In the series: Advances in Cultural Psychology, Jaan Valsiner Memory construction and national identity are key issues in our societies, as well as it is patriotism. How can we nowadays believe and give sense to traditional narrations that explain the origins of nations and communities? How do these narrations function in a process of globalization? How should we remember the recent past? In the construction of collective memory, no doubt history taught at school plays a fundamental role, as childhood and adolescence are periods in which the identity seeds flourish vigorously. This book analyses how history is far more than pure historical contents given in a subject matter; it studies the situation of school history in different countries such as the former URSS, United States, Germany, Japan, Spain and Mexico, making sensible comparisons and achieving global conclusions. The empirical part is based on students interviews about school patriotic rituals, very close to the teaching of history, specifically carried out in Argentina but very similar to these rituals in other countries. The author analizes in which ways that historical knowledge is understood by students and its influence on the construction of patriotism. This book--aside from making a major contribution to the cultural psychology field--should be of direct interest and relevance to all people interested in the ways education succeeds in its variable functions. As a matter of fact, it is related to other IAP books as Contemporary Public Debates Over History Education (Nakou & Barca, 2010) and What Shall We Tell the Children? International Perspectives on School History Textbooks (Foster & Crawford, 2006).

Net-Generation Student Motivation to Attend Community College explores the factors that affect student retention rates in community college by presenting net-generation (or millennial) students with the opportunity to tell their stories and give insight into why they chose and completed their respective community college programs. The author views community colleges through the lens of second-chance organizations, where motivation plays a crucial role in determining whether these students will select and, more importantly, complete a two-year program at these institutions. Embedded in theories of intrinsic motivation (Identity Development Theory), the institution of education (Choice Theory), and college student persistence (the Theory of Self-Efficacy), this book utilizes a mixed method approach to address the unique challenges faced by community colleges in retaining net-generation students. The study also presents a conceptual framework deemed the "Akili model," which emphasizes relationships, personal growth, and support systems to empower educational institutions with tools to keep students in college.

This book highlights recent developments in the field, presented at the Social Simulation 2015 conference in Groningen, The Netherlands. It covers advances both in applications and methods of social simulation. Societal issues addressed range across complexities in economic systems, opinion dynamics and civil violence, changing mobility patterns, different land-use, transition in the energy system, food production and consumption, ecosystem management and historical processes. Methodological developments cover how to use empirical data in validating models in general, formalization of behavioral theory in agent behavior, construction of artificial populations for experimentation, replication of models, and agent-based models that can be run in a web browser. Social simulation is a rapidly evolving field. Social scientists are increasingly interested in social simulation as a tool to tackle the complex non-linear dynamics of society. Furthermore, the software and hardware tools available for social simulation are becoming more and more powerful. This book is an important source for readers interested in the newest developments in the ways in which the simulation of social interaction contributes to our understanding and managing of complex social phenomena.

Academic literature rarely gives an account of the ethical challenges and emotional pitfalls the researcher is confronted with before, during and after being in the field. Giving personal accounts, the authors explore some of the challenges one can face when engaging in local-level research in difficult situations.

The subject of the book is advanced statistical analyses for quantitative research synthesis (meta-analysis), and selected practical issues relating to research synthesis that are not covered in detail in the many existing introductory books on research synthesis (or meta-analysis). Complex statistical issues are arising more frequently as the primary research that is summarized in quantitative syntheses itself becomes more complex, and as researchers who are conducting meta-analyses become more ambitious in the questions they wish to address. Also as researchers have gained more experience in conducting research syntheses, several key issues have persisted and now appear fundamental to the enterprise of summarizing research. Specifically the book describes multivariate analyses for several indices commonly used in meta-analysis (e.g., correlations, effect sizes, proportions and/or odds ratios), will outline how to do power analysis for meta-analysis (again for each of the different kinds of study outcome indices), and examines issues around research quality and research design and their roles in synthesis. For each of the statistical topics we will examine the different possible statistical models (i.e., fixed, random, and mixed models) that could be adopted by a researcher. In dealing with the issues of study quality and research design it covers a number of specific topics that are of broad concern to research synthesists. In many fields a current issue is how to make sense of results when studies using several different designs appear in a research literature (e.g., Morris & Deshon, 1997, 2002). In education and other social sciences a critical aspect of this issue is how one might incorporate qualitative (e.g., case study) research within a synthesis. In medicine, related issues concern whether and how to summarize observational studies, and whether they should be combined with randomized controlled trials (or even if they should be combined at all). For each topic, included is a worked example (e.g., for the statistical analyses) and/or a detailed description of a published research synthesis that deals with the practical (non-statistical) issues covered.

