What do the stories youth in state care tell about life in their family of origin? What stories do they tell us about coming into care, living in care, and relationships with foster-parents and social workers? This book presents the stories of youth in care, though not in splendid isolation, but as interactively produced, turn by turn in interviews, and in conversations with other youth. By using tools from conversation analysis (CA), the author examines interviews with youth in care and social workers, to unfold the essential and incorrigible reflexivity of story production. CA allows us to grasp the ways that a youth's story emerges turn by turn, and is an artefact of a social relation between a youth and an interviewer. This text provides social work readers with a sense of art, artistry, and ambiguity at the heart of social interaction. It will be required reading for all social work students and academics looking for a deeper, more philosophical understanding of the profession.

This book on statistical disclosure control presents the theory, applications and software implementation of the traditional approach to (micro)data anonymization, including data perturbation methods, disclosure risk, data utility, information loss and methods for simulating synthetic data. Introducing readers to the R packages sdcMicro and simPop, the book also features numerous examples and exercises with solutions, as well as case studies with real-world data, accompanied by the underlying R code to allow readers to reproduce all results. The demand for and volume of data from surveys, registers or other sources containing sensible information on persons or enterprises have increased significantly over the last several years. At the same time, privacy protection principles and regulations have imposed restrictions on the access and use of individual data. Proper and secure microdata dissemination calls for the application of statistical disclosure control methods to the da ta before release. This book is intended for practitioners at statistical agencies and other national and international organizations that deal with confidential data. It will also be interesting for researchers working in statistical disclosure control and the health sciences.

This volume illustrates the breadth of questions and approaches that are amenable to qualitative research. The works have both theoretical relevance and pragmatic significance, holding important implications for organizational scholars and practitioners alike.

Papers presented cover topics as varied as: examining how new institutions emerge and replace former ways of doing things; an insider/outsider approach to examine the emergence and spread of organization development activities in Boston's city government; an introduction of a methodology incorporating multidimensional scaling and repertory grid procedures to produce cognitive maps; conceptual distinction between justice and injustice; an examination of how representatives of several prominent US universities reacted to questions about hate speech policies implemented by their universities but banned by court order; linkages between leadership, organizational change, and managerial work; empirical systems modelling on entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship; and an extension of a study considering issues of replicability and generalization in several Indian R&D organizations.

This volume narrates and shares the often-unheard voices of students, parents, and educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through close analysis of their lived experiences, the book identifies key patterns, pitfalls, and lessons learnt from pandemic education. Drawing on contributions from all levels of the US education system, the book situates these myriad voices and perspectives within a prismatic theory framework in order to recognise how these views and experiences interconnect. Detailed narrative and phenomenological analysis also call attention to patterns of inequality, reduced social and emotional well-being, pressures on parents, and the role of communication, flexibility, and teacher-led innovation. Chapters are interchanged with interludes that showcase a lyrical and authentic approach to understanding the multiplicity of experience in the text. Providing a valuable contribution to the contemporary field of pandemic education research, this volume will be of interest to researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in the sociology of education, online teaching and eLearning, and those involved with the digitalization of education at all levels. Those more broadly interested in educational research methods and the effects of home-schooling will also benefit.

Labouring to Learn examines academic mobility pathways among ethnic minority Tamil youths in public secondary schools and vocational institutions in Singapore. This book qualitatively examines the interactive effects of race and class on the educational performance of these youths through the lens of social capital. Despite their numerical majoritarian position within the Indian population in Singapore, the foreclosed access for Tamils to diverse class networks within the ethnic community as well as limited inter-ethnic interactions has historically truncated the means to resources and opportunities for social mobility. In schools, the narratives shared by Tamil boys and girls from the lower academic streams and economically disadvantaged backgrounds reveal that they typically experience exclusion on account of racial, economic and academic marginalisation in their everyday lives. Turning to bonding ties among peers and family members provides social support resources that offer some respite from marginalisation. On the flipside, articulations of resistance ensue among Tamil youths that tangibly take time away from learning, and run the danger of strengthening the cultural deficit rhetoric for mainstream society to explain the poor academic performance among ethnic minorities. This account of educational marginalisation amongst Singaporean Tamil youths contributes towards understanding social inequality in a non-liberal multicultural context where marginalisation is differentially experienced across ethnic minority groups and traced to broader socio-historical contexts of migration, assimilation and minority-majority relations. Furthermore, it also articulates the utility of a social capital framework in historically revealing how educational inequality emerged and continues to be sustained in a postcolonial context.

