The Chinese higher education system has expanded in a massive way since 1999, with the college enrolment rate jumping from 9.76% in 1998 to 40% in 2015, transforming the higher education system from an elite system to a massive one. Producing large numbers of graduates in a short time results in numerous unemployed graduates each year, but the reasons for graduate unemployment are still debatable. The dissertation begins with the clarification of one indigenous concept that my research respondents often refer to when I was doing my fieldwork in Lanzhou and Shenzhen, “good job”. The main research question is how to get a good job? The more specific research questions are: 1) How do graduates in these two cities construct the idea of good job? 2) What are the factors that impact their good job construction? 3) How do graduates seek their good jobs? Based on 34 in-depth interviews in Lanzhou and Shenzhen, the study finds that graduates in these two cities have very different job preferences. Graduates seeking jobs in Lanzhou often equate the public-sector jobs as good jobs and their Shenzhen counterpart opens the door equally to public and non-public sectors, as long as their employability could be enhanced. It shows that the construction of good job reflects the differences in the two cities, economic structure and employment opportunities. Moreover, the family’s cultural capital as well as high quality internship opportunities based on the economic development in these two areas also influence their good job construction. As for the approaches that graduates use to seek their ideal jobs, graduates in Lanzhou usually turn to strong ties to get their preferred jobs. Their Shenzhen counterparts, however, usually utilize weak ties to get their ideal jobs. Regarding the impact of human capital, this also plays a very different role in these two cities. Human capital is a basic requirement for graduates in Lanzhou to seek public sector jobs and the quality of it, measured in terms of which type of university, does not matter that much. But in Shenzhen, it plays a decisive role. In other words, human capital matters most for graduates seeking jobs in Shenzhen.

This study examines the relationship between economic conditions and personal violence across three different contexts. It examines the relationship between the economy and both suicide and homicide in South Korea, in a data set of East Asian nations, and in a cross national sample. Regression analyses show that while there is a general inverse relationship between violence and economic conditions, this relationship is dependent on the form of violence and the specific context. In addition state policy efforts moderated some of the effects of the economy on violence.

In a capitalist system demanding perpetual accumulation, producers invest significant resources into proving the superiority of new products over existing ones. When the normative concept is "better" rather than "good" consumers can never reach a sense of sufficiency. One countermovement is that of degrowth. Degrowth scholars advocate for a voluntary and democratic transition to a post-growth future. This thesis contributes to the emerging literature on degrowth by examining alternatives to "fast fashion," an industry with a huge environmental impact and notoriously high turnover. Drawing on participant observation and semi-structured interviews with participants in Portland, Oregon's clothing swaps and Repair Cafés, which are free, volunteer-run repair pop-ups, this paper brings citizens' understandings of their engagement with fashion into the degrowth framework. It asks the following research questions: How do participants in RepairPDX and clothing swaps conceptualize their participation? To what extent do these understandings align with the ideals of degrowth and decommodification? I discuss the themes of expense, pleasure and community, and consumption and waste, and argue that mending and swapping are decommodified practices that run counter to capitalist market society, maximizing autonomy and equality, and minimizing the market's tendencies towards environmental degradation. This study addresses gaps in the literatures on mending, alternative consumption, post-purchase consumer practice, and contributes to the growing body of degrowth literature.

