Women’s Work? The Relationship between Farmwork and Gender Self-Perception

Women have long been involved in agricultural production, yet farming and ranching have been associated with masculinity and men. In recent years women have become more involved and more likely to take active and equal roles on farms and ranches and thus increasingly are doing tasks that have been associated with masculinity. Prior work indicates that women are perceived by others as more masculine when they do these tasks, but less work has focused on the association between women’s involvement in farming and women’s own perceptions of their gender (i.e., how masculine or feminine they feel). Using 2006 survey data from a random sample of women in livestock and grain operations in Washington State, we find that women’s involvement in farm and ranch tasks is associated with their gender self- perception, with more involvement being associated with a more masculine self-perception. Women who view their primary role as independent agricultural producers or full partners also perceive themselves as more masculine than women who view their primary role as homemaker. We discuss the implications of these findings for women’s experiences in agriculture

Are Biological Science Knowledge, Interests, and Science Identity Framed by Religious and Political Perspectives in the United States?

Science trust and views of science differ by political and religious orientations. In this study we examine whether political and religious perspectives are also associated with biological science knowledge, science interest, and general science identity. Results show that conservative Protestants have lower biological science knowledge than other religious groups on several specific topics. Party affiliation is associated with vaccine knowledge but not science interest and identity. Adjusting for demographic characteristics explains some political and religious group differences, but not all. We discuss implications regarding attention to potential political and religious framings of science topics in public education efforts

Examining Inequalities in Science Literacy by Religious Affiliation Among Adults

Much attention has been given to the general public’s lack of understanding of science and the adverse effect of this lack of knowledge in our ever-advancing scientific and technological society. Religion remains an important social frame through which individuals interpret information, including scientific findings and facts and one deserving of closer examination in understanding disparities in public science knowledge. Using a random sample of adults in Nebraska, this study explored the association between religious affiliation and adult scientific literacy of human biological concepts. Results found a relationship between religious affiliation and adult scientific knowledge, even after controlling for confounding demographic variables such as education, age, and gender. Specifically, Evangelical/Fundamentalist Protestants had the lowest level of science knowledge compared to their counterparts with other religious affiliations and the non-affiliated. No significant gender, racial, age, or rural/urban differences emerged, but, as expected, education was positively associated with higher levels of science literacy. Implications regarding inequalities in levels of adult science literacy and strategies for educators to reduce these inequalities are discussed

Influences of Farming Background on Farm Women’s Employment Motivations

An important change in the dynamics of family farming is the financial difficulties they have encountered and the resulting solution of sending a family member to earn a wage in off-farm employment. This study utilizes survey data from Washington family farm women to explore how they navigate their unique social context concerning the decision and reasons they choose to work off-farm. In particular, I examine whether women who grew upon a farm or have spent a large percentage of their lives on farms are more or less likely to work off-farm. An identity theory approach is utilized to hypothesize that the influence of farming/agrarian ideology in those with a farming background will lead to differential levels of employment and differing reasons in the decisions to either seek off-farm employment or remain on-farm. This study found that while being raised on-farm was not found to be associated with off-farm employment, increased percentage of life spent on-farm was associated with being less likely to have ever worked off-farm. This study also found that, of those who have worked off-farm, those raised on-farm and with increased percentage of life spent on-farm were less likely to indicate that they work off-farm to gain personal income. In addition, those raised on-farm were less likely to work off-farm in order to gain independence or for the challenge. This study also found that, of those who have not worked off-farm, being raised on-farm had no significant association with listing being needed on-farm or at home as reasons for not working off-farm. However, increase in percentage of a woman’s life spent on-farm was associated with indicating being both needed on the farm/ranch and needed at home as reasons for not working off-farm. Adviser: Jolene Smyt

How Work and Family Roles Influence Health, Mental Health, and Relationships within Farm Families: A Quantitative and Qualitative Approach

Work-family conflict and balancing work and family roles remain important and relevant concerns among many families in the United States today, and the challenges and incompatibility associated with these roles can lead to declines in health and relationship quality. A life course framework highlights that partnered individuals do not live their lives in isolation and that understanding how the stresses and experiences of one partner influences the other is key to understanding individuals\u27 mental health, health, and relationships. In this dissertation I analyze links between farm women and men\u27s objective (i.e., workload-based) and subjective (i.e., perception-based) experiences with work and family roles and associations with individual well-being and relationships. Overall, I find that farm women contribute substantially to their farming enterprises via various types of work and family roles. Through analyzing survey data from women on family farms and ranches (n=470), I found that farm women\u27s objective experiences in work and family roles—including absolute work hours, splitting hours over multiple roles, performing the majority of the couple\u27s relative work hours in each role and majority of work hours in multiple roles—are not associated with farm women\u27s health, mental health, or relationship happiness. Instead, women\u27s subjective experiences with work and family roles—including perceived role appreciation and actual vs. desired couple work arrangements—are associated with women\u27s health and relationship outcomes. In addition, through analyzing interview data with farm men and women (27 couples, n=54), I found that farm couples negotiate not only the actual division of labor in on-farm, off-farm, and family roles, but also negotiate the meaning they ascribe to that division of labor, often in gendered ways. I conclude that women\u27s objective, workload-based experiences in work and family roles may be undercounted due to different interpretations of what is considered work or farm work by men and women alike within the discourse of the family farm

