Miller, G. H., Marquez-Velarde, G., Williams, A. A., & Keith, V. M. (2020). Discrimination and Black social media use: Sites of oppression and expression. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity. doi: /10.1177/2332649220948179
Abstract:
The authors investigate the association between self-reported experiences of discrimination and social media use among Black American adults. Experiences of discrimination were assessed using a 10-question scale of self-reported discrimination encounters. Data analysis was based on a sample of 220 Black American adult respondents residing in Texas. The results indicate that Black Americans reporting higher levels of discrimination use social media more frequently than those who report lower levels of discrimination. In addition, Black Americans who experience higher levels of discrimination are more likely to have accounts on Twitter or Facebook than those who experience lower levels of discrimination. Together, these findings suggest that social media sites such as Twitter serve as sites of expression for people of color to air their grievances, find community, and cope with online and offline forms of racism and discrimination.
Avemegah, E., Gu, W., Abulbasher, A., Koci, K., Ogunyiola, A., Eduful, J., Li, S., Barington, K., Wang, T., Kolady, D., Perkins, L., Leffler, A.J., Kovács, P., Clark, J.D., Clay, D.E., & Ulrich-Schad, J.D. (2020). An examination of best practices for survey research with agricultural producers. Society and Natural Resources. doi:10.1080/08941920.2020.1804651
Abstract:
To improve the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture, information is needed on how to target research, teaching, and outreach programs. However, conducting survey research in general, and with agricultural producers specifically, is increasingly challenging given issues such as declining response rates and limited resources. While studies examining the best practices for promoting higher response rates exist, few focus explicitly on agricultural producers. In three separate surveys conducted with agricultural producers in South Dakota in 2018 and 2019, we included experiments testing how token pre-incentives, a research partnership, and response mode options impacted response rates. We also examined how sample source and email augmentations influence survey responses. The study findings indicate that providing pre-incentives and multiple simultaneous response options can increase response rates with agricultural producers. On the other hand, email augmentation to mail surveys, sample source, and identification of select institutional research partnerships appear to have minimal effects.
Stofferahn, C., and Schad, J. (2020). Predicting support for oil industry regulatory policy alternatives during the North Dakota oil boom. Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 35: Article 1.
Abstract:
Given the lax regulatory response of the North Dakota state government during the most recent oil boom in the Bakken Shale, a better understanding of how to frame alternative regulation policies for the general public is needed. A survey of North Dakota residents in 2015 indicates that attitudes towards the oil industry, regulation, property rights, and messaging are associated with policy receptivity. Thus, in framing policy messages, focus should be on confirming what the public already knows about oil industry conduct and its opposition to regulation. Individuals who are more favorable to regulation and have an unfavorable attitude towards the oil industry are more likely to be favorable to proregulatory policy alternatives. The results of these findings help us to better understand how the public views the regulation of natural resources and can be used by groups seeking to develop messaging to promote policy receptivity.
Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed is a graduate student in his second year, pursuing a doctorate in sociology at USU. He recently helped survey Utahns to see if environmental concerns affect the decision to have children.
Utah State University President’s Office recently held receptions for this year’s round of inaugural lectures. Three recently promoted faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences presented thoughtful reflections on their research and the even...
