This volume contains an Open Access chapter. We have witnessed an avalanche of quantitative public measures over the past decades. Research in the social sciences has shown that rankings in particular are now a driving force of social change - both, desired and undesired - in many areas of modern life. This volume explores the distinct allure of rankings in diverse empirical settings such as healthcare, the IT sector, the arts, professional sports, anti-slavery advocacy, the pharma industry, and educational governance. Drawing from a rich variety of social theories and methodologies, the contributions to this volume advance our understanding of the production, institutionalization, and effects of rankings significantly, sparking new debates and suggesting promising pathways forward.

Gini's mean difference (GMD) was first introduced by Corrado Gini in 1912 as an alternative measure of variability. GMD and the parameters which are derived from it (such as the Gini coefficient or the concentration ratio) have been in use in the area of income distribution for almost a century. In practice, the use of GMD as a measure of variability is justified whenever the investigator is not ready to impose, without questioning, the convenient world of normality. This makes the GMD of critical importance in the complex research of statisticians, economists, econometricians, and policy makers. This book focuses on imitating analyses that are based on variance by replacing variance with the GMD and its variants. In this way, the text showcases how almost everything that can be done with the variance as a measure of variability, can be replicated by using Gini. Beyond this, there are marked benefits to utilizing Gini as opposed to other methods. One of the advantages of using Gini methodology is that it provides a unified system that enables the user to learn about various aspects of the underlying distribution. It also provides a systematic method and a unified terminology. Using Gini methodology can reduce the risk of imposing assumptions that are not supported by the data on the model. With these benefits in mind the text uses the covariance-based approach, though applications to other approaches are mentioned as well.

The contributors to this volume consider policy implications of gender research with an emphasis on its relevance for children--particularly girls; and gender inequality within a range of contexts from that of Cameroon society where basic education is an issue, to that of feminist family settings in the United States.

This book analyzes the following four distinct, although not dissimilar, areas of social choice theory and welfare economics: nonstrategic choice, Harsanyi's aggregation theorems, distributional ethics and strategic choice. While for aggregation of individual ranking of social states, whether the persons behave strategically or non-strategically, the decision making takes place under complete certainty; in the Harsanyi framework uncertainty has a significant role in the decision making process. Another ingenious characteristic of the book is the discussion of ethical approaches to evaluation of inequality arising from unequal distributions of achievements in the different dimensions of human well-being. Given its wide coverage, combined with newly added materials, end-chapter problems and bibliographical notes, the book will be helpful material for students and researchers interested in this frontline area research. Its lucid exposition, along with non-technical and graphical illustration of the concepts, use of numerical examples, makes the book a useful text.

This book addresses and examines the impacts of applications and services for data management and analysis, such as infrastructure, platforms, software, and business processes, on both academia and industry. The chapters cover effective approaches in dealing with the inherent complexity and increasing demands of big data management from an applications perspective. Various case studies included have been reported by data analysis experts who work closely with their clients in such fields as education, banking, and telecommunications. Understanding how data management has been adapted to these applications will help students, instructors and professionals in the field. Application areas also include the fields of social network analysis, bioinformatics, and the oil and gas industries.

This book discusses the personal and professional challenges of conducting fieldwork in the difficult, sometimes threatening contexts of the transforming societies of post-socialist Europe and China. Field research is a distinctly human effort and the social relationships between researchers, third parties and respondents directly affect the quality of research findings. With unusual frankness, the authors share their personal field experiences and discuss both the imaginative strategies they have devised to cope with problems and the methodological lessons they have learned.