Karl R. Popper is widely regarded as one of the most influential 20th century philosophers. In this new biography, Weinert provides a comprehensive and accessible account of his life and work, also addressing Popper's role as a public intellectual. Drawing on a wide range of sources and interviews with former colleagues and collaborators, he recounts not only the wide interest from the scientific community, but also the inspiration that politicians took from Popper's work. The book surveys the vast and varied intellectual landscape of Popper's philosophical journey during his long career: from the natural and social sciences (physics, evolution, sociology) to political philosophy and the philosophy of mind. It pays significant attention to Popper's critical method - i.e., the notion that ideas and institutions should be exposed to rigorous tests - the approach that led him to a fervent defence of objectivity, rationality and realism, against all forms of irrationalism, as well as a passionate advocacy of freedom, social justice and liberal democracy, against all forms of authoritarianism. The book brings Popper into focus as a modern Enlightenment philosopher.

Design encompasses some of the highest cognitive abilities of human beings, including creativity, synthesis and problem solving. A substantial and varied range of research methods has been developed and adopted for the analysis of design activity, but until now it has been difficult to compare the work of different researchers using different methods. This book contains the results of an international workshop held in Delft, The Netherlands, which focused on one particular research method, that of protocol analysis. Researchers from seventeen different leading centres around the world were invited to analyse the same video recordings of designers working on an engineering product design. The 20 chapters in this book are the records of that workshop, providing rich insights into the design process and an overview of accumulated knowledge on design from these researchers. There is also a discussion of the properties and limitations of protocol analysis as a research technique for analysing design activity. The book is a substantial contribution to developing understanding of the nature of design activity, and is of value to researchers, teachers and practitioners of design.

Ageing, Narrative and Identity: New Qualitative Social Research outlines the methodology and results of the Fiction and the Cultural Mediation of Ageing Project (FCMAP), led by a research team from Brunel University, UK. In investigating how older people resist stereotypical cultural representations of ageing, the study demonstrates the importance of narrative understanding to social agency. This book will therefore be of interest not only to students and researchers in the growing interdisciplinary field of Ageing Studies, but also to those with interests in Social Policy, Social Narrative and wider socio-cultural conceptions of the interaction between representation and everyday life.

This book describes methods to prevent avoidable errors and to correct unavoidable ones within the behavioral sciences. A distinguishing feature of this work is that it is accessible to students and researchers of substantive fields of the behavioral sciences and related fields (e.g., health sciences and social sciences). Discussed are methods for errors that come from human and other factors, and methods for errors within each of the aspects of empirical studies. This book focuses on how empirical research is threatened by different types of error, and how the behavioral sciences in particular are vulnerable due to the study of human behavior and human participation in studies. Methods to counteract errors are discussed in depth including how they can be applied in all aspects of empirical studies: sampling of participants, design and implementation of the study, instrumentation and operationalization of theoretical variables, analysis of the data, and reporting of the study results. Students and researchers of methodology, psychology, education, and statistics will find this book to be particularly valuable. Methodologists can use the book to advice clients on methodological issues of substantive research.

This book is devoted to the modeling and understanding of complex urban systems. This second volume of Understanding Complex Urban Systems focuses on the challenges of the modeling tools, concerning, e.g., the quality and quantity of data and the selection of an appropriate modeling approach. It is meant to support urban decision-makers-including municipal politicians, spatial planners, and citizen groups-in choosing an appropriate modeling approach for their particular modeling requirements. The contributors to this volume are from different disciplines, but all share the same goal: optimizing the representation of complex urban systems. They present and discuss a variety of approaches for dealing with data-availability problems and finding appropriate modeling approaches-and not only in terms of computer modeling. The selection of articles featured in this volume reflect a broad variety of new and established modeling approaches such as: - An argument for using Big Data methods in conjunction with Agent-based Modeling; - The introduction of a participatory approach involving citizens, in order to utilize an Agent-based Modeling approach to simulate urban-growth scenarios; - A presentation of semantic modeling to enable a flexible application of modeling methods and a flexible exchange of data; - An article about a nested-systems approach to analyzing a city's interdependent subsystems (according to these subsystems' different velocities of change); - An article about methods that use Luhmann's system theory to characterize cities as systems that are composed of flows; - An article that demonstrates how the Sen-Nussbaum Capabilities Approach can be used in urban systems to measure household well-being shifts that occur in response to the resettlement of urban households; - A final article that illustrates how Adaptive Cycles of Complex Adaptive Systems, as well as innovation, can be applied to gain a better understanding of cities and to promote more resilient and more sustainable urban futures.

