Subjective Invulnerability,Optimism Bias and Adjustment in Emerging Adulthood

The relationship between subjective invulnerability and optimism bias in risk appraisal, and their comparative association with indices of risk activity, substance use and college adjustment problems was assessed in a sample of 350 (M _age = 20.17; 73% female; 93% White/European American) emerging adults. Subjective invulnerability was measured with the newly devised adolescent invulnerability scale (AIS). Optimism bias in decision-making was assessed with a standard comparative-conditional risk appraisal task. Results showed that the danger- and psychological invulnerability subscales of the AIS demonstrated strong internal consistency and evidence of predictive validity. Subjective invulnerability and optimism bias were also shown to be empirically distinct constructs with differential ability to predict risk and adjustment. Danger invulnerability and psychological invulnerability were more pervasively associated with risk behavior than was optimism bias; and psychological invulnerability counter-indicated depression, self-esteem and interpersonal problems. Results support recent claims regarding the “two faces” of adolescent invulnerability. Implications for future research are drawn.     

‘Illegal Migrants’, Gender and Vulnerability: The Case of the EU’s Returns Directive

Feminist legal efforts to make sense of the external migration policies of the European Union (EU) have focused almost exclusively on the EU’s initiatives against trafficking in women. This article examines one of the more neglected areas of EU immigration policy—the return of ‘illegal immigrants’. It analyses the so-called 2008 Returns Directive in the light of the multidimensional inequalities experienced by migrant women, which affect their migration status and expose some of them to the threat of removal. Owing to insecurities over external migration, the Directive constructs even the most vulnerable migrants as a threat to be controlled and is likely to result in detrimental consequences for many migrants, and in particular already vulnerable women who are likely to be further disadvantaged by it.     

Poverty across the Life Cycle: Evidence from the PSID

The likelihood of experiencing poverty at some point during the adult life cycle is estimated. These probabilities are derived through a set of life tables built upon 25 waves of data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and represent an alternative approach to studying poverty than prior empirical studies. Life table analyses are divided into early adulthood (ages 20–40), middle adulthood (ages 40–60),and later adulthood (ages 60–80). The findings indicate that individuals within the sample face a significant risk of poverty at some point during their adult lives, particularly during the early and later stages of adulthood. Duration tends to be relatively short (1 or 2 years), but once poverty occurs, it is likely to occur again. Results also reveal the profound life‐course effect that race, education, and gender have upon the likelihood of encountering poverty during the adult years. Several policy and research implications are discussed. © 2001 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.     

Einschleusung von Migranten

In jüngster Vergangenheit hat sich die Einschleusung von Migranten zu einem neuen Massenphänomen weltweiter Wanderung entwickelt. Trotz seiner international steigenden Bedeutung wird der Menschenschmuggel von der Migrationssoziologie bislang kaum beachtet. Vor diesem Hintergrund gibt der vorliegende Beitrag zum einen — vorwiegend aus deutschem Blickwinkel — grundlegende Informationen über die Einschleusung von Migranten, zum anderen nähert er sich seinem Gegenstand aus soziologischer Perspektive. Menschenschmuggel lässt sich als sozialer Prozess verstehen, der durch ein Tauschgeschäft zwischen Migranten und Schleusern in Gang kommt und immer organisierter abläuft. Die starke Expansion der Einschleusung kann vor allem durch Globalisierungsprozesse und schleusungsbedingte Eigendynamiken erklärt werden. Wie die abschließende Evaluation bisheriger staatlicher Gegenmaßnahmen zeigt, können westliche Gesellschaften auch in nächster Zukunft nicht auf eine verstärkte Grenzsicherung verzichten.