Recent research suggests that supportive relationships between coworkers benefit worker wellbeing. Less is known about the distribution of social support among different groups of workers. In this article, we use data from a random sample of state employees to examine whether black and white workers differ in the number of ties they have to coworkers, the quality of these ties, and the effects of social support on workplace emotional experiences. Our findings suggest that compared to their white counterparts, African Americans are disadvantaged in terms of workplace social ties and perceived coworker support. Race differences in job characteristics do not explain these differences; however, there is some evidence that the racial composition of the workplace may influence the formation of workplace social ties. In addition, both black and white workers experience similar emotional benefits of social support.
The fastest growing form of religious identification, spirituality, or "new" religious movement in American society over the last decade is Wicca and related forms of "Neo-Paganism." However, with no national organization and minimal local organization, little is known about its distribution across a privatized religious landscape nor about the features of state social and cultural environments that are receptive or contrary to its spread. This study uses Internet data to create estimates of the comparative strength of Wiccan-Pagan identification across the 50 states and conducts multivariate analyses of the ability of variables suggested in prior research to explain its distribution. Not only are the findings consistent with expectations, but differences in correlates of Wicca using the Internet data in contrast to existing measures of "New Age" spirituality highlight the empirical importance of maintaining distinctions between the two.
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