internet in the mid-1990s heralds a new age of digital globalization. The explosion in connectivity that is enabled by the Internet has launched an e-commerce revolution that is beginning to transform the structure of business-to-business (B2B) as well as business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions in global industries. New infomediaries that navigate access to rich information and greater reach by businesses and consumers are prominent in B2C digital networks. The Internet’s most significant impact to date, however, has been in B2B markets, where e-commerce is reshaping the competitive dynamics and power alignments in traditional producer-driven and buyer-driven commodity chains such as automobiles and apparel. Globalization has become a prominent and controversial feature of the contemporary landscape. Although there are myriad processes and definitions associated with the economic, political, social, and cultural dimensions of globalization, this article is concerned primarily with the evolution of the global commodity chains that help to structure industrial change in the international economy. There have been three main drivers of economic globalization in the latter half of the 20th century: investment by transnational corporations (TNCs), international trade, and the Internet. Each has expanded the scope of global integration by altering how people, resources, and places are connected in economic transactions. This can be seen in three broad and to some degree overlapping phases of globalization: Investment-based globalization (1950-1970). The global reach of vertically integrated TNCs dates from the late 19th century in primary products (oil, mining, agriculture) and from the early decades of the 20th century in manufacturing
289 citations
TL;DR: For example, this paper found that the probability that a worker has such flexibility is reduced by being female, non-White, and less educated, while the likelihood is increased by being self-employed, in college, married, part-time, in certain occupations and industries, and working 50 or more hours per week.
Abstract: More than 27% of the U.S. workforce now reports having an ability to alter their daily starting and ending times of work. Yet, provision of flexibility in the timing of work is not keeping pace with demand. Moreover, there is much disparity in access to schedule flexibility by workers' demographic, work, and job characteristics. Probit estimation finds that the probability that a worker has such flexibility is reduced by being female, non-White, and less educated. The likelihood is increased by being self-employed, in college, married, part-time, in certain occupations and industries, and working 50 or more hours per week. Flexibility is reduced for those working a standard day shift or 40-hour workweek. Workers thus sacrifice either leisure time or income to gain better access to flexibility in the scheduling of work, or they endure the costs of job mobility. Public policy should focus on delivering more flexible schedules to the excluded 73%.
276 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a view of the global system based on a careful examination of the relations and connections between world cities and how those patterns change over time is presented. But the authors focus on the changes in network characteristics (especially centrality hierarchies and clique membership) for the entire global city system.
Abstract: The world's great cities are important nodes in the world economy. Major theorists (Friedman, Sassen, Castells) conceptualize global cities as the command and control centers for contemporary global capitalism. The authors' research offers a view of the global system based on a careful examination of the relations and connections between world cities and how those patterns change over time. Formal network analysis allows the authors to interpret data on flows of airline passengers between the world's great cities for six time points between 1977 and 1997, focusing on the changes in network characteristics (especially centrality hierarchies and clique membership) for the entire global city system. Although New York, Paris, London, Tokyo, and a few other major European and North American metropolises dominate this urban hierarchy throughout the two decades, the network roles and positions of other places shift considerably. The article concludes that research on world city networks once again demonstrates t...
265 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide evidence as to the quality-of-life implications of the community computer network known as the Blacksburg Electronic Village (BEV), and the results of the longitudinal study indicate frequent and increasing use of the BEV and the Internet for local, social-capital-building activities.
Abstract: This article adds to the debate over whether easy access to the Internet is the only outcome of community computer network projects or if there are tangible impacts to these initiatives. Building from Putnam's links between quality of life, community involvement, and social capital, the authors provide evidence as to the quality-of-life implications of the community computer network known as the Blacksburg Electronic Village (BEV). The results of the longitudinal study indicate frequent and increasing use of the BEV and the Internet for local, social-capital-building activities. However, there is no trend toward an increase in community involvement or attachment except in a subset of the population that scores high on measures of preexisting community involvement. The results offer Putnam justification for his claims about the Internet's role in social capital formation.