Domestic and international events -- such as the recent migrant caravans from Central and South America, and the records number of migrant children detained at the border -- have brought renewed attention to the adaptation of immigrants in the United States. More specifically, questions regarding whether the population of immigrants is driving the "crime problem," have taken center stage (Light 2017). Immigrants vary significantly in terms of when they migrate into the country. According to the Current Population Survey (CPS) (2012), the population of approximately 12 million foreign-born immigrant children living in the United States is split in terms of their age and developmental stage at arrival (40% arrived during early childhood; 30% during middle childhood; 30% during adolescence). Although previous research has found support for the influential nature of age at migration in explaining other adaptation outcomes such as mental health, language acquisition, educational attainment, and occupational attainment (see for insance Beck, Corak, and Tienda 2012; Clarke 2018; Myers, Gao, and Emeka 2009; Oropesa and Landale 1997), age at migration in the context of criminal offending has received little attention. It is important to understand how age at migration increases or decreases the likelihood for immigrants to engage in crime. A better understanding of the relationship between age at migration and offending can inform not only immigration policies and policies related to the control of crime, but also policies related to immigrant-receiving institutions such as schools and social services. Using data from The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97), the current dissertation aims to fill this gap by exploring the influence of age at migration on criminal offending among foreign-born immigrants who migrated prior to adulthood. Using binary logistic regression, the analysis compares the effect of age at migration (i.e. early childhood, middle childhood, or adolescence) on "any crime," after controlling for theoretically important criminological covariates. Supplemental analyses also consider this effect on specific types of self-reported offending (property, violent, and drug offenses), and among Hispanic foreign-born immigrants--the largest and fastest growing immigrant group in the United States. Given previous research findings pointing to influential nature of age at migration (e.g., those who arrive at young age are more likely to do well in terms of educational and occupational outcomes) and theoretical notions pointing to the salience of age at migration, I hypothesized that statistically significant differences would exist in offending among the age at migration groups. The overall results of the analysis did not provide support for my hypothesis. More specifically, migrating during early childhood or middle childhood did not differentially affect the odds of offending, relative to migrating in adolescence (the group reporting the lowest level of offending). However, supplemental analyses revealed that age at migration was significant in predicting drug offending (but not property or violent offenses). Compared to those who migrate during adolescence, migrating during early childhood or middle childhood was negatively associated with the odds of drug offending, all other variables constant. In addition to a full discussion of the results, implications of the findings, study limitations, and suggestions for future research are also provided. Lastly, a note is offered on the value of incorporating null results in our understanding of the immigration-crime nexus, and our overall sociological knowledge.

This study focuses on the narratives Swazi men create around drinking, masculinity, and sexual behavior. Alcohol myopia theory, motivational-expectation theory of drinking, and Connell's theory of masculinities were used to create research that details how alcohol and the cultural environment of gendered social drinking intertwine and interact with each other to form the gender structure of eSwatini. Twenty Swazi men were sampled by convenience, given semi-structured interviews, and questioned about their perceived and internal reasoning for the drinking of themselves and others, the observed drinking behaviors of others, their own drinking behaviors, how they viewed women in and accepted women into the gendered social drinking environment, and their own sexual behaviors while drinking or intoxicated. It was found that Swazi men drink as a performance of hegemonic masculinity and drinking is central to the masculine identities of the culture. Traditional and hyper masculine hegemonic masculinities as well as a number of subordinate and alternative masculinities are found in the narratives surrounding the gendered social drinking environment. An emphasized femininity is expected from women to avoid social drinking entirely while men gain a patriarchal dividend from women engaging in a pariah femininity through being present in the social drinking environment. The study concludes with recommendations for future research and international development efforts.

Sexual assault is an ongoing problem on college campuses, with some projections indicating that one in four college women has experienced some sexual coercion or assault during her time at university. Recent national policy has strove to address the problem through legislation like the 2013 Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act. Nonetheless, the crime remains the most underreported in the nation despite policy and law which explicitly defines what constitutes sexual assault. However, most victims of sexual assault will disclose what happened to someone else, even if they choose not to report. This research examines sexual assault disclosure practices on a college campus which has taken a progressive stance on sexual assault awareness, response, and reporting. The purpose of the research was to examine the determinants of disclosure of sexual assault among a college student population. Students (N=161) at a mid-sized, liberal arts university on the west coast lacking both a Greek system and popular athletics were surveyed. Previous research has pointed to Greek life on campus and popular athletics as being catalysts for sexual assault. Based upon Koss's Sexual Experiences Survey, a 32-item questionnaire, distributed in May of 2015, was used to gauge student sexual victimization, alcohol and recreational drug use, and the situational factors surrounding the students' most recent incidence of assault or coercion. Responses to these situational and victimization questions were then used to explore the circumstances surrounding whether a participant disclosed their assault. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to examine the predictors of disclosure of sexual assault. Significant determinants of disclosure included gender identification, relationship to the perpetrator, and a history of drug and alcohol incapacitated rape. Analyses showed that male identified individuals were less likely to disclose an instance of sexual assault; this was also true for those who experienced assault at the hands of a significant other or date. Further, a history of having been deliberately given drugs or alcohol to facilitate non-consensual intercourse was a significant predictor for disclosure. This research was intended to fill the gap in the literature by focusing specifically on the determinants of sexual assault disclosure on a campus without a Greek system or a large, popular athletics program. Seeking to better understand the disclosure practices of students on such a campus, this research sought to closely examine the circumstances surrounding student sexual assault and how they interacted with the probability of disclosure. Implications for policy and practice regarding sexual assault prevention education on college campuses was discussed.