The book presents statistical methods and models that can usefully support the ev- uation of educational services and quality of products. The contributions collected in this book summarize the work of several researchers from the universities of Bologna, Firenze, Napoli and Padova. The contributions are written with a cons- tent notation and a uni?ed view, and concern methodological advances developed mostly with reference to speci?c problems of evaluation using real data sets. The evaluation of educational services, as well as the analysis of judgements and preferences, poses severe methodological challenges because of the presence of one or more of the following aspects: the observational (non experimental) nature of the context, which is associated with the well-known problems of selection bias and presence of nuisance factors; the hierarchical structure of the data, that entails c- related observations and consideration of effects at different levels of the hierarchy and their interactions (multilevel analysis); the multivariate and qualitative nature of the dependent variable, that requires the use of ad hoc statistical methodologies; the presence of non observable factors, e. g. the satisfaction, calling for the use of latent variables models; the simultaneous presence of components of pleasure and components of uncertainty in the explication of the judgments, that asks for the speci?cation and estimation of mixture models. The ?rst part of the book deals with latent variable models.

Reinhard Selten, to date the only German Nobel Prize laureate in economics, celebrates his 80th birthday in 2010. While his contributions to game theory are well-known, the behavioral side of his scientific work has received less public exposure, even though he has been committed to experimental research during his entire career, publishing more experimental than theoretical papers in top-tier journals. This Festschrift is dedicated to Reinhard Selten's exceptional influence on behavioral and experimental economics. In this collection of academic highlight papers, a number of his students are joined by leading scholars in experimental research to document the historical role of the "Meister" in the development of the research methodology and of several sub-fields of behavioral economics. Next to the academic insight in these highly active fields of experimental research, the papers also provide a glance at Reinhard Selten's academic and personal interaction with his students and peers.

Organizations of all kinds struggle to understand, adapt, respond and manipulate changing conditions in their internal and external environments. Approaches based on the causal, linear logic of mechanistic sciences and engineering continue to play an important role, given people's ability to create order. But such approaches are valid only within carefully circumscribed boundaries. They become counterproductive when the same organizations display the highly reflexive, context-dependent, dynamic nature of systems in which agents learn and adapt and new patterns emerge. The rapidly expanding discussion about complex systems offers important contributions to the integration of diverse perspectives and ultimately new insights into organizational effectiveness. There is increasing interest in complexity in mainstream business education, as well as in specialist business disciplines such as knowledge management. Real world systems can't be completely designed, controlled, understood or predicted, even by the so-called sciences of complexity, but they can be more effective when understood as complex systems. While many scientific disciplines explore complexity through mathematical models and simulations, Emergence: Complexity & Organization explores the emerging understanding of human systems that is informed by this research. This 2005 Annual includes articles from Max Boisot, Ken Baskin, Robert E. Ulanowicz, Heather H pfl, Victoria Alexander, and many more, which explore a range of complexity-related topics from philosophical concerns through to the practical application of complexity ideas, concepts and frameworks in human organizations. Also included are a series of four reproductions of classical papers in the fields of complexity and systems: "Futurology and the Future of Systems Analysis" by Ida R. Hoos (originally published in 1972) "A Form of Logic Suited for Biology" by Walter M. Elsasser (originally published in 1981) "Beyond Open Systems Models of Organization" by Louis R. Pondy (originally unpublished conference paper from 1976) "The Architecture of Complexity" by Herbert A. Simon (originally published in 1962)

There is no other print source, online source, or Web search engine that provides the wide range and depth of insight found in Vital Statistics on American Politics. This new 2015-2016 edition is updated with the most recent information available. The editors consult hundreds of sources to calculate and locate the data, facts, and figures that offer a vivid and multifaceted portrait of the broad spectrum of United States politics and policies. Students, professional researchers, and interested citizens will find chapters devoted to key subject areas such as elections and political parties, public opinion and voting, the media, the three branches of U.S. government, foreign, military, social and economic policy, and much more. For depth of information and ease of use, this updated edition is the best resource of its kind available and should be a key component of all academic and large public library collections.

What should you do when results don't match your expectations? How is it possible to make the best of existing evidence? Is it acceptable to adapt your research question in the middle of a project? This book examines how experienced researchers have tackled these questions in their own projects. Moving beyond abstract discussions of method, it explores how social scientists collect and construct evidence in real-life practice. Looking critically at nine examples of recent research, Doing Social Science gives a thorough yet accessible examination of how research is planned, carried out, recorded and analysed in real-life situations. The book covers core and new areas of social science, with each chapter looking at a different contemporary study that taps into a key aspect of modern everyday life. Diverse and globally relevant, these studies include themes from online gaming and news interviews to post-colonial life and Goth subculture. The book relates the theory behind such social issues to the methods being used, as it gives critical evaluation alongside careful explanation and invaluable advice. Showing how the choice and use of particular methods and techniques can critically shape the findings of social science research, the authors also explain how to deal with complex research issues. Written and edited by experts in the field, this innovative book highlights the excitement as well as the challenge of conducting real-life research. After reading this, students throughout the social sciences will have the confidence and skills to evaluate the research of others and carry out their own research projects.

The focus of this volume is on the further development of the Quality of Life Theory and the means to measure the concept. The volume summarizes Michalos' fundamental assumptions about the nature of quality of life or human well-being and explains in detail the two variable theory of the quality of life. It gives an update of the journal Social Indicators Research after forty years, an explanation of the role of community indicators in connecting communities, and a