The present volume collects some of the talks given at the Bertrand Russell Colloquium on Exact Philosophy, attached to the McGill University Foundations and Philosophy of Science Unit. It also includes a paper, on Bertrand Russell's method of philosophizing, read at the memorial symposium held at Sir Gorge Williams University shortly after the philosopher's death. All the papers appear here for the first time. Unlike many a philosophy of science anthology, this one is not center ed on the philosophy of physics. In fact the papers deal with conceptual and, in particular, philosophical problems that pop up in almost every one of the provinces of the vast territory constituted by the foundations, meth odology and philosophy of science. A couple of border territories which are in the process of being infiltrated have been added for good measure. The inclusion of papers in the philosophy of formal science and in the philosophies of physics and of biology, in a volume belonging to a series devoted to the philosophy and methodology of the social and behavioral sciences, should raise no eyebrows. Because the sciences of man make use of logic and mathematics, they are interested in questions such as whether the formal sciences have anything to do with reality (rather than with our theories about reality) and whether or not logic has kept up with the practice of mathematicians. These two problems are tackled in Part II, on the philosophy of formal science."

Focusing primarily on reading and writing, this book presents summaries of state-of-the-art theory and research dealing with academic competence in school. The editors thoroughly utilize both information-processing and social-collaborative models as interventions. An enlightening final section discusses how this research could better prepare educators to teach reading and writing. It examines the role of NP-movement vs. lexical rules in accounting for alternations in grammatical functions. It presents the role of the lexicon in syntactic theory. It offers debates between major practioners in the field. It includes the nature of argument and structure. It examines the relation of argument nature to constituent structure and binding theory.

This is the tenth volume in a series discussing research on occupations and professions. Topics covered in this title include: rural Chinese household workers in Beijing; immigration, tradition, community and gender; the professionalization of real estate sales work; and, legal practice boundaries.

Research in higher education could be more useful, innovative and better designed if we were clearer about the philosophical and epistemological basis of the theories that underlie our research methods. People who have to interpret research would do a better job if they were able to interrogate research more critically and appreciate its strengths and weaknesses. This volume provides this information for an audience of researchers, policymakers, students and lecturers in higher education. The authors seek to create a dialogue with the reader about issues relevant to the philosophy of research and stimulate interest in how philosophy plays out in the real, everyday, political world, not least in education. Unlike many existing volumes on the market, this book creates a space in which readers can use the tools for thinking that the authors describe to interrogate their own experience.

My interest in non-Archimedean utility theory and the problems related to it was aroused by discussions which I have had with Professors Werner Leinfellner and Gunter Menges. On the occasion of the Second Inter national Game Theory Workshop, Berkeley, 1970, which was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, I had the opportunity to report about a result on non-standard utilities. Work on this subject continued when I was a research assistant of Professor Gunter Menges at the Uni versity of Heidelberg. The present mono graph is essentially a translation of my habilitation thesis which was accepted on February 15, 1973 by the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at the Universtity of Heidelberg. On translating my thesis I took up some suggestions made by ProfessorWerner Boege from the Faculty of Mathematics at the Uni versity of Heidelberg. Through lack of time many of his ideas have not been taken into consideration but I hope to do so in a future paper. The first chapter should be considered as a short introduction to pref erence orderings and to the notion of a utility theory proposed by Dana Scott and Patrick Suppes. In the second chapter I discuss in some detail various problems of ordinal utility theory. Except when introducing non-standard models of the reals no use is made of concepts of model theory. This is done in deference to those readers who do not wish to be troubled by formal languages and model theory.

As the first complete portrait of U.S. adolescents, this resource provides information long needed by researchers working in this critical field of study. The handbook includes a wide variety of information about American adolescents, aged 12 to 21, who must deal with societal and cultural pressures unique to their generation. The extensive collection of data contained in this definitive resource will give readers the information they need to accurately assess the status of adolescents in America today.

This series aims to publish research on various dimensions of communities, with discussions of theoretical and methodological issues, and empirical research. Special focus will be on cross-cultural comparative, interdisciplinary and critical studies on community structure/change problems, policy-planning and related issues. This volume explores a variety of new communities that have emerged within recent decades. They are multidimensional and multilevel constructs that have manifested in a diversity of ways. Various researchers in this volume focus on myriad kinds of new communities and different facets of this phenomenon. They devote considerable attention to the diversity of ways in which these new communities are constructed and are perceived as such by their members. Most of these new communities are related to a variety of contemporary social issues. Consequently, some studies focus on the problems and policy implications of knowledge about new communities in both enhancing and retarding individual and community well-being. The studies in this book demonstrate diversity both in subject matter and in theoretical perspective. The new communities included in this book should help us better understand the micro-foundations of community and could provide some clues about the macro-level integration of society.