Explores the development and implementation of the Clay Emboidement Research Method (CERM) in working alongside stigmatised, oppressed, and marginalised groups, emphasising the need for a sensitive, ethical methodology for self-empowerment and opening doors for further research in this area.

This monograph set presents a consistent and self-contained framework of stochastic dynamic systems with maximal possible completeness. Volume 1 presents the basic concepts, exact results, and asymptotic approximations of the theory of stochastic equations on the basis of the developed functional approach. This approach offers a possibility of both obtaining exact solutions to stochastic problems for a number of models of fluctuating parameters and constructing various asymptotic buildings. Ideas of statistical topography are used to discuss general issues of generating coherent structures from chaos with probability one, i.e., almost in every individual realization of random parameters. The general theory is illustrated with certain problems and applications of stochastic mathematical physics in various fields such as mechanics, hydrodynamics, magnetohydrodynamics, acoustics, optics, and radiophysics.

This book presents a collection of papers illustrating the variety of "experimental" methodologies used to study voting. Experimental methods include laboratory experiments in the tradition of political psychology, laboratory experiments with monetary incentives, in the economic tradition, survey experiments (varying survey, question wording, framing or content), as well as various kinds of field experimentation. Topics include the behavior of voters (in particular turnout, vote choice, and strategic voting), the behavior of parties and candidates, and the comparison of electoral rules.

Covers the key issues required for students wishing to understand and analyse the core empirical issues in economics. It focuses on descriptive statistics, probability concepts and basic econometric techniques and has an accompanying website that contains all the data used in the examples and provides exercises for undertaking original research.

Using qualitative research data on Mexican/Mexican Americans and their historias de exito that center on Mexican centric concepts such as buen trabajador, bien educado, and buena gente, Octavio Pimentel reveals that when social networks guide personal goals in these communities, goals become community-oriented rather than personally-oriented.

Models of Society and Complex Systems introduces readers to a variety of different mathematical tools used for modelling human behaviour and interactions, and the complex social dynamics that drive institutions, conflict, and coordination. What laws govern human affairs? How can we make sense of the complexity of societies and how do individual actions, characteristics, and beliefs interact? Social systems follow regularities which allow us to answer these questions using different mathematical approaches. This book emphasises both theory and application. It systematically introduces mathematical approaches, such as evolutionary and spatial game theory, social network analysis, agent-based modelling, and chaos theory. It provides readers with the necessary theoretical background of each toolset as well as the underlying intuition, while each chapter includes exercises and applications to real-world phenomena. By looking behind the surface of various social occurrences, the reader uncovers the reasons why social systems exhibit both cultural universals and at the same time a diversity of practices and norms to a degree that even surpasses biological variety, or why some riots turn into revolutions while others do not even make it into the news. This book is written for any scholar in the social sciences interested in studying and understanding human behaviour, social dynamics, and the complex systems of society. It does not expect readers to have a particular background apart from some elementary knowledge and affinity for mathematics.

Models of Society and Complex Systems introduces readers to a variety of different mathematical tools used for modelling human behaviour and interactions, and the complex social dynamics that drive institutions, conflict, and coordination. What laws govern human affairs? How can we make sense of the complexity of societies and how do individual actions, characteristics, and beliefs interact? Social systems follow regularities which allow us to answer these questions using different mathematical approaches. This book emphasises both theory and application. It systematically introduces mathematical approaches, such as evolutionary and spatial game theory, social network analysis, agent-based modelling, and chaos theory. It provides readers with the necessary theoretical background of each toolset as well as the underlying intuition, while each chapter includes exercises and applications to real-world phenomena. By looking behind the surface of various social occurrences, the reader uncovers the reasons why social systems exhibit both cultural universals and at the same time a diversity of practices and norms to a degree that even surpasses biological variety, or why some riots turn into revolutions while others do not even make it into the news. This book is written for any scholar in the social sciences interested in studying and understanding human behaviour, social dynamics, and the complex systems of society. It does not expect readers to have a particular background apart from some elementary knowledge and affinity for mathematics.

Taking up a social constructionist position, this book illustrates the social and cultural construction of autism as made visible in everyday, educational, institutional and historical discourses, alongside a careful consideration of the bodily and material realities of embodied differences. The authors highlight the economic consequences of a disabling culture, and explore how autism fits within broader arguments related to normality, abnormality and stigma. To do this, they provide a theoretically and historically grounded discussion of autism-one designed to layer and complicate the discussions that surround autism and disability in schools, health clinics, and society writ large. In addition, they locate this discussion across two contexts - the US and the UK - and draw upon empirical examples to illustrate the key points. Located at the intersection of critical disability studies and discourse studies, the book offers a critical reframing of autism and childhood mental health disorders more generally.

