Daphne E. Pedersen

Active and Collaborative Learning in an Undergraduate Sociological Theory Course

In this article, the author describes the use of active and collaborative learning strategies in an undergraduate sociological theory course. A semester-long ethnographic project is the foundation for the course; both individual and group participation contribute to the learning process. Assessment findings indicate that students are able, through application of theoretical concepts to field observations, to connect theory to the ‘‘real world’’ and see the link between theory and methods. Furthermore, students report that they believe the field experience and group interactions are more beneficial to their learning experience than traditional lecture alone.

I want to stand on my own legs: A qualitative study of antiretroviral therapy adherence among HIV-positive women in Egypt.

Abstract A review of the antiretroviral therapy (ART) literature revealed that not a single published study has examined the factors that influence patients’ adherence to HIV medications in the Arab world. To mend this gap, this qualitative study collected data via face-to-face interviews with 27 HIV-positive Egyptian women who had been on ART for at least three months. Using a thematic analysis technique, five themes were identified: fear of stigma, financial constraints, characteristics of ART, social support, and reliance on faith. Notwithstanding the overwhelming number of inhibiting factors, most patients in this study were highly motivated to achieve perfect adherence.

Gender differences in college binge drinking: Examining the role of depression and school stress

Abstract In this paper the associations among binge drinking, depression, and school-related stress are examined for a sample of college men and women. Data are taken from a survey of 248 undergraduate students at the University of North Dakota – located in a state with high underage and binge drinking rates. The current study challenges past work showing that college women are more likely to respond to depression by binge drinking: depression is indirectly and negatively associated with binge drinking among the women in this sample through its association with school-related stress. Among men, depression is directly and positively associated with binge drinking.

EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TYPES OF FAMILY WORK AND MARITAL WELL-BEING

We use an expanded definition of family work and test its association with marital well-being. Using a gender perspective, we examine the role of the respondents and partners performance of family work for both husbands and wives. Data are taken from a sample of couples with dependent children under age 18 (N = 96), and separate regression equations are estimated by gender. Though housework is cited as one of the most contentious issues reported by couples, it is not significant in our analysis of marital well-being. In our analysis, other forms of family work are considered, and childcare, emotion work, and formal volunteering are significantly associated with marital well-being. The role of partners provision of emotion work is particularly salient. Discussion of the gendered nature of our findings follows.

Self- and Spouse-Reported Work–Family Conflict and Dual-Earners’ Job Satisfaction

We add to the literature on job satisfaction by examining the role played by self-reported and spouse-reported work–family conflict for dual-earner husbands and wives (N = 156 couples, 312 individuals), a contagion model of work and family. Two path models of job satisfaction were tested: a spillover model, including the respondents work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict, and a crossover model, including the spouses perception of the respondents work-to-family conflict. Workplace and family/respondent characteristics were also included in the models. For wives, job satisfaction is associated with family-to-work conflict (spillover). For husbands, job satisfaction is associated with his spouses perception of his work-to-family conflict (crossover). For both husbands and wives, coworker support is both directly and indirectly associated with job satisfaction.

Using a Value-Added Approach to Assess the Sociology Major

Universities across the nation have been called upon to provide evidence of student learning through direct means of assessment. Value-added assessment, which aims to document the development of student learning from the beginning of the university experience to the end, has been called “accountability’s new frontier” by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. In response to an internal university initiative, the Department of Sociology at the University of North Dakota conducted a value-added assessment of the sociology major. In this article, the authors describe the value-added approach and its strengths and limitations, detail the means by which they assessed student knowledge in the sociology major, and review findings from their student assessment at the University of North Dakota.

Stressors associated with the school spillover of college undergraduates

Abstract In this paper, stressors associated with university students’ school spillover are examined. Spillover occurs when stress transfers from one domain to another (e.g., school to family). Data were taken from a sample of undergraduates age 18–29 enrolled at a mid-size Midwestern university (N = 250). The strongest associations with school spillover were those related to academics and coursework, and interpersonal conflicts. Among the significant stressors, undergraduate women were more likely than men to report family issues as causing them stress. Undergraduate women also reported significantly higher levels of school spillover than men. The likelihood of experiencing the considered stressors did not vary by age or class level, nor did school spillover. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Tending to the Emotions of Children: Predicting Parental Performance of Emotion Work with Children

Scholars, recognizing emotion work as a type of domestic labor, have examined whether domestic labor theories explain emotion work. Few studies, however, have investigated the predictors of emotion work with children. In this study, the authors examine the usefulness of 3 domestic labor theories (i.e., time availability, relative resources, and gender ideology) in explaining relative emotion work with children. Data are from a random sample of couples with children (N = 96 couples). The results suggest that mens labor force hours are negatively related to mens relative performance of emotion work with children and positively related to womens relative performance. Further, womens traditional gender ideologies are related to increased relative emotion work performance with children for women and decreased relative performance for men. Relative income is also a significant predictor of womens performance of emotion work with children. The authors discuss the implications of the study.

The division of child care among couples with young children: An empowerment model

Abstract In this article, we present a qualitative analysis of couples’ child care arrangements using an empowerment model. Data are taken from gender-segregated focus group interviews with eight married, co-residential couples parenting young children. We analyze this data using an empowerment model that focuses on individuals’ experiences recognizing and acting on opportunities to exercise control, which in this case we conceptualize as preferences for child care involvement. In addition to this focus on interpersonal negotiation between parents, we build on Bronfenbrenners (1979, 1986) ecological perspective and understand child care arrangements as emerging within complex social systems, demanding constant negotiation between the person and environment. Thus, our attention to empowerment includes a focus on the notable contexts of work, school, and community. We find that in many ways, both mothers and fathers in our sample felt little control over ecological factors shaping child care arrangements. For mothers, empowerment was a process that involved varying degrees of control over fathers’ involvement in child care within the further confines presented by work and school. Fathers generally felt empowered to engage in child care tasks when they chose to do so. This stands in contrast to mothers’ implicit responsibility for the care of their children and need to request fathers’ involvement unless social contexts demanded it.

Getting by with a Little Help from Workplace Friends: Workplace Culture, Social Support, and Family Cohesion

Studies have shown a negative association between certain aspects of workplace culture and family functioning. Using a neo-institutional framework, we examine whether workplace social support moderates the influence of three features of workplace culture—time demands, work pressure, and work strain—on family cohesion. Analyzing survey data from 312 individuals in dual-earner relationships, we control for number of children, education, income, employment status, and occupational status. We find that workplace social support is directly associated with family cohesion but does not serve as a buffer between dimensions of workplace culture and family cohesion.