There is a great concern that over the last twenty years the size and diversity of Americans’ core networks have declined; that core networks are increasingly centered on a small set of relatively similar social ties at the expense of larger more diverse networks.

Those people with whom we discuss “important matters” are our core discussion network. The Pew Internet Personal Networks and Community survey found that the average American has about two discussion confidants (1.93), which is similar to the mean of 2.06 from the 2004 GSS. However, the Pew Internet survey found that a much smaller proportion of the population reported having no discussion partners than the 2004 GSS survey: The Pew Internet survey found that 12.0% of Americans have no discussion partners, compared to the 22.5% recorded in the 2004 GSS. Our findings also show that the modal respondent – the most common response – lists one confidant, not zero, as was found in the 2004 GSS analysis.

Read the full report here.

U.S. Federal Document of the Month
October 2009

Title: The FBI: a Centennial History, 1908-2008.
Agency: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Article written by: Charmaine Henriques

When I first saw The FBI: a Centennial History, 1908-2008, I thought what could possibly be in this publication; evidence of political abuse of power, conspiracy theories, and just maybe enticing drawings of J. Edgar Hoover in a slightly sultry but classy red cocktail dress. For those looking for scandal and creative ideas about the perfect party dress, you will be sorely disappointed and it goes without saying this book is definitely not for you. However, The FBI: a Centennial History, 1908-2008 traces the Federal Bureau of Investigation's development from its infancy to one of the most recognized names in American law enforcement. It takes you on a journey through several crucial eras within the FBI's lifespan: the early formative period; the gangster-driven crime wave of the 1920s and 30s; the anxious age of World War II and the Cold War; the turbulent 60s and its burgeoning civil rights movement; the systemic corruption of the Watergate years; the rise of global terror and crime; and the post 9/11 era. Included are a collection of never seen before photos and synopsizes of more than 40 of the agency's most well-known cases. The FBI: a Centennial History, 1908-2008 is one of Library Journal's "2008 Best Notable Documents" and information on current wanted individuals can be found at: http://www.fbi.gov/wanted.htm.

Personality maps characterize Chicagoans: Extroverted and agreeable people to the south, experimental and neurotic types to the north

Map study finds South Siders to be agreeable, North Siders neuroticBy Kathy Bergen
Tribune reporter

October 26, 2009

While Chicago's crosstown rivalry often displays itself in the world of sports, the split may run deeper than visceral attachments to the Cubbies or the Sox.

According to newly developed personality maps, the Windy City is balkanized on a whole different level.

People who view themselves as extroverted and agreeable tend to cluster on the South Side, while more experimental types with neurotic tendencies are living to the north and along the lake, the maps indicate. A sort of Bill Veeck versus Woody Allen divide.

"It always amazes me how patterns start to happen," said Kevin Stolarick, the University of Toronto researcher who crunched data from an online personality testing site to create the maps.

The site, www.outofservice.com/bigfive is still running. Its 45-question survey allows people to assess themselves in terms of five basic personality traits: extroversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, neurosis and conscientiousness.

Stolarick used data from 2,540 Chicagoans who took the test between February 2006 and February 2008, a subset of the nearly 560,367 who took the test nationwide in that period and supplied their postal codes.

If it's any consolation to cool-cookie North Siders, the national data indicated the central U.S., as a whole, tends to be more outgoing and agreeable than the rest of the country. The nationwide findings are included in a book, "Who's Your City," by Richard Florida, who is Stolarick's boss at the university's Martin Prosperity Institute.

But people in the Southern states view themselves as particularly gregarious, and the historic migration of Southern African-Americans to industrial jobs in the North helps explain South Siders' rosy self-images, Stolarick said.

The neurotic cluster to the north is a bit tougher to explain.

But don't feel bad about the term "neurotic," he said, noting that the entire Big Apple is a hotbed of anxious, creative types.

"It's not that people are crazy," he said, "but just that they may be a little more worried or concerned."

kbergen@tribune.com
Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune

According to Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, there has been a sharp decline over the past year in the percentage of Americans who say there is solid evidence that global temperatures are rising. And fewer also see global warming as a very serious problem -- 35% say that today, down from 44% in April 2008.

