News by Subject Social & Behavior

Government leaders must set a good example to the business community if they want to eliminate corporate corruption, a new study reveals.

A new IZA World of Labor report publishing today finds energy booms create a broad set of benefits for local workers in the short term including lower unemployment and higher wages. But there are externalities to consider and the long term picture is less clear.

Researchers found that some people experience financial stress due, in part, to their religion's demands on their time and money. Yet, others feel their religious involvement and support of their church community reduces their financial stress.

Kristin Moilanen, associate professor of child development and family studies, said the phenomena of helicopter parenting most often occurs in middle- to upper-class families where stakes are high for parents to be able to show off their children's success. Her research, which focuses on young adults 18- to 24- years-old, indicates that high helicopter parenting leads to 'low mastery, self-regulation and social competence.'

Nearly two-thirds of American parents of children under 18 (65%) report at least one economic, environmental, or lifestyle factor that limits their family's ability to live a healthy life, according to a new nationwide survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Nemours Children's Health System. Eighty percent of parents believe that they have sufficient resources to raise healthy children, but a majority also cite serious obstacles to staying healthy.

While it makes sense that families living below the poverty line have a difficult time covering their energy bills, new University of Wisconsin Oshkosh research shows the reverse to be true as well ... high energy bills can lead a household into poverty. The nationwide study--led by UWO environmental sociologist Jeremiah Bohr and published Nov. 15 in the peer-reviewed journal Social Forces--indicates that dedicating inordinate amounts of income to energy services can threaten a family's well-being over time

New research published this month in the Southern Economic Journal reveals job losses during the Great Recession (2007-2009) may be partly responsible for the recent drop in U.S. birth rates.

Plans to save biodiversity must take into account the social impacts of conservation if they are to succeed, say University of Cambridge researchers.

Two fundamental goals of humanity are to eradicate poverty and reduce climate change, and it is critical that the world knows whether achieving these goals will involve trade-offs. New IIASA research for the first time provides a basis to answer this question, including the tools needed to relate basic needs directly to resource use.

How quickly you spend your savings in retirement may have as much or more to do with your personality than whether you have a lot of debt or want to leave an inheritance.