264 citations
TL;DR: Work-hour behavior is conceptualized as an interaction between employee preferences, employer demands, and the institutional context as mentioned in this paper, which suggests that long work weeks generally do not reflect employee preferences but may result from constraints and demands imposed by the workplace.
Abstract: Many recent studies of the time-squeeze have used aggregate, trend data on work-hour behavior and inferred changing preferences among working men and women. This article begins with couple data and examines preferences as well as behavior in married-couple families. Work-hour behavior is conceptualized as an interaction between employee preferences, employer demands, and the institutional context. The article's analyses clearly indicate that there is a considerable disparity between couples' self-reports of preferences and their actual behavior. These results suggest that long work weeks generally do not reflect employee preferences but may result from constraints and demands imposed by the workplace. The rising sense of a time-squeeze in American society may stem from all-or-nothing assumptions about the nature and structure of work and the pressure to put in long hours to be seen as committed, productive, and having the potential for advancement.
264 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the experience of the residents of Netville, a suburban neighborhood with access to some of the most advanced new communication technologies available, and how this technology affected the amount of contact and support exchanged with members of their distant social networks.
Abstract: The authors examine the experience of the residents of Netville, a suburban neighborhood with access to some of the most advanced new communication technologies available, and how this technology affected the amount of contact and support exchanged with members of their distant social networks. Focusing exclusively on friends and relatives external to the neighborhood of Netville, the authors analyze community as relations that provide a sense of belonging rather than as a group of people living near each other. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is treated as one of several means of communication used in the maintenance of social networks. Contrary to expectations that the Internet encourages a global village, those ties that previously were just out of reach geographically experience the greatest increase in contact and support as a result of access to CMC.
TL;DR: The effects of shift work and job schedule control on the family life and health of American workers are analyzed in this article using data from the 1992 National Study on the Changing Workforce (N = 2,905).
Abstract: The effects of shift work and job schedule control on the family life and health of American workers are analyzed. Using data from the 1992 National Study on the Changing Workforce ( N = 2,905), this article tests whether negative family and health outcomes associated with nonstandard job schedules result from (a) problems of adjusting to the times of nonstandard shifts and/or (b) the lack of scheduling control and (c) whether schedule control mediates the effects of nonstandard shifts. Multivariate results indicate that although nonstandard shifts have few effects, lack of scheduling control has strong negative effects on six of the eight family and health outcomes. There is no evidence that control mediates the effects of schedule times, nor that these effects vary by gender or family status. Implications of these results are discussed.
TL;DR: The authors explored the ways people try to make meaning of loss, the factors that predict difficulty in making meaning, and the emotional outcomes of finding meaning and contrast the process of finding a meaning with finding some benefit in the loss, even if meaning cannot be found.
Abstract: People who have lost a loved one often try to make some meaning of their loss. The authors explore the ways people try to make meaning of loss, the factors that predict difficulty in making meaning, and the emotional outcomes of finding meaning. They also contrast the process of finding meaning with finding some benefit in the loss, even if meaning cannot be found. Our discussion centers on a study of 205 bereaved people who were interviewed before their loss and 1, 6, 13, and 18 months after their loss. The authors draw conclusions from this work not only for bereavement theories but also for general theories of adjustment in social and personality psychology.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors address the question of the justification of punishing motivation behind hate crimes when the type of expression and the thought behind it used to indicate motivation are largely protected.
Abstract: Constitutional questions about hate crime laws in the United States were settled in the early 1990s. Yet, critics persist in arguing that the laws punish “improper thinking.” In this context, this article addresses the question of the justification of punishing motivation—or bias—behind hate crimes when the type of expression and the thought behind it used to indicate motivation are largely protected. There has been considerable legal scholarship on this question but little empirical investigation of how supporters of legislation respond to the question. The article draws from in-depth interviews carried out with a purposive sample of “elite” informants in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1999. A key theme that emerged was that alleged greater harms inflicted by hate crimes—over and above the harms inflicted by the same underlying but otherwise motivated crimes—justify greater punishment. A conceptualization is provided of alleged harms involved.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the impact of the Internet on the everyday lives of U.K. citizens through the integration of quantitative longitudinal time-use data and qualitative interviews and showed that there is little significant change in people's time use that can be associated with their acquisition of an Internet connection and demonstrates the oversimplicity of the impact model for understanding the role of the internet in everyday life.
