The sociology of aging draws on a broad array of theoretical perspectives and social theories from several disciplines, but rarely has it developed its own theories or theoretical perspectives. We build on past work to further advance and empirically test a model of mental health framed in terms of structural theorizing and situated within the…

Occupations with a greater share of females pay less than those with a lower share, controlling for education and skill. This association is explained by two dominant views: devaluation and queuing. The former views the pay offered in an occupation to affect its female proportion, due to employers' preference for men--a gendered labor queue. The…

It is widely argued that globalization and economic development are associated with international migration. However, these relationships have not been tested empirically. We use a cross-national empirical analysis to assess the impact of global and national factors on international migration from less-developed countries. An interdisciplinary…

In this article I argue that evolutionary theorizing can help sociologists and feminists better understand gender inequality. Evolutionary theory explains why control of the sexuality of young women is a priority across most human societies both past and present. Evolutionary psychology has extended our understanding of male violence against…

Explanations of variability in public opinion on crime have drawn disproportionately from the literature on specific symbolic orientations including religious fundamentalism and racial prejudice. In contrast, this article hypothesizes that public opinion is linked to the strength of a general cultural axis of nations: survivalism vs.…

Under conditions of uncertainty, we predict that development will be tied to the idiosyncrasy of organizational forms represented within local regions. Our investigation applies this theory to data on 342 counties and 43,352 businesses in the U.S. South during Reconstruction, finding support for the thesis that organizational idiosyncrasy…

Recent public health research has consistently reported that self-identified multiracial adolescents tend to display more problem behaviors and psychological difficulties than monoracial adolescents. Relying on insights from qualitative analyses using small or clinical samples to interpret these empirical patterns, these studies implicitly assume…

This paper will address the question of Islamic fatalism. Survey data will be used to assess Samuel P. Huntington's controversial "Clash of Civilizations" thesis and its emphasis on fatalism as an inherent characteristic of Islamic religion. The concept of fatalism is expanded and theorized as a function of both structural and…

Many theories in the sociology of emotions assume that emotions emerge from the cognitive consistency principle. Congruence among cognitions produces good feelings whereas incongruence produces bad feelings. A work situation is simulated in which managers give feedback to workers that is consistent or inconsistent with what the workers expect to…

Modernization theory argues that, as societies industrialize and further develop, the influence of social background and other ascribed characteristics on educational and socioeconomic outcomes declines, while achievement in the education system becomes more important. The purpose of this research is to investigate propositions derived from…

Suggests that this book is a major contribution to sociology and that its greatest (and most controversial) merit is its insistence that sociological macrovariables must be demonstrably related through individual action having purposive quality. Discusses modes of theory construction, rational choice theory, and reductionism. (SV)

Discusses two types of research--the "new structuralism" approach and "work and personality" studies--on the occupational attainment aspect of social mobility. Suggests that a life course approach to social mobility processes may provide a basis for integrating the structural and social psychological perspectives. Contains 25…

Analysis of employment change data for 3,101 counties during recent national recession and recovery periods found that factors derived from human ecological theory (density, infrastructure age, unionization, labor force education, and crime rate) best predicted local competitive dynamics across all business-cycle phases. Contains 60 references.…

Analyzes national survey data, which permitted operationalization of compensatory behavior as low self-esteem. Results support an ethnic community (race consciousness) explanation of African-American social and political participation and do not support compensatory explanations. Age, education, income, gender, and place of residence were also…

Examines existing models of income inequality that include the following factors: (1) access to education; (2) foreign capital exacerbating income inequality; and (3) political democracy. Hypothesizes, based on ecological-evolutionary theory, that agricultural density has a robust, negative influence on income inequality. (KS)