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Item The Devil That You Know: Christian Nationalism and Intent to Change One’s Voting Behavior For or Against Trump in 2020(Cambridge University Press, 2022-06) Perry, Samuel L.; Whitehead, Andrew L.; Grubbs, Joshua B.; Sociology, School of Liberal ArtsChristian nationalist ideology was among the strongest predictors of Americans voting for Trump in 2016 and remained a strong predictor of intent to vote for him prior to the 2020 election. This study uses national data to examine whether Christian nationalism could potentially convert the previously-unconverted to supporting Trump or, conversely, prevent apostatizing from Trump. Among Americans who did not vote for Trump in 2016, Christian nationalism increased the likelihood that they intended to vote for Trump in 2020, but only those who earlier did not vote at all or voted third party. Conversely, among Americans who did vote for Trump in 2016, Christian nationalism reduced the likelihood that they planned on voting for a Democratic or third party candidate. Christian nationalism thus potentially inclined Americans who previously did not vote for Trump in 2016 to vote his way in 2020 and inoculated previous Trump-voters from considering other candidates in 2020.Item Disney and Disability: Media Representations of Disability in Disney and Pixar Animated Films(Society for Disability Studies, 2022-08-18) Holcomb, Jeanne; Latham-Mintus, Kenzie; Sociology, School of Liberal ArtsSince the merger of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, Disney has been lauded for creating more progressive content that includes representations of main characters from diverse backgrounds. However, progressive representations of disability (both physical and mental disability) have been slow to emerge in most mediums. The objective of this research is to examine whether portrayals of illness and disability in recent animated feature films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios or Pixar Animation Studios depict progressive (or multicultural) narratives of disability versus traditional narratives of disability. We analyzed 20 of the most recent (i.e., 2008-2018) animated films from both studios with 9 films from Walt Disney Animation and 11 films from Pixar Animation Studios. Using thematic content analysis, a combination of pre-identified and emergent disability- and illness-related themes are described. Overwhelmingly, disability portrayals were traditional, with disability used to elicit pity or humor from the viewer and to indicate that characters were evil or old. Out of the 20 films, few progressive portrayals of disability were observed. Although Disney has been lauded for being more inclusive in their representations of characters, disability representations continue to perpetuate and reaffirm the stigmatization of disability.Item “I Don’t Want Everybody to Vote”: Christian Nationalism and Restricting Voter Access in the United States(Wiley, 2022-03) Perry, Samuel L.; Whitehead, Andrew L.; Grubbs, Joshua B.; Sociology, School of Liberal ArtsThough the persistence of voter suppression and disenfranchisement in the US is well-documented, we still know little about their contemporary ideological underpinnings beyond partisanship and racial resentment. Highlighting the Christian Right’s influence in driving anti-democratic sentiment in the post-Civil Rights era, we propose contemporary ideological support for restricting the vote generally, and specifically, to those who prove “worthy,” is undergirded by a pervasive ideology that cloaks authoritarian ethno-traditionalism with the ultimacy and polysemic utility of religious language―Christian nationalism. Nationally representative data collected weeks before the November 2020 elections reveal Christian nationalism is a leading predictor that Americans deny that voter suppression is a problem, believe that the US makes it “too easy to vote,” believe that voter fraud is rampant, and support measures to disenfranchise individuals who could not pass a basic civics test or who committed certain crimes. Interactions show Christian nationalism’s influence is particularly strong among men across most outcomes and, regarding voter suppression, whites compared to Blacks. We argue Christian nationalism seeks to institutionalize founding ideals in which civic participation is rooted in hierarchies, being restricted to a “worthy” few. Appeals to America’s religious heritage thus facilitate stratifying America’s citizenry and justifying restricting participation to preserve dominance.Item The Discursive and Practical Influence of Spirituality on Civic Engagement(Wiley, 2022-06) Steensland, Brian; King, David P.; Duffy, Barbara J.; Sociology, School of Liberal ArtsReligion has long been recognized as promoting civic engagement. Recent declines in organized religion and growing interest in spirituality raise the question of whether spirituality might also promote civic engagement. Using data from a new nationally representative survey, we assess the independent and joint influence of spirituality and religion on civic life. We find that 40% of respondents perceive spirituality as influencing their civic engagement. Spirituality's influence typically appears in tandem with religion, but when spirituality and religion are distinct, the influence of spirituality is greater and more prevalent. Using two distinct measures, we assess the influence of spirituality on civic engagementat both discursive and practical levels. We find positive associations for both. Spirituality is both a conscious influence and tacit resource in civic life. We close by briefly outlining an agenda for better understanding socially engaged spirituality.Item Aging With Incarceration Histories: An Intersectional Examination of Incarceration and Health Outcomes Among Older Adults(Oxford, 2023-05) Latham-Mintus, Kenzie; Deck, Monica M.; Nelson, Elizabeth; Sociology, School of Liberal ArtsObjectives Experiences with incarceration are linked to poor mental and physical health across the life course. The purpose of this research is to examine whether incarceration histories are associated with worse physical and mental health among older adults. We apply an intersectionality framework and consider how the intersection of sexism and racism leads to unequal health outcomes following incarceration among women and people of color. Methods We employ 2 measures of health (i.e., number of depressive symptoms and physical limitations) to broadly capture mental and physical health. Using data from Waves 11 and 12 of the Health and Retirement Study, we estimated a series of general linear models to analyze differences in health by incarceration history, gender/sex, and race/ethnicity. Results Findings suggest that experiences with incarceration are associated with a greater number of physical limitations and more depressive symptoms among older men and women, net of sociodemographic characteristics, early-life conditions, and lifetime stressful events. Formerly incarcerated women, particularly women of color, had more physical limitations and depressive symptoms relative to other groups. Discussion These findings suggest that incarceration histories have far-reaching health implications. Older women of color with incarceration histories experience markedly high levels of physical