dowsa-coursera

[dowsa-coursera]

Assignment #1

Data Set

The data set I choose to work with is the Outlook on Life Surveys (2012). I am particularly interested in looking at the connection between the political party and the opinions on the country and life of the American citizens surveyed in the codebook. The variables I am thinking of including are: which political party do you identify with, how did you vote, are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future and in general, and what is your opinions on dating outside race. I think those variables will allow me to explore the link that might exist between someone’s political affiliations and their level of tolerance to people of different backgrounds, as well as their general attitude towards life.

Background

While this particular codebook is not as recent as the last election, I am interested in exploring the link between politics and tolerance because I feel like it’s a very current issue. Since Obama’s first term as president, my family members and peers have become more involved in conversations about politics and what sort of implications come with voting for a certain candidate. Social media and mainstream culture has also worked towards furthering division between political parties. I think by looking at the data and the surveys, I can work towards having accurate and clear language around if and how the average American views politics and any correlation that might exist with personality or general attitudes in life.

Research Question(s)

What does your political party say about you? Does being a Democrat or a Republican make you more tolerant towards others and more hopeful towards the future?

Hypothesis

I believe that people who identify as Democrats and plan to vote (and/or have voted) for democratic candidates in the past are generally more tolerant towards people of different races. I think they also would be more willing to date outside their race. I think how optimistic/pessimistic they are in their personal lives and towards the future of America might vary. But generally, I predict that the more tolerant a person is, the more optimistic they are about the future of America.

Literature Review

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028393206001606

“Political attitudes can be powerful forces, motivating action and influencing perception…”

This article is a study in how political parties and affiliations affect us on a neural level. I wanted to search up any scientific evidence that supports the influence that politics plays on us, even on a subconscious level. The study showed subjects of various political parties a candidate from the opposite party and measured brain activity. In short, they found that subjects “expressing negative feelings towards the opponent and positive feelings towards their own candidate.” This supports that Us vs. Them mentality that participation in American politics can produce. I chose this to introduce the conversation of political ideation and party division.

2. https://academic.oup.com/poq/article-abstract/73/5/917/1868315

“A number of political commentators and social scientists have speculated about the implications of the election of Barack Obama for race relations.”

This study explores racial attitudes during the Obama Era. It sets out to find out if race relations and dynamics were improved following the first Obama Presidency. I chose this because it is very interesting and has to do with a large part of my research question. It is also one of the survey questions that I am thinking of using for my data set.

3. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.polisci.9.070204.105138

“Recent commentary points to clear increases in ideological polarization between the major American political parties. We review the theoretical and empirical literature on party polarization and partisan change.”

This study delves further into party polarization and the state of the US at this time. I though it would be very current and provide further context for my research.

4. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0964663909339087

“The author argues that the social signifiers of race and gender, tied together with sexuality, are interlocking sets of power relations and these intersecting discourses are integral to understanding the comparative regulation of interracial intimacy in North America.”

This article studies the history of interracial dating/relationships in North America. It also delves into the laws and practices that both aided and worked against anti-miscegenation in the 19th and 20th century.  I chose this to inform some of the statistics and background on interracial relationships in America.

5. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Hoz-fNJDnwMC&oi=fnd&pg=PA26&dq=democrats+and+tolerance&ots=6GW2DPRZk6&sig=fhd1ZcvHyvZ8Wv4x1p5Y5nz7BXw#v=onepage&q=democrats%20and%20tolerance&f=false

“This path-breaking book re-conceptualizes our understanding of political tolerance as well as of its foundations. “

This book is all about political tolerance, and intolerance particularly in relation to American democracy. I predict that I will use this resource a lot because of how close the subject matter is to my research question. It appears to approach the subject in a more comprehensive manner, and to also explore the history behind the intolerance that certain minority groups face. I hope that it also allows some background that I can utilize for my hypotheses.

Resources

Hutchings, Vincent L. “Change or More of The Same? Evaluating Racial Attitudes in the Obama Era.” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 1 Jan. 2009, academic.oup.com/poq/article-abstract/73/5/917/1868315.

Kaplan, Jonas T., et al. “Us versus Them: Political Attitudes and Party Affiliation Influence Neural Response to Faces of Presidential Candidates.” Neuropsychologia, Pergamon, 9 June 2006, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028393206001606.

Layman, Geoffrey C. “PARTY POLARIZATION IN AMERICAN POLITICS: Characteristics, Causes, and Consequences.” Annual Reviews, www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.polisci.9.070204.105138.

Sullivan, John L., et al. Political Tolerance and American Democracy. University of Chicago Press, 1993.

Thompson, Debra. “Racial Ideas and Gendered Intimacies: the Regulation of Interracial Relationships in North America - Debra Thompson, 2009.” SAGE Journals, journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0964663909339087.