57% think there is solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been getting warmer over the past few decades. In April 2008, 71% said there was solid evidence of rising global temperatures.
The decline in the belief in solid evidence of global warming has come across the political spectrum, but has been particularly pronounced among independents. Just 53% of independents now see solid evidence of global warming, compared with 75% who did so in April 2008. Republicans, who already were highly skeptical of the evidence of global warming, have become even more so: just 35% of Republicans now see solid evidence of rising global temperatures, down from 49% in 2008 and 62% in 2007. Fewer Democrats also express this view -- 75% today compared with 83% last year.

With less than two months before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, a majority (56%) of Americans think the United States should join other countries in setting standards to address global climate change while 32% say that the United States should set its own standards.

Read the whole report here.

Dr. Gregory Herek from Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, recently published a paper in Journal of Interpersonal Violence, named "Hate Crimes and Stigma-Related Experiences Among Sexual Minority Adults in the United States: Prevalence Estimates from a National Probability Sample".

Using survey responses from a US national probability sample of gay, lesbian, and bisexual adults (N=662), the paper reports prevalence estimates of criminal victimization and related experience based on the target's sexual orientation. Approximately 20% of respondents reported having experienced a person crime or property crime based on their sexual orientation, about half had experienced verbal harassment, and more than one in ten reported having experienced employment or housing discrimination. Gay men were significantly more likely than lesbians or bisexuals to experience violence or property crimes. More than one third of gay men (37.6%) reported experiencing one or both types of crimes, compared to 12..5% of lesbians, 10.7% of bisexual men, and 12.7% of bisexual women. Gay men also reported higher levels of harassment and verbal abuse than the other sexual orientation groups. Employment and housing discrimination were significantly more likely among gay men and lesbians (reported by 17.7% and 16.3%, respectively).

Read the whole paper HERE or Find it @ NU.

The Victimization Rates are rates per 1000 people above age 12.
Above charts are based on data of National Crime Victimization Survey by Sui in recognition the 15 anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act.

Read the report over the years from Bureau of Justics

U.S. Federal Document of the Month
October 2009

Title: Understanding Domestic Violence: A Handbook for Victims and Professionals
Agency: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorney
Call Number: J 1.8/2:UN 2
Article written by Charmaine Henriques

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention one in four women will experience physical violence from her partner, so in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act the U.S. Federal Document of the Month is: Understanding Domestic Violence: A Handbook for Victims and Professionals.

Understanding Domestic Violence: A Handbook for Victims and Professionals, is a 50 page publication that gives information on safety planning, the impact of domestic violence on children, how those afflicted can ask for help, and includes a section that list resources for victims of domestic violence.

This document demonstrate that the U.S. Federal Document Collection is not a Collection of old dusty boring book, but includes publications that present useful and helpful information that can have an important impact on people's lives. For more information on Domestic Violence please go to the Office on Violence Against Women (http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/) or the Center for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/Features/IntimatePartnerViolence/.

The parade in Tiananmen Square to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. Video by Guardian.

In the 2009 Fall quarter, GIS workshops will be offered every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday evenings, between 6pm and 8pm. (There will be two special sessions on Saturdays, 10/17 and 11/07, for those who cannot attend any of these evening classes. Saturday hours: 9:30am - 4pm)

Space is limited (7 PCs), so please contact c-maene@northwestern.edu to reserve a seat. Priority will be given to those who reserve a seat before each workshop. Otherwise, seats will be given on first-come first-served basis.

Location: Library Staff Training Lab, Room# 2699B (click this link to see a floor map)

For more information - visit our website!
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/map/GISlearning.html#workshop

And also our GIS research guide!
http://libguides.northwestern.edu/content.php?pid=17607&sid=119719

Two undergraduate research paper competitions will be conducted in 2010. One invites papers analyzing any dataset(s) in the ICPSR archive or its Thematic Collections. The other, sponsored by the Research Center for Minority Data (RCMD), solicits papers addressing issues relevant to minorities in the United States, including immigrants. These papers must draw on data in the RCMD archive.

The purpose of the competition is to highlight exemplary undergraduate student research papers that are based on quantitative analysis.

> First place winner receives $1,000! Second place receives $750 and third place $500!
> Each winner receives a plaque and certificate in recognition of the award
> On request, ICPSR will provide letters of achievement for use in development of your student portfolio
> The first place paper will be published in ICPSR’s Bulletin, and all three winning papers will be published on the ICPSR Web site
> Deadline for submission — January 31, 2010

Continue reading "ICPSR 2010 Undergraduate Research Paper Competition" »