Abstract: This article examines the impact of the Internet on the everyday lives of U.K. citizens through the integration of quantitative longitudinal time-use data and qualitative interviews. It shows that there is little significant change in people's time use that can be associated with their acquisition of an Internet connection and demonstrates the oversimplicity of the impact model for understanding the role of the Internet in everyday life. Instead, it suggests that life-style and/or lifestage transitions may trigger adoption of the Internet and, simultaneously, changes in domestic time use. It also demonstrates that Internet usage is too coarse a unit for sensible analysis. Rather, researchers need to consider the patterns of usage of the various applications or services that the Internet delivers.
TL;DR: This paper explored the relationship between urban physical space and homelessness by considering three focal questions: (a) What are the key spatial concepts necessary for understanding the relationship of urban space and homeless survival strategies and routines, (b) What were the central strategies used within communities to control the homeless spatially or ecologically, and (c) how do the homeless respond to these constraints and impositions?
Abstract: This article sheds conceptual and empirical light on the ways in which urban physical space and homelessness intersect by considering three focal questions: (a) What are the key spatial concepts necessary for understanding the relationship between urban space and homeless survival strategies and routines, (b) what are the central strategies used within communities to control the homeless spatially or ecologically, and (c) how do the homeless respond to these constraints and impositions? These questions are explored conceptually and empirically with data on spatial contestations drawn from the local newspapers of a southwestern city between 1992 and 1997. The findings illuminate the sociospatial dynamics of homelessness and underscore how a thoroughgoing understanding of the everyday routines and adaptive strategies of the homeless requires consideration of how different types of urban space affect the homeless and of the ways in which the homeless negotiate and respond to the spatial constraints with whic...
TL;DR: In this article, urban scholars note that a handful of dominant financial services centers (so-called global centers) play an important role in the process of globalization as centers for information exchange.
Abstract: Cities have played an important role in the process of globalization as centers for information exchange. Urban scholars note that a handful of dominant financial services centers—so-called global ...
TL;DR: The authors examined the media's portrayal of female and male candidates in primary races at two levels of political leadership in which the representation of women is strikingly low and found that men and women are framed differently even when vying for their own party's bid.
Abstract: The few research studies that explore the media's portrayal of female candidates in comparison to male candidates have been limited to general election campaigns and usually to one level of office. To expand this area of research, this study examines the media's portrayal of female and male candidates in primary races at two levels of political leadership in which the representation of women is strikingly low—state governor and U.S. senator—in the 2000 campaign. This study's exploration of how the media portrays female and male candidates relies on a content analysis of articles from major national newspapers and representative major regional newspapers. By studying the media's portrayal of male and female candidates during primary elections at two levels of political leadership, this study provides an understanding about how men and women are framed differently even when vying for their own party's bid and, thus, new insights into how such primary framing can translate into bias during the general elections.
TL;DR: Findings from an analysis of survey data obtained from bias and nonbias assault victims from the city of Boston indicate that bias crime victims experience more severe psychological sequelae, for a longer period of time, than victims of similarnonbias offenses.
Abstract: There has been a great deal of scholarly and practical discussion regarding treating bias crimes as separate and distinct incidents Critics assert that bias crimes are not inherently different from comparable nonbias offenses and that the consequences for victims are similar This study presents findings from an analysis of survey data obtained from bias and nonbias assault victims from the city of Boston Although there are several limitations to the authors' data, findings from the respondents replicate prior empirical research and indicate that bias crime victims experience more severe psychological sequelae, for a longer period of time, than victims of similar nonbias offenses Specifically, the level of intrusive thoughts, feelings of safety, nervousness, and depression were all significantly higher for bias crime victims
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors studied scholarly and interpersonal relationships in person and by e-mail in two scholarly networks, one in a large university and one dispersed across North America, and found that the more scholarly relations network members have, the more frequently they communicate and the more media they use to communicate.