Masculinity, it seems, is in crisis, again. This edited volume critically interrogates the current situation facing contemporary young men. The contributors deconstruct and reject such crisis talk, with its chapters drawing on original research to present a more nuanced reality, whilst also developing a critical dialogue with one another.

The book provides an argument why realism is a viable metatheoretical framework for psychological science. By looking at some variations of realism such as scientific realism, critical realism, situational realism and Ferraris' new realism, a realist view of science is outlined that can feature as a metatheory for psychological science. Realism is a necessary correction for the mythical image of science responsible for and maintained by a number of dichotomies and polarities in psychology. Thus, the quantitative-qualitative dichotomy, scientist-practitioner polarity and positivist-constructionist opposition feed off and maintains a mythic image of science on levels of practice, methods and metatheory. Realism makes a clear distinction between ontology and epistemic access to reality, the latter which easily fits with softer versions of constructionism, and the former which grounds science in resistance and possibility, loosely translated as criticism. By taking science as a critical activity an issue such as the quantitative imperative looses its defining force as a hallmark of science - it provides epistemic access to certain parts of reality. In addition, essentially critical activities characteristic of various qualitative approaches may be welcomed as proper science. Academics, professionals and researchers in psychology would find value in situating their scholarly work in a realist metatheory avoiding the pitfalls of traditional methodologies and theories.

This book offers a coherent research-based overview and analysis of theories and practices in using data to improve student learning. It clarifies what 'use of data' means and differentiates the different levels of decision-making in education (relating to the system, district, school, classroom, or individual student). The relationship between data and decision-making is considered and various movements in the use of data to improve student learning are analysed, especially from the perspective of their assumptions and effects. This leads to a focus on effective educational decision-making as a social process requiring collaboration among all relevant participants. It also requires a clear understanding of educational aims, and these are seen to transcend what can be assessed by standardised tests. The consequences of this analysis for decision processes are explored and conclusions are drawn about what principles might best guide educational practice as well as what ambiguities remain. Throughout, the focus is on what existing research says about each of the issues explored.

The European Population 1850-1945 is the first volume of two on demographics. The second volume will appear as part of the Societies of Europe series in 2003 and will cover changes until the year 2000.The European Population 1850-1945 is a comparative and historical data handbook and accompanying CD-ROM presenting series data on demographic developments, population and household structures for the countries of Western and Central Europe. All major fields of demographic change are covered: fertility, mortality, marriage, and divorce. Population figures are given for each population census by sex, civil status and age. Major demographic developments within the family are described providing a commentary on the main population structures and trends in Europe since the 19th century.

The three parts of this book on survey methodology combine an introduction to basic sampling theory, engaging presentation of topics that reflect current research trends, and informed discussion of the problems commonly encountered in survey practice. These related aspects of survey methodology rarely appear together under a single connected roof, making this book a unique combination of materials for teaching, research and practice in survey sampling. Basic knowledge of probability theory and statistical inference is assumed, but no prior exposure to survey sampling is required. The first part focuses on the design-based approach to finite population sampling. It contains a rigorous coverage of basic sampling designs, related estimation theory, model-based prediction approach, and model-assisted estimation methods. The second part stems from original research conducted by the authors as well as important methodological advances in the field during the past three decades. Topics include calibration weighting methods, regression analysis and survey weighted estimating equation (EE) theory, longitudinal surveys and generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis, variance estimation and resampling techniques, empirical likelihood methods for complex surveys, handling missing data and non-response, and Bayesian inference for survey data. The third part provides guidance and tools on practical aspects of large-scale surveys, such as training and quality control, frame construction, choices of survey designs, strategies for reducing non-response, and weight calculation. These procedures are illustrated through real-world surveys. Several specialized topics are also discussed in detail, including household surveys, telephone and web surveys, natural resource inventory surveys, adaptive and network surveys, dual-frame and multiple frame surveys, and analysis of non-probability survey samples. This book is a self-contained introduction to survey sampling that provides a strong theoretical base with coverage of current research trends and pragmatic guidance and tools for conducting surveys.

-Includes simplified statistical contents and step by step guide on how to apply the statistical concepts by perform analysis using SPSS together with interpretation of the statistical analysis output. -Provides a wide range of data sets to be used for examples and illustrations. -Designed to be accessible to readers with varied backgrounds.

-Includes simplified statistical contents and step by step guide on how to apply the statistical concepts by perform analysis using SPSS together with interpretation of the statistical analysis output. -Provides a wide range of data sets to be used for examples and illustrations. -Designed to be accessible to readers with varied backgrounds.