How Work and Family Roles Influence Health, Mental Health, and Relationships within Farm Families: A Quantitative and Qualitative Approach

Work-family conflict and balancing work and family roles remain important and relevant concerns among many families in the United States today, and the challenges and incompatibility associated with these roles can lead to declines in health and relationship quality. A life course framework highlights that partnered individuals do not live their lives in isolation and that understanding how the stresses and experiences of one partner influences the other is key to understanding individuals\u27 mental health, health, and relationships. In this dissertation I analyze links between farm women and men\u27s objective (i.e., workload-based) and subjective (i.e., perception-based) experiences with work and family roles and associations with individual well-being and relationships. Overall, I find that farm women contribute substantially to their farming enterprises via various types of work and family roles. Through analyzing survey data from women on family farms and ranches (n=470), I found that farm women\u27s objective experiences in work and family roles—including absolute work hours, splitting hours over multiple roles, performing the majority of the couple\u27s relative work hours in each role and majority of work hours in multiple roles—are not associated with farm women\u27s health, mental health, or relationship happiness. Instead, women\u27s subjective experiences with work and family roles—including perceived role appreciation and actual vs. desired couple work arrangements—are associated with women\u27s health and relationship outcomes. In addition, through analyzing interview data with farm men and women (27 couples, n=54), I found that farm couples negotiate not only the actual division of labor in on-farm, off-farm, and family roles, but also negotiate the meaning they ascribe to that division of labor, often in gendered ways. I conclude that women\u27s objective, workload-based experiences in work and family roles may be undercounted due to different interpretations of what is considered work or farm work by men and women alike within the discourse of the family farm

Women’s Work? The Relationship between Farmwork and Gender Self-Perception

Women have long been involved in agricultural production, yet farming and ranching have been associated with masculinity and men. In recent years women have become more involved and more likely to take active and equal roles on farms and ranches and thus increasingly are doing tasks that have been associated with masculinity. Prior work indicates that women are perceived by others as more masculine when they do these tasks, but less work has focused on the association between women’s involvement in farming and women’s own perceptions of their gender (i.e., how masculine or feminine they feel). Using 2006 survey data from a random sample of women in livestock and grain operations in Washington State, we find that women’s involvement in farm and ranch tasks is associated with their gender self- perception, with more involvement being associated with a more masculine self-perception. Women who view their primary role as independent agricultural producers or full partners also perceive themselves as more masculine than women who view their primary role as homemaker. We discuss the implications of these findings for women’s experiences in agriculture

The Effect of Victimization, Mental Health, and Protective Factors on Crime and Illicit Drug Use among Homeless Young Adults

Although research has found high rates of child maltreatment, widespread victimization, and other negative outcomes among homeless youth and young adults, resiliency among this population has largely been understudied. Specifically, a gap remains in terms of how protective factors such as self-efficacy, low deviant beliefs, and religiosity operate among homeless youth and young adults. The purpose of the current study is to examine the relationship between various forms of victimization, mental health, and protective factors with property and violent crime and illicit drug use among homeless young adults. Results from regression analyses indicate that running away from home more frequently, experiencing more physical victimization on the street, higher levels of self-efficacy, and more deviant beliefs were associated with greater property crime. Significant correlates of violent crime included being male, running away from home more frequently, greater sexual and physical victimization on the street, higher levels of self-efficacy, and more deviant beliefs. Finally, being male, running away more frequently from home, greater child physical abuse and partner victimization, and more deviant beliefs were all associated with greater illicit drug use. Self-efficacy was positively related to both property and violent crime, suggesting that it may not operate for homeless young adults in the same manner as it does for normative populations

Are Biological Science Knowledge, Interests, and Science Identity Framed by Religious and Political Perspectives in the United States?

Science trust and views of science differ by political and religious orientations. In this study we examine whether political and religious perspectives are also associated with biological science knowledge, science interest, and general science identity. Results show that conservative Protestants have lower biological science knowledge than other religious groups on several specific topics. Party affiliation is associated with vaccine knowledge but not science interest and identity. Adjusting for demographic characteristics explains some political and religious group differences, but not all. We discuss implications regarding attention to potential political and religious framings of science topics in public education efforts