Abstract: Has the Internet affected the ways in which people communicate by lessening the effects of distance? To examine this question, the authors study scholarly and interpersonal relationships—in person and by e-mail—in two scholarly networks, one in a large university and one dispersed across North America. These scholarly networks are harbingers of the turn toward network and virtual organizations. Although the Internet helps scholars to maintain ties over great distances, physical proximity still matters. Those scholars who see each other often or work near each other e-mail each other more often. Frequent contact on the Internet is a complement to frequent face-to-face contact, not a substitute for it. The more scholarly relations network members have, the more frequently they communicate and the more media they use to communicate. Although e-mail helps scholars without strong ties to stay in contact, it is used most by scholars who are collaborators or friends.
TL;DR: In this paper, a combination of domain names and user counts is used to assess the global distribution of Internet content creation at the national and urban levels and the structure of the supply and demand for this content at the local level.
Abstract: Using a combination of domain names and user counts, this article provides an assessment of the global distribution of Internet content creation at the national and urban levels and the structure of the supply and demand for this content at the national level. Theories of export-based development are used to assess the strengths and weaknesses of countries' Internet presence and the ramifications of this for future development.
TL;DR: In any case, the definition of terrorism has undergone a number of small refinements as experience has suggested as discussed by the authors, and there is among the many participants to the discussion no agreement on the basic nature of the fruit under consideration.
Abstract: How can terrorism be defined when the process of defining is wholly frustrated by the presence of irreconcilable antagonisms? It is certainly not easy to define, much less comprehend. With respect to terrorism, there is among the many participants to the discussion no agreement on the basic nature of the fruit under consideration. In any case, the definition of terrorism has undergone a number of small refinements as experience has suggested. This article considers how to define terrorism or at least know it when it is seen in the coming decades.
TL;DR: This article found that older racist skinheads manipulate anomic teens and indoctrinate them into a world of terror using a layman's interpretation of Durkheim's "anomie".
Abstract: There is an important distinction between hate crimes and hate group activity. Although reported hate crimes appear to be declining, there is evidence that hate group activity is increasing. This includes hate group consolidation, the increase in hate Web sites, and more sophisticated recruitment of youth. This research explores how hate groups, specifically racist skinheads, target specific youth populations for recruitment. Using a layman's interpretation of Durkheim's “anomie,” skinheads look for youth that live in a world of change. Based on ethnographic research and guided interviews, this research finds that older Nazi skinheads manipulate anomic teens and indoctrinate them into a world of terror.
TL;DR: The relationship between online and offline social ties in seven Los Angeles ethnically marked residential areas is studied in this article, where the authors advance a "the more, the more" approach to online social ties.
Abstract: The relationship between online and offline social ties is studied in seven Los Angeles ethnically marked residential areas. Contrary to visions proposing a zero-sum game between the two, the authors advance a “the more, the more” approach to online social ties. A higher level of belonging to real communities translates into a higher propensity for interaction online. This approach is informed by a social shaping of technology perspective, which proposes that strong anchoring to offline social and cultural groups links cyberspace to people's local communities. Results of a logistic regression analysis indicate that the chances of making a friend online increase by 7% for each belonging index unit and by 32% for each neighbor known well enough to talk to about a personal problem. Belonging is captured through an index measure, combining eight items concerning objective and subjective involvement in residential community. Ethnic differences are less pronounced than expected. However, Asian respondents, part...
TL;DR: The current structure of the international telecommunications network and how it has changed since the late 1970s are examined in this paper, where the authors describe the network as one large interconnected group of nations arrayed along a center-to-periphery dimension.