First published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Throughout the Western world, the relationship between gender, science and math ematics has emerged as critical in a variety of contexts. In tertiary institutions, the study of "gender issues," frequently with reference to science and mathematics, is of central significance to many disciplines. Gender studies are being offered as sepa rate courses or parts of existing courses in preservice and postgraduate teacher edu cation, women's studies, technology studies and policy studies. In addition, in the broader context of education at all levels from primary/elementary through to higher, concerned policy-makers and practitioners frequently focus on the interaction of gender, science and mathematics in their attempts to reform and improve education for all students. In all of these contexts, there is an urgent need for suitable texts, both to provide resources for teachers and students and to inform policy-makers and practitioners. This book has been developed specifically to meet this need. It is designed to be used throughout the world in a variety of tertiary courses and by policy-makers concerned with activities which interface with the gender/science/mathematics rela tionship. It provides examples which illustrate vividly the rich field from which practitioners and policy-makers in this area now can draw. Its particular appeal will stem from its practical approach and creative future perspective, the international renown of the authors and the generalisability of the recent research and thinking presented in each of the chapters."

This book set is a valuable new collection of resources for the academic consumer researcher'...'I recommend that academic libraries purchase this collection.' - ACR News, Mark Tadajewski

Fifty years ago, in 1967, free education was introduced in Ireland for attendance at second-level schools and great expansion of provision of education at both this and third-level followed. Currently, great interest is developing in this landmark development in Irish history, which was probably the most significant initiative taken in regard to education in Ireland from Independence from Britain in 1922 to the present. This book contributes to the interest generated by this landmark anniversary by tracing the history of teacher preparation in Ireland. It relates to the introduction to the 'free education' education scheme introduced in 1967, in that it provides an exposition on the nature of teacher preparation for teaching in primary and second-level schools both before and after the initiative was taken. Thus, it traces the history of teacher preparation through a number of stages; from education for nation-building in the new post-colonial society to partaking in the recent neo-liberal agenda sweeping through education systems throughout the world. This book should be of interest not only to Irish educationists, historians and policy makers, but also to their counterparts internationally, as well as to comparative educationists. It can be seen as providing an exposition which can be used by teacher educators in many parts of the world which they can use to sharpen their perceptions of their own situations through comparison and contrast, provoke ideas for critical discussion, and stimulate them to come to an understanding of the importance of considering contemporary developments within their wider historical contexts.

This book focuses on the meaning of statistical inference and estimation. Statistical inference is concerned with the problems of estimation of population parameters and testing hypotheses. Primarily aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students of statistics, the book is also useful to professionals and researchers in statistical, medical, social and other disciplines. It discusses current methodological techniques used in statistics and related interdisciplinary areas. Every concept is supported with relevant research examples to help readers to find the most suitable application. Statistical tools have been presented by using real-life examples, removing the "fear factor" usually associated with this complex subject. The book will help readers to discover diverse perspectives of statistical theory followed by relevant worked-out examples. Keeping in mind the needs of readers, as well as constantly changing scenarios, the material is presented in an easy-to-understand form.

A volume in International Social Studies Forum: The Series Series Editors Richard Diem, University of Texas at San Antonio and Jeff Passe, Towson University A team of researchers from 35 states across the country developed a survey designed to create a snapshot of social studies teaching and learning in the United States. With over 12,000 responses, it is the largest survey of social studies teachers in over three decades. We asked teachers about their curricular goals, their methods of instruction, their use of technology, and the way they address the needs of English language learners and students with disabilities. We gathered demographic data too, along with inquiries about the teachers' training, their professional development experiences, and even whether they serve as coaches. The enormous data set from this project was analyzed by multiple research teams, each with its own chapter. This volume would be a valuable resource for any professor, doctoral student, or Master's student examining the field of social studies education. It is hard to imagine a research study, topical article, or professional development session concerning social studies that would not quote findings from this book about the current status of social studies. With chapters on such key issues as the teaching of history, how teachers address religion, social studies teachers' use of technology, and how teachers adapt their instruction for students with disabilities or for English language learners, the book's content will immediately be relevant and useful.

Missing data have long plagued those conducting applied research in the social, behavioral, and health sciences. Good missing data analysis solutions are available, but practical information about implementation of these solutions has been lacking. The objective of "Missing Data: Analysis and Design" is to enable investigators who are non-statisticians to implement modern missing data procedures properly in their research, and reap the benefits in terms of improved accuracy and statistical power.

"Missing Data: Analysis and Design" contains essential information for both beginners and advanced readers. For researchers with limited missing data analysis experience, this book offers an easy-to-read introduction to the theoretical underpinnings of analysis of missing data; provides clear, step-by-step instructions for performing state-of-the-art multiple imputation analyses; and offers practical advice, based on over 20 years' experience, for avoiding and troubleshooting problems. For more advanced readers, unique discussions of attrition, non-Monte-Carlo techniques for simulations involving missing data, evaluation of the benefits of auxiliary variables, and highly cost-effective planned missing data designs are provided.

The author lays out missing data theory in a plain English style that is accessible and precise. Most analysis described in the book are conducted using the well-known statistical software packages SAS and SPSS, supplemented by Norm 2.03 and associated Java-based automation utilities. A related web site contains free downloads of the supplementary software, as well as sample empirical data sets and a variety of practical exercises described in the book to enhance and reinforce the reader s learning experience. "Missing Data: Analysis and Design" and its web site work together to enable beginners to gain confidence in their ability to conduct missing data analysis, and more advanced readers to expand their skill set. "

This is the first book on the U.S. presidential election system to analyze the basic principles underlying the design of the existing system and those at the heart of competing proposals for improving the system. The book discusses how the use of some election rules embedded in the U.S. Constitution and in the Presidential Succession Act may cause skewed or weird election outcomes and election stalemates. The book argues that the act may not cover some rare though possible situations which the Twentieth Amendment authorizes Congress to address. Also, the book questions the constitutionality of the National Popular Vote Plan to introduce a direct popular presidential election "de facto," without amending the Constitution, and addresses the plan's "Achilles' Heel." In particular, the book shows that the plan may violate the Equal Protection Clause from the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. Numerical examples are provided to show that the counterintuitive claims of the NPV originators and proponents that the plan will encourage presidential candidates to "chase" every vote in every state do not have any grounds. Finally, the book proposes a plan for improving the election system by combining at the national level the "one state, one vote" principle - embedded in the Constitution - and the "one person, one vote" principle. Under this plan no state loses its current Electoral College benefits while all the states gain more attention of presidential candidates.

Revised for the first time in over thirty years, this edition of Emile Durkheim's masterful work on the nature and scope of sociology is updated with a new introduction and improved translation by leading scholar Steven Lukes that puts Durkheim's work into context for the twenty-first century reader.
"The Rules of Sociological Method" represents Emile Durkheim's manifesto for sociology. He argues forcefully for the objective, scientific, and methodological underpinnings of sociology as a discipline and establishes guiding principles for future research.
The substantial new introduction by leading Durkheim scholar Steven Lukes explains and sets into context Durkheim's arguments. Lukes examines the still-controversial debates about "The Rules of Sociological Method"'s six chapters and explains their relevance to present-day sociology. The edition also includes Durkheim's subsequent thoughts on method in the form of articles, debates with scholars from other disciplines, and letters. The original translation has been revised and reworked in order to make Durkheim's arguments clearer and easier to read.
This is an essential resource for students and scholars hoping to deepen their understanding of one of the pioneering voices in modern sociology and twentieth-century social thought.

Game theory is rapidly becoming one of the cornerstones of the social sciences. The articles gathered here chart the intellectual history of game theory from its place in the Enlightenment tradition, through the explosion of literature in the late 1970s, to issues of current and emerging debates. This extensively indexed set will be a valuable reference tool to researchers in sociology and politics, as well as economics.