Carol S. Walther

Complicated Simplicity: Moral Identity Formation and Social Movement Learning in the Voluntary Simplicity Movement.

This article examines the learning occurring within the voluntary simplicity social movement, focusing specifically on the learning and development of identity via “moral agency” in those individuals who embrace and practice voluntary simplicity. Four key findings are discussed. First, simplifiers craft new identities in a consumption-driven world that reject societys normative subjectivities and re-create more ethical ones. Second, simplifiers develop and reinforce their moral identities through participating in particular practices of the self and self-regulation. Third, simplifiers struggle with trying to balance an ethic of nonjudgment with the very real feelings of being morally superior. Finally, simplifiers face the difficulty of managing collective group identity because of their decentralized and stratified participant base and highly individualistic moral codes. Because collective identity is so closely linked to social movement success, it holds implications for the politics of social movements and their effectiveness in bringing about social change.

Fertility, family planning, and population policy in China

About the Contributors Preface Prologue Dudley L. Poston, Jr. and Carol S. Walther Introduction 1. Fertility and Population Policy: An Overview Qiusheng Liang and Che-Fu Lee Part I: Family Planning Policy and Contraceptive Use 2. Patterns of Induced Abortion Juan Wu and Carol S. Walther 3. Patterns of Sterilization Can Liu and Chiung-fang Chang Part II: Family and Marriage Patterns 4. The Impact of Family Structure on Fertility Feinian Chen 5. The Impact of Intermarriage on the Fertility of Minority Women Chiung-fang Chang 6. Emerging Patterns of Premarital Conception Carol S. Walther 7. Changing Patterns of Desired Fertility Li Zhang, Xiaotian Feng and Qingsong Zhang Part III: Biological and Social Determinants of Fertility 8. Age at Menarche and the Timing of the First Birth Sherry L. McKibben 9. The Effect of Floating Migration on Fertility Xiuhong You and Dudley L. Poston, Jr. 10. The Impact of Language Dialect on Fertility Xiaodong Wang and Xiuhong You Part IV: Implications and the Future 11. The Managed Fertility Transition in Rural China and Implications for the Future of Chinas Population Che-Fu Lee and Qiusheng Liang 12. Chinas Demographic Destiny: Marriage Market Implications for the 21st Century Dudley L. Poston, Jr. and Karen S. Glover Author Index Subject Index

Race, sport and social mobility: Horatio Alger in short pants?

This article addresses sport as a vehicle of social mobility for athletes of all racial backgrounds. Utilizing two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we test two sociological models. The zero-sum model argues that any time spent on sports takes away from time that could be spent on academics, hindering performance in school and ultimately mobility. The developmental model suggests that participation in sport contributes in a variety of ways to the performance of student-athletes in school and in the labor market. We operationalize social mobility by years of education and educational attainment. We find limited support for the developmental model. The results indicate white men and African American men who participate at low and high-levels benefit. Sport participation has no statistically significant influence upon years of education and educational attainment for Hispanic men. We use a Heckman selection model and find that self-selection occurs among (American) football players. We conclude by suggesting future research.

Voluntary Simplifiers, Spirituality, and Happiness

In this article, we explore the connections between voluntary simplicity (VS), people who are dedicated to consuming less material goods, and Western spirituality. We investigate how voluntary simplifiers connect their practices of simplicity with their concepts and enactments of Western spirituality. First, we propose two categories of voluntary simplifiers identities based on interviews with individuals practicing VS: (1) spiritual voluntary simplifiers (N = 9) and (2) secular voluntary simplifiers (N = 6). Second, we suggest that voluntary simplifiers believe that they are happier and more content than consumers. We conclude by suggesting future research about spirituality and identities.

Sexuality in China

Some of the oldest erotic literature in the world is found in China (Ruan 1991). But there is a cultural paradox that has resulted in some disagreement among scholars about the sexual mores of the Chinese, both currently and historically. Some characterize Chinese society as sexually liberal and innovative (La Barre 1964; Russell 1928; van Gulik 1961; Bullough 1976; Jeffreys 2006), while others label it as cold, oppressive, and asexual (Suen 1983; Tseng and Hsu 1970; Pan 2006).

