Communication is used to engage and involve students in addressing food deserts and developing sustainable solutions. This application-based activity allows students to explain the reality of food deserts, map the food deserts in an area of interest, develop an intervention, and present their communication intervention to a nonprofit interlocutor.…

Contrary to the charge that advocacy-oriented research cannot meet social science research standards because it is inherently biased, the authors of this article argue that collaborative, community-engaged scholarship (CCES) must meet high standards of rigor if it is to be useful to support equity-oriented, social justice agendas. In fact, they…

For the second time in three years, the Supreme Court is reviewing the constitutionality of a race-conscious admissions policy at the University of Texas, Austin. While the case, "Fisher v. University of Texas," raises questions specific to UT Austin, the Court's second review could change the ways higher education institutions across…

Hispanics are disproportionately affected by substance use and related health harms yet remain underrepresented across scientific disciplines focused on researching and addressing these issues. An interdisciplinary network of scientists committed to fostering the development of social and biomedical researchers focused on Hispanic substance use…

Through an analysis of relevant social science evidence, this article provides a deeper understanding of critical mass, a concept that has become central in litigation efforts related to affirmative action admissions policies that seek to further the educational benefits of diversity. We demonstrate that the concept of critical mass requires an…

Purpose: This article aims to provide an overview of Texas State University's Common Experience, an innovative initiative that engaged tens of thousands of people in shared consideration of sustainability as a single topic during academic year 2010-2011. Design/methodology/approach: The discourse begins with an overview of the Common Experience…

This research tested for counteractive optimism: a self-control strategy of generating optimistic predictions of future goal attainment in order to overcome anticipated obstacles in goal pursuit. In support of the counteractive optimism model, participants in 5 studies predicted better performance, more time invested in goal activities, and lower…

Intercollegiate athletics play a major and highly visible role in both higher education and the broader world of sports entertainment. A significant component of the entertainment derived from college athletic contests is related to the atmosphere promoted, both formally and informally, amid and around athletic events. The current study was…

Consistent with previous decades, Mexican-American exogamy rates during the 1970s steadily increased. However, this increase was a result of a rise in outmarriage rates for Mexican-American males rather than females as was the case in the past. (Author)

The document describes a study which focuses on women in Texas who oppose the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Their sociological background and their reasons for opposition are examined. The study examined 875 letters to a Texas state senator concerning a recall of Texas ratification and 175 questionnaires from a survey of anti-ERA activists at a…

The hypothesis that minorities that are segregated from the majority group in a mixed society are less likely to be assimilated than those who are integrated is assessed. Data from 139 Texan cities with large Hispanic populations are used. The results suggest that factors other than segregation determine ethnic identification. (Author/VM)

Results suggested that socioeconomic factors were not major determinants of differences in infant mortality in Texas in the 1970's. Data on live births and infant deaths for 254 Texas counties were obtained from the Texas Department of Health for each of the 11 years from 1970 to 1980. Infant, neonatal, and postneonatal mortality rates were…

Describes a study which examined the job location preferences of 1981 high school seniors from three very poor, predominantly Mexican-American cities in south Texas. Results indicated that students were willing to move to take advantage of better economic opportunities. There was a tendency to shun Chicago and Detroit. (AM)

Between 1970 and 1980 racial and ethnic segregation for major Texas cities declined for all groups, but declines were small between Anglo and Spanish groups. Segregation is unaffected by variation in size of city, percent of population that is Spanish or Black, or central city status. (Author/AM)

A brief questionnaire was mailed to all legislators in Arkansas (n=135, with 75 responding) and Texas (n=181 with 67 responding) concerning possible gender differences in legislative effectiveness. Personal interviews were also conducted with all female legislators from both states and an equal number of randomly selected male legislators (20 in…