Are U.S. Professionals and Managers More Left Than Blue-Collar Workers? An Analysis of the General Social Survey, 1974 to 2018

Social science interest in professionals and managers as a left- and liberal-trending stratum has increased in recent years. Using General Social Survey data over a 44-year period, the authors examine 15 attitudes spanning social, economic, and political identity liberalism. On nearly all attitudes, professionals and managers have trended in a liberal direction, have liberalized more quickly than blue-collar workers, and are either as or more liberal than blue-collar workers. The authors find that the higher levels of education among professionals and managers, their tendency to adopt nonauthoritarian outlooks, and their lower propensity to identify with fundamentalist religion mediate their more liberal trends vis-à-vis blue-collar workers. Conversely, their higher relative incomes suppress the extent of their economic and criminal justice liberalism. The authors’ theorization links changes in the macro-economy to growing gaps in the composition of the two strata and the activities of politicians and parties to consolidate emerging political differences.

Science Interest, Utility, Self-Efficacy, Identity, and Science Achievement Among High School Students: An Application of SEM Tree

The current study explored the associations between non–cognitive science-related variables, i.e., science interest, utility, self-efficacy, science identity, and science achievement in a serial mediation model. The study also further explored the potential heterogeneity in the model parameters using one of the data-mining techniques, which is the structural equation model (SEM) Tree. Data on 14,815 high school students were obtained from a large-scale database High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09). The results highlighted science interest and science utility positively influencing science achievement through a sequential pathway of mediators, including science self-efficacy and science identity. The strength of direct effects considerably varied across students, resulting in classifying them into four subgroups. For instance, among females with a low SES subgroup, developing substantial science interest would result in better science self-efficacy and science identity that flourish science achievement. These valuable findings provide fruitful tailored recommendations, elevating the science achievement in the subgroups (146 words).

Science and Math Interest and Gender Stereotypes: The Role of Educator Gender in Informal Science Learning Sites

Interest in science and math plays an important role in encouraging STEM motivation and career aspirations. This interest decreases for girls between late childhood and adolescence. Relatedly, positive mentoring experiences with female teachers can protect girls against losing interest. The present study examines whether visitors to informal science learning sites (ISLS; science centers, zoos, and aquariums) differ in their expressed science and math interest, as well as their science and math stereotypes following an interaction with either a male or female educator. Participants (n = 364; early childhood, n = 151, Mage = 6.73; late childhood, n = 136, Mage = 10.01; adolescence, n = 59, Mage = 13.92) were visitors to one of four ISLS in the United States and United Kingdom. Following an interaction with a male or female educator, they reported their math and science interest and responded to math and science gender stereotype measures. Female participants reported greater interest in math following an interaction with a female educator, compared to when they interacted with a male educator. In turn, female participants who interacted with a female educator were less likely to report male-biased math gender stereotypes. Self-reported science interest did not differ as a function of educator gender. Together these findings suggest that, when aiming to encourage STEM interest and challenge gender stereotypes in informal settings, we must consider the importance of the gender of educators and learners.

The Art of Being a Human: The Need for Anthropological Practices

The article is devoted to the need to study anthropological practices in modern socio-humanitarian science. The problem of underestimation of the anthropological side of the study of practices is revealed. The main reason for this underestimation is the influence of Marxism on the whole philosophy of the 19th and 20th centhuries. The loss of the authority in science by Marxism and positivism made it possible to make a methodological turn from the world of science to the world of life in the 1950s and 1960s, and in the 1960s – 70s to return to the initial ethical understanding of “practice” as an act, activity aimed at the benefit of a man. In modern science, interest has shifted from the social sciences to the humanities. The Russian philosopher A. Yu. Ashkerov predicts the transformation of social philosophy into social anthropology, the main methodology of which will be existential comparative studies. It is also proved in the article that anthropological phenomena today are the quintessence, the summed entity, more precisely the community, where all possible non-identical to each other beginnings and forces of being exist “inseparably and without merging”. Anthropological is initial, but it is able to realize itself only through individually psychological and social, which is the essence of the form of objectification. However, in order to return to oneself, the anthropological must become non-objectified, and reach the level of self-determination. In cyclicality, in the activity of objectification – reobjectification, a “fabric of history”, a circle of human being, where a person is able to grow up in creativity, is formed.

Relating teenagers’ science interest network characteristics to later science course enrolment: An analysis of Australian PISA 2006 and Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth data

Recently, students’ interest in science has been conceptualized as a network model: the science interest network model (SINM) in which affective, behavioural and cognitive components interact together; building on science interest being a dynamic relational construct. In the current study, we combine the Australian Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006 and Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth 2008 data (N = 4758) to investigate relationships between the network characteristics of Year 10 students with their decision to enrol in a science course in Year 12. Specifically, we identified indicators central to the SINM and tested whether they predicted chemistry, physics and biology course enrolment. Students’ intentions to pursue a science-related study or career (future intentions in science) and their enjoyment of science (science enjoyment) were the most central indicators for all three science courses. Centrality was strongly related to course enrolment ( r = .36–.74), lending support to the validity of network theory in the context of science interest, as central indicators may play an influential role within the network.

Highlighting Prosocial Affordances of Science in Textbooks to Promote Science Interest

Science stereotypes include robust beliefs that science fields lack opportunities to fulfill prosocial goals. These beliefs reduce student interest in science-especially for racial/ethnic minorities. Highlighting the prosocial utility value of science in textbooks can change these beliefs to promote undergraduate student interest.

INFLUENCING FACTORS OF 10th GRADE STUDENTS’ SCIENCE CAREER EXPECTATIONS: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL

Science career expectations can be affected by personal science beliefs and social supports. Framed in Expectancy-Value Models, this research studied the influence of science beliefs (science interest belief, self-efficacy belief and value belief) and social supports (parents and teachers) on students’ science career expectations by the survey of 798 10th grade students. Based on Structural Equation Model, it was found that: 1) science interest belief, self-efficacy belief, value belief and parents’ support can directly predict students' expectations of science careers; 2) the effect of student’s perception from parents and teachers support on science choice preferences and career engagement are mediated through the effects on students’ interest, self-efficacy and value in science. Therefore, teachers and parents should enhance students’ science beliefs and identity for the improvement of their science career expectations. Keywords: influencing factors, science career expectations, Structural Equation Model, 10th grade students.