limitations and depressive symptoms in later life.Item Understanding the Role of Social Infrastructure for Older Adult Engagement Across Geographic Contexts(Oxford University Press, 2022-12-20) Latham-Mintus, Kenzie; Montgomery, Lucas; Wilson, Jeffrey; Sociology, School of Liberal ArtsUsing semi-structured interviews of older adults, living alone or with a partner in the community, this research explores themes related to aging in place, social infrastructure, and community engagement across geographic contexts in Indiana. In particular, we are interested in understanding how older adults experience and use the existing social infrastructure in their communities and how these experiences vary across the rural-suburban-urban continuum. Additionally, we examine how social interactions supported by social infrastructure influence the maintenance of social relationships including weak social ties. Because COVID-19 has significantly changed patterns of community engagement among older adults, respondents were asked to discuss their behavior pre- and post-COVID-19. Applying a thematic analysis approach to the data, we explore the interconnections among social infrastructure, community engagement, social relationships, and geographic settings with an emphasis on older adults’ experiences and perceptions.Item Do Discrimination and Negative Interactions with Family Explain the Relationship between Interracial Relationship Status and Mental Disorder?(Sage, 2022) Irby-Shasanmi, Amy; Erving, Christy L.; Sociology, School of Liberal ArtsUsing the stress process model, the authors investigate whether individuals in interracial relationships experience greater risk for past-year mood and anxiety disorder compared with their same-race relationship counterparts. The authors also assess interracial relationship status differences in external stressors (i.e., discrimination and negative interactions with family) and whether stress exposure explains mental disorder differences between individuals in interracial versus same-race romantic partnerships. Data are from the National Survey of American Life (2001-2003). Results show that individuals in interracial relationships are at greater risk for anxiety disorder (but not mood disorder) relative to those in same-race relationships. Interracially partnered individuals also report more discrimination from the public and greater negative interactions with family. External stressors partially explain the higher risk for anxiety disorder among individuals in interracial partnerships. This study addresses a void in the literature on discrimination, family relationships, and health for the growing population of individuals in interracial unions.Item Why “Dissident” Irish Republicans Haven't Gone Away(Oxford, 2021-06) White, Robert W.; Sociology, School of Liberal ArtsWhen considering “terrorists” and “terrorism,” the focus tends to be on violence—the threat of violence, its aftermath, the ideology and belief systems that lead to it, and so forth. Political violence, however, represents only a portion of the repertoire of collective action that is available to “terrorists.” Images from “dissident” Irish Republican events and photo-elicitation interviews with activists who participated in these events show that: (1) the repertoire of “violent” organizations includes nonviolent political activity; and (2) the organizational structures and affective incentives that sustain activism in nonviolent voluntary associations and social movement organizations also sustain activism in organizations that embrace physical force or “terrorism.” In combination, these findings show that “dissident” Irish Republicans are likely to persist into the foreseeable future. More generally, the findings also show that our understanding of “terrorists” and “terrorist organizations” will be enhanced if we focus less on their violent activities and more on their similarities with nonviolent activists and organizations.Item Staying Connected: Alternative Transportation Use, Neighborhoods, and Social Participation Among Older Americans(Oxford Academic, 2022-02) Latham-Mintus, Kenzie; Manierre, Matthew; Miller, Keith; Sociology, School of Liberal ArtsBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A wealth of empirical evidence documents improved health among older adults who participate in social activities. Alternative transportation can serve as a bridge linking older adults to social activities and improving person-environment fit. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using Waves 1-8 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study, this research examines whether alternative transportation use is associated with participation in diverse social activities among a sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 or older. Additionally, this research explores whether the effect of transportation use varies across neighborhood environments. We analyzed individual trajectories of participation in social activities by estimating 2-level growth curve models. RESULTS: The use of public transportation, paratransit, getting a ride, or walking/using wheelchair/scooter to get places was associated with participating in more types of social activities. Respondents who used alternative transportation had less steep declines in participation. The effect of getting rides and using paratransit services was more pronounced among respondents living in disordered neighborhoods. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: This research underscores the importance of alternative transportation use and the neighborhood context for participation among older adults. Age-friendly initiatives aimed at fostering greater community engagement should think broadly about the role of multiple forms of transportation.Item Racialized Religion and Judicial Injustice: How Whiteness and Biblicist Christianity Intersect to Promote a Preference for (Unjust) Punishment(Wiley, 2021-03) Perry, Samuel L.; Whitehead, Andrew L.; Sociology, School of Liberal ArtsAmerica's judicial system is both exceptionally punitive and demonstrably unjust toward racial minorities. While these dual realities are structured into America's institutions, we propose they are also partially sustained by the intersection of ideologies that are both racialized and sacralized. Using multiple waves of the General Social Surveys and a unique measure that asks Americans to choose between two forms of judicial injustice (wrongful conviction or erroneous acquittal), we examine how white racial identity intersects with biblical literalism to bolster America's bent toward unjust punitiveness. In the main effects, Americans who affirm biblical literalism are more likely to show a preference for convicting the innocent, as are whites compared to Black Americans. Examining interaction effects, however, we find whiteness moderates the influence of biblical literalism such that only white biblical literalists (as opposed to non-white biblical literalists or white non-biblical literalists) are more likely to prefer wrongful conviction. Indeed, in our full model, being a white biblical literalist is the strongest predictor of preferring wrongful conviction. We theorize that preference for wrongful conviction over erroneous acquittal stems, at least in part, from the combination of sacralized authoritarianism and perceived racial threat.