Many studies have shown that children living in a single-parent family tend to do worse academically and receive less intellectual stimulation than children living with married parents. Having a grandparent in the home, however, appears to buffer some of these negative effects, according to a new Cornell University study.
“When looking at children’s test scores, we find that children who live with a single mom and a grandparent fare just as well as children living with marrie
Being social has its rewards.
Men who are socially isolated have elevated levels of a blood marker for inflammation that’s linked to cardiovascular disease, according to data from the Framingham Heart Study presented today at the American Heart Association’s 45th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.
“Our analyses suggest that it may be good for the heart to be connected,” said Eric B. Loucks, Ph.D., an instructor in the depar
When the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series title since 1918 last year, the team had some new blood, including key players Curt Schilling, Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz, to mix with the old and help the team achieve the pinnacle of baseball success.
In a paper to be published April 29 in the journal Science, Northwestern University researchers turned to a different type of team — creative teams in the arts and sciences — to determine a team’s recipe for suc
A simple DNA test that is available commercially to help people establish their ancestry could in fact disclose male infertility claims a new study from the University of Leicester.
The world renowned Department of Genetics – the UK’s top rated research Genetics department where DNA genetic fingerprinting was discovered – has published a paper, Inadvertent diagnosis of male infertility through genealogical DNA testing, in the Journal of Medical Genetics.
Report author
After the dissolution of cohabiting unions, men’s economic standing is only moderately affected whereas women experience a significant decrease in their economic standing–a substantial portion end up in poverty. This income loss is particularly pronounced for African American and Hispanic women with nearly half living below the poverty threshold at the end of a cohabitating relationship. An article published in the latest issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family is one of the first to document t
The labels put on youths who commit violent crimes not only prevent society from understanding their behavior, but also act as a barrier to solving the problem, says a Purdue University sociologist.
“Children are supposed to be innocent and vulnerable, and it’s our job as adults to protect them,” says J. William Spencer, associate professor of sociology. “But what happens when teen-agers become ’cold-hearted’ and terrorize, or even kill, their classmates and teach
Careers are influenced by manifold factors – and in other ways than we think. This has been demonstrated by a study now-published by the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration. The extensive project traced numerous job histories over an extended time period and analysed critical influencing factors. The project funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) thereby questions some popular beliefs. The most important results will now be published as a book.
A team h
Rice farming led to growth of ancient cities
The rapid growth of the earliest cities in northern China starting as far back as 2400 to 2000 BC is the result of successful rice farming combined with other crops, says University of Toronto anthropologist Gary Crawford.
Although we often associate rice with Chinese agriculture, most archeologists have, until recently, thought it was exclusively millet that was the most important food associated with northern China. However
Recent financial results by major players in the UK grocery industry seem to point to the ever-increasing consolidation of grocery retailing on the UK High Street, but is this actually in the consumer’s interest, and is it what the consumer really wants? Dr Alan Hallsworth of the University of Surrey School of Management has been looking at trends in UK grocery retailing in the UK for over 25 years and comments, ‘ consumers display ambivalent attitudes towards retail change. There is a residual
A new research initiative tackles Scotland’s key demographic issues
Yesterday, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) announces the launch of a new two-year research initiative into the demographic trends which could transform the face of Scotland. Funded in partnership with the Scottish Executive, this £300,000 research investment will investigate three key aspects of Scotland’s demography: migration, fertility and the impact of an ageing population.
Scotlan
A researcher at the University of Essex will investigate ethnic minority disadvantage and poverty in a study launched recently.
Dr Lucinda Platt, of the Department of Sociology, has been awarded almost £34,000 by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation for the one-year project entitled ’Britain Divided: A Review of Poverty and Ethnicity.’
Dr Platt will conduct a systematic survey of poverty and disadvantage across ethnic groups that will summarise current knowledge an
The mental, emotional and sexual health of people with learning difficulties who are gay, lesbian and bisexual is being jeopardised by the failure of many services to give the support needed in this area.
New research by academics at Bristol University’s Norah Fry Research Centre, working in partnership with Terrence Higgins Trust and REGARD, found significant barriers were put in the way of people with learning difficulties exercising their human rights to consenting same sex rel
A researcher at the University of Alberta has shown that parents are more likely to give better care and pay closer attention to good-looking children compared to unattractive ones. Dr. Andrew Harrell presented his findings recently at the Warren E. Kalbach Population Conference in Edmonton, Alberta.
Harrell’s findings are based on an observational study of children and shopping cart safety. With the approval of management at 14 different supermarkets, Harrell’s team of
Laughter might be the best medicine for transforming the faintest of glimmers of hope into an eternal spring, reveals research at Texas A&M University that shows humor may significantly increase a person’s level of hope.
The experience of humor can positively influence a person’s state of hopefulness, says Texas A&M psychologist David H. Rosen who, along with colleagues Alexander P. Vilaythong, Randolph C. Arnau and Nathan Mascaro, studied nearly 200 subjects ranging in a
Girls steer away from careers in math, science and engineering because they view science as a solitary rather than a social occupation, according to a University of Michigan psychologist.
“Raising girls who are confident in their ability to succeed in science and math is our first job,” said Jacquelynne Eccles, a senior research professor at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR) and the U-M Institute for Research on Women and Gender.
“But in order to increase the num
Four-year-old children who receive emotional support and cognitive stimulation from their parents are significantly less likely to become bullies in grade school, but the more television four-year-olds watch the more likely they are to bully later, according to an article in the April issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Bullying among school children is considered a serious public health problem, affecting an estimated 30
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