The rural-urban differential was investigated in its relationship to certain expressed attitudes relating to natural resource development, use, and control. The rural-urban differential was also investigated as a variable affecting expressed attitudes toward the educational, economic, and political institutions. The two sets of expressed attitudes were then correlated to each other. A difference was found between the rural and the urban groups regarding their expressed attitudes concerning natural resource development, use, and control. Differences between the rural and the urban groups were also found in regard to attitudes toward the political institution. No significant differences were found regarding the attitudes towards economic and educational institutions. No significant relationship was found between the attitudes toward natural resources and attitudes toward the three social institutions. The uniformity of behavior related to natural resources indicated that there is possible.

This dissertation uses the case of youth gangs in the Mormon Cultural Region to present a synthetic, dialectical theory of social problems, bridging the perspectives of social constructionism and objectivism. The primary assertion of this dissertation is that communities use social problems as tools to establish and maintain social boundaries and to protect the core values and beliefs of the established communal order. The case of youth gangs in Utah, core of the Mormon Cultural Region, demonstrates that both social problems and the organizations involved with social problems follow a natural-history cycle similar to that reported in social movement literature. Anti-gang organizations, youth gangs, and the gang movement all seem to change forms as they progress through this cycle. Further, the relationship between the claims-making and the ontological increase in social problems is dialectical.

This thesis is a descriptive ethnography of homosexuals and homosexuality in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon church, The study employs the labeling perspective in sociology and uses gay Mormons to examine how an individual constructs and maintains a homosexual identity in an environment where such an orientation is stigmatized and devalued. Qualitative interviews and documentary analysis are the chief methodological tools for this study. The contradictions between a homosexual lifestyle and Mormon theology are outlined, and a history of Mormon church policy concerning homosexual members from 1959 to the present is presented. The study finds that many homosexual Mormons have great difficulty balancing their religious beliefs and their homosexuality. These difficulties are exacerbated by several unique theological precepts of Mormonism, and by a social climate that is generally hostile or indifferent to gay people and gay rights issues. A great deal of variation between younger informants and older informants to the study was discovered with regard to the depth of these difficulties, with older informants reporting more serious problems managing their sexual preference and Mormon church membership than younger informants. It was found that some gay Mormons choose to live celibate lives, attempt to change their sexual orientation, or marry heterosexually in order to maintain favor with the Mormon church. Others in the study strive to reform the Mormon church and seek to have gay relationships sanctioned within Mormonism. The ramifications of these identity management strategies for the individuals employing them and for the church are analyzed. The consequences of challenging mormon ecclesiastical authority and the impact such a challenge has on the lives of gay Mormons choosing this adaptive strategy is also discussed. The future of gay rights within Mormonism as well as in American society at large is treated.

Why are sex differences in internalizing mental health disorders such as depression and externalizing health behaviors such as alcohol problems frequently documented? Despite these reported differences between men and women, what accounts for the wide variation in these health outcomes within sex? Theories of gender role orientation have provided explanations for these gaps, but empirical support is mixed. In this dissertation, I propose an alternative model where the sex-linked personality traits from the BIS/BAS systems inform sex differences and intra-sex variation in two contrasting health outcomes: depressive symptoms and alcohol use problems. I analyze the potential mediating and moderating effects of the BIS/BAS on the relationships between stress and health outcomes in a sample of 1,713 young adults in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Elevated BIS traits among women account for 20 percent of the sex gap in depressive symptoms and exacerbate the effects some social stressors on depressive symptoms. BIS/BAS do not inform sex differences in alcohol use problems, however elements of the BAS traits strongly predict the alcohol behaviors of both sexes, while BIS traits moderate the stress-alcohol relationship among women in contrasting ways. Additionally, the BIS/BAS traits do not operate consistently when considered within race/ethnicity. The results provide a window into the role that individual variation in personalities can contribute to the understanding of important intra-sex and inter-sex variation in the stress process. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sociology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2018. / November 28, 2018. / alcohol use/abuse, BIS/BAS, depressive symptoms, stress / Includes bibliographical references. / John Taylor, Professor Directing Dissertation; Christopher J. Coutts, University Representative; Michael J. McFarland, Committee Member; Miranda R. Waggoner, Committee Member.