Abstract: The current structure of the international telecommunications network and how it has changed since the late 1970s are examined. Consistent with world-systems theory, the net-work may be described as one large interconnected group of nations arrayed along a center-to-periphery dimension. At the core are the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. At the periphery are the poorer nations and the former Soviet republics. The network may be subdivided into eight regional blocks, what Huntington labels civilizations. Over time, the network has become denser and more highly integrated and centralized. Recently, however, there has been a significant reversal in centralization. Furthermore, the rate of change among 39 wealthier nations appears to be accelerating.
TL;DR: The increasing presence of the Internet in our everyday life raises important questions about what it means for access to resources, social interaction, and commitment to local community as discussed by the authors, and this spec...
Abstract: The increasing presence of the Internet in our everyday life raises important questions about what it means for access to resources, social interaction, and commitment to local community. This spec...
TL;DR: The authors used data from the Survey of Ohio's Working Families (SOWF) to predict the scheduling and the length of time spent in paid labor and found little support for Hochschild's argument and more support for other explanations of the overworked American.
Abstract: A number of analysts have examined the issue of whether time in paid labor is a voluntary decision or constrained by the demands of employers. Many contend that Americans are overworked by their employers, especially if they are highly educated, working at the apex of the occupational hierarchy, and placed in large firms. On the other hand, Arlie Hochschild suggests in The Time Bind that long hours reflect an avoidance of hectic family lives in favor of the rewards and recognition found at work. To examine the explanatory power of these arguments, this article uses data from the Survey of Ohio's Working Families (SOWF) to predict the scheduling and the length of time spent in paid labor. Little support is found for Hochschild's argument and more support is found for other explanations of the overworked American.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined these assumptions prospectively across the first 5 years of bereavement and found that the failure to work through the emotional meanings of a loss typically results in delayed grief symptoms.
Abstract: Traditional bereavement theories emphasize that it is crucial to work through the emotional meanings of a loss and that the failure to do so typically results in delayed grief symptoms. This article reports data examining these assumptions prospectively across the first 5 years of bereavement. Based on previous validity data, elevated symptoms were defined in terms of 6-month median scores for each measure. Delayed elevations were observed on isolated measures for 3 (7%) participants. However, these elevations were more parsimoniously explained by random measurement error. Furthermore, when a weighted grief-depression composite score was used to maximize the probability of capturing the true (latent) grief variable, not a single case of delayed symptom elevations was observed. Finally, data on emotional processing of the loss at 6 months failed to support the traditional assumption that minimal emotional processing of the loss would lead to delayed grief.
TL;DR: In this article, different temporal dimensions to the employment relationship, distinguishing between the different dimensions of working-time schedules, work-time intensity, and the time-money exchange are discussed.
Abstract: Working-time arrangements are being restructured across Europe in parallel with the spread of dual-earner arrangements for couples. This article elaborates the different temporal dimensions to the employment relationship, distinguishing between the different dimensions of working-time schedules, work-time intensity, and the time-money exchange. This conceptualization is used to draw attention to occupational class, gender, and household differences in the temporal organization of employment illustrated with the example of the United Kingdom. The argument made is that class differences between households must be integrated into analyses of gender inequalities in work time. This is necessary to develop an understanding of the implications of the temporal reorganization of employment and to compare how the outcomes may vary between countries due to societal differences in regulations and political debates.
TL;DR: In this article, a critical approach to identity politics posits that identity can be discursively constructed for a group, particularly within a political context, and the authors take this general view to study the identity discourses of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rick Lazio in the 2000 New York Senate Race.
Abstract: The authors argue that a critical approach to identity politics posits that identity can be discursively constructed for a group, particularly within a political context. The authors take this general view to study the identity discourses of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rick Lazio in the 2000 New York Senate Race. The following article describes and analyzes how each campaign created an identity for themselves through general strategies of definition and opposition. The authors hope to illustrate the rhetorical dichotomy formed between the constructed identities of the true New Yorker and the fake New Yorker. It will examine how each campaign's efforts to create an identification with the New Yorker as an ideal was, in a very Burkean sense, founded upon a parallel opposition to or division from the non-New Yorker. Second, it will assess the rhetorical strategies utilized to create a subculture of the New Yorker through their discourse.