A Neighborhood-Centered Approach to Developmental Contexts: An Application to Three Risk Behaviors in Adolescence and Young Adulthood

摘要: Raymond R. Swisher, Advisor Bridging macrosociological life course, place stratification, and social disorganization theories, this study advances a “neighborhood-centered” approach to one of the developmental contexts adolescent young adult behavior. This extends neighborhood effects research addresses limitations existing course neighborhoods scholarship by explicitly highlighting structural forces—as embodied in patterning finite set types—that anchor trajectories risk behaviors adolescence. Using four waves nationally representative data from National Longitudinal Study Adolescent Health (Add Health), latent class analysis, growth curve modeling, I first identify distinct types patterned intersection three key components inequality: race/ethnicity, socioeconomic class, geography. Second, examine how delinquency, sexual activity, marijuana use during adolescence into adulthood differ across types, extent which shape these directly indirectly (through theorized individual, family, peer mediators). Results analysis both demonstrate complex ways indicators stratification intersect specific contexts, provide foundation for multidimensional classification contexts. series threelevel models illustrate significant variation types—variation heretofore unobserved research, largely unexplained mediators. A neighborhood-centered reorients scholarly thinking about as devoting explicit attention stratifying forces bringing that behavior adulthood.