Same-Sex Couples’ Construction of Census Categories

As mandated in Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, those residing in the United States are asked to fill out a census questionnaire every 10 years for the purpose of enumeration of the population. Over time, the U.S. Census Bureau has needed to target particular demographic groups in order to encourage their completion of the census questionnaire. In 2000, a multiple group collaboration of some LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) groups implemented an educational campaign which was informally coordinated with the Census Bureau (Williams Institute 2010). The purpose of this campaign was to encourage those who are living in a romantic relationship with someone of the same sex to “be counted” on the census via the “unmarried partner” category which is used to measure cohabitation.

The White Pages: Diversity and the Mediation of Race in Public Business Media

In this article we examine the empirical impact of diversity on non-white participation in corporations by analyzing images of racial minorities that appear in business magazines. Our findings indicate that odds of non-white inclusion increase when explicit reference to diversity is made. We also find that non-whites are more likely to be depicted as having ancillary roles in corporations; rarely are they presented in leadership positions. Media images are not only produced and disseminated, they are translated into social practices. Therefore we also consider how the images that are included in the magazines we reviewed may inform organizational practices that shape the racial makeup of corporate workplaces. We argue that how and when non-whites are included in these media reinforces an emergent ideology, which concedes that diversity enables corporations to give discursive attention to race without prompting deep investigations into continuing patterns of racial inequality in the workplace.

Patterns of Sexual Activity in China and the United States

Chinese sexuality has undergone distinct changes throughout its history. In ancient times the general stance toward sexual behavior and attitudes was open and somewhat permissive. That stance moved increasingly toward a negative and repressive outlook that continued into the latter part of the twentieth century. It has only been since about the 1990s that sexuality has become part of the public discourse and social life in China. The country’s Open Door Policy and subsequent introduction to Western ideals concerning romantic love coupled with a relaxation of social controls have led to a dramatic shift in perceptions on sexuality. In fact, several scholars agree that China is undergoing a sexual revolution (Bullough and Ruan 1994; Pan 1993; Parish et al. 2007a). This shift has been manifested primarily in the expression of sex as a pleasure-seeking behavior rather than as an act undertaken solely for the purpose of childbearing. As such, tolerance toward the expression of sexuality, increased gender equality in the form of the acceptance of female sexuality, and the importance of sexual satisfaction within marriage have become much more commonplace in modern China (Higgins et al. 2002; Pan 1993).

Migration Patterns and Marriage Equality: Evidence of Time’s Effect and Political Migration in the 1988 and the 2004 to 2014 General Social Survey

Attitudes toward marriage equality have gradually become more accepting as more and more states have passed legislation that acknowledged full or partial recognition of marriage equality. Given the traditionally conservative behavior of the South, this article analyzes how regional migration patterns and time affect attitudes toward marriage equality from the 1988 and the 2004 to 2014 General Social Survey data sets using a generalized linear mixed model. We find that migrant southerners, migrant northerners, and native northerners are more likely to support marriage equality than native southerners are. Furthermore, time seems to also play a significant role in understanding trends in attitudes toward marriage equality. We conclude by suggesting future research.

White Trash and White Supremacy: An Analysis of the James Byrd Jr. and Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes

Using the deaths of James Byrd Jr. and Matthew Shepard as case studies, the authors analyze these two hate crimes through a content analysis of newspapers to explore white racial framing. They argue that Shepard was portrayed in the media by his whiteness and middle-class status, rather than his homosexuality. In contrast, Byrd was either ignored or demonized as a lower-class criminal. Furthermore, Shepard’s killers came to epitomize the lower class, while Byrd’s killers came to epitomize white supremacy—a lesser form of whiteness. With these transformations, the news media essentially asserted hegemonic whiteness, privileging Shepard’s class and whiteness. The authors conclude by suggesting future research on hate crimes.