Using a differential association/social learning framework and sex role theory, we examine four research questions concerning the zero-order and relative influences of parents, peers, and individuals' personal experiences on courtship aggression. We examine data separately for aggressors and victims as well as females and males, and we distinguish among three types of courtship aggression: abuse, violence, and sexual aggression. The results, from a random sample of college students, indicate that influences most proximate in time and place affect courtship aggression most strongly; that is, individuals' own experiences as victims and perpetrators are stronger influences than parents and peers in predicting courtship aggression. Patterns of results vary by type of aggressive behavior and sex of respondent.'This research was a collaborative endeavor, and each author made significant contributions. It was conducted in part with grants from the Center for the Study of Women in Society at the University of Oregon. The authors are grateful to M. R. Laner for comments, K. E. Lane for an early survey of literature, and L. Kelm, M. Freer (Oregon),
Affirmative action, a controversial topic about which students have many misconceptions, lends itself especially well to a sociological analysis. This paper describes an approach to teaching that: 1) informs students of different affirmative action programs; 2) gives them the opportunity to apply and integrate a variety of concepts and research findings covered in our sociology courses; 3) allows us to assess how well students understand affirmative action and to what degree they retain myths about the programs; and 4) covers an emotionally charged topic with enough depth to go beyond surface reactions. We find that this integrated approach dispels some of the most common myths, leads students to become more thoughtful and analytical, and gives them a good foundation from which to examine affirmative action in the future.
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