Tag Archives: jennifer watling neal

Kids have skewed view of gender segregation

By Guest PostJanuary 11, 2014Sciencechild development, elise cappella, formation of friendships, gender segregation, jennifer watling neal, journal, kids, michigan state university, psychology, same gender, scholar, skewed view, zachary p neal

Children believe the world is far more segregated by gender than it actually is, implies a new study led by a Michigan State University scholar.

Jennifer Watling Neal and colleagues examined classroom friendships in five U.S. elementary schools. Their findings, published in the journal Child Development, found boys and girls had no problems being friends together but for some reason had a perception that only boys played with boys and girls played with girls. (more…)

Study asks: Is a ‘better world’ possible?

By Guest PostDecember 14, 2013Scienceasia, better world, cohesion, computer modeling, create communities, integration, jennifer watling neal, michigan state university, neighborhoods, policymakers, possible, socially cohesive, sociologist, united kingdom, united states, zachary neal

For years, policymakers have attempted to create communities where a diverse group of residents not only live close to one other but also interact freely – in other words, neighborhoods that are both integrated and socially cohesive.

But that might be a lost cause, a Michigan State University sociologist argues in a new study. (more…)