Session C: 1:45PM – 3:15PM
Social Sciences. Session C – Oral Presentations. Collegiate Room, Union
SESSION C (1:45-3:15PM)
COLLEGIATE ROOM, A. Ray Olpin University Union
Marriage, Divorce and Suicide Rates after the Great Recession
Seth Driggs, Brigham Young University
Olivia Black, Brigham Young University
Kathryn Grendell, Brigham Young University
Kimalie Nye, Brigham Young University
Samantha Bailey, Brigham Young University
Faculty Mentor Spencer James, Brigham Young University
SESSION C 1:45-2:00PM
Collegiate, Union
Social Sciences
The economic recession between 2008-2010 impacted many facets of life across the globe. For instance, marriage rates declined slightly while suicide rates rose as a result of the economic recession. We predicted that because of this change, during the recession in several Western countries, divorce and suicide rates would both increase. After the Great Recession, we predicted that marriage and divorce rates would be correlated among several Western countries. Using data from the Global Families Research Initiative at Brigham Young University, collated from different data sources such as the United Nations, the individual country’s department of statistics, and through correspondence with international statistics bureaus, our results suggest that while divorce and suicide had a significant correlation between the years 2008-2019, marriage and divorce only were significantly correlated between 2013-2019. Marriage and suicide had no correlation for any of the years between 2008-2019. These findings suggest that as divorce rates rose, marriage rates fell during the few years during and after the recession. It was not until 2013 that marriage and divorce began to stabilize together. Additionally, suicide and divorce appeared to rise in conjunction with one another and then fall and stabilize, and this is a pattern that has continued to present itself over the last decade.
Residential Energy Use and Marriage
Olivia Black, Brigham Young University
Seth Driggs, Brigham Young University
Kimalee Nye, Brigham Young University
Kathryn Grendell, Brigham Young University
Samantha Bailey, Brigham Young University
Faculty Mentor Spencer James, Brigham Young University
SESSION C 2:05-2:20PM
Collegiate, Union
Social Sciences
The push for cleaner and smaller energy consumption grows ever stronger. While ideologies on which types of energy are best suited for preserving our planet while still sustaining a high standard of living is a lively debate, it might also be worthwhile to examine the impact that current social trends, specifically marriage, have on energy consumption. Using data collected from databases such as the United Nations, IEA, and individual national departments of statistics by the Global Family Research Initiative at Brigham Young University, we will examine global energy consumption and marriage rates to determine if marriage patterns coincide with energy consumption patterns. The publicly available data from Western countries has led us to hypothesize that as marriage rates have declined in the past few years, energy consumption has increased. We plan on testing this hypothesis through regression analysis between marriage rates and energy consumption. Our results will be limited by the lack of data concerning cohabitation, roommates, or other forms of group living. Future studies could include more types of living arrangements and could split the study into regions to compare trends intra-regionally.
Using the Health Belief Model to Understand Minority Families’ Health Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Max Buck, Utah State University
Faculty Mentor Sydney O’Shay, Utah State University
SESSION C 2:25-2:40PM
Collegiate, Union
Social Sciences
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created significant stressors for families in all life circumstances and belonging to all different communities. With that being recognized, families belonging to minority racial and ethnic groups are impacted the most (CDC, 2020). Within those heavily impacted families, women tend to take on the most responsibility for education and protection of other family members (Lachlan et al., 2009; Seeger, 2019; Spence et al., 2008; 2011). Extant literature does not fully capture the experience of individuals in this situation. This study takes a qualitative approach to better understand how mothers belonging to racial and ethnic minorities make decisions for their families about how to be safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our inquiry includes an investigation into how mothers of color negotiate varying expectations regarding safety precautions such as masking, social distancing, and vaccinations with other family members and with people outside of the family and how this relates to family identity. Twenty-three in-depth one-on-one interviews have been conducted with mothers who have identified as belonging to a racial or ethnic minority group and have at least one child 2-11 years old. Interviews cover participants’ definition of what it means for their family to be safe and healthy, communication with others about their identity as a safe and healthy family, beliefs about COVID-19, and communication about protective actions that will be taken to avoid COVID spreading within the family. Interviews were transcribed and have been analyzed using Tracy’s (2020) iterative approach. Preliminary analysis affirms the utility of HBM in better understanding the health attitudes and behaviors of mothers of color and their families during COVID-19. We are currently in the process of writing up our findings and will have complete findings ready for UCUR in February. Findings are expected to provide nuanced insight into health decision-making in families of color during COVID-19 and will be of interest to public health, crisis, and risk communication scholars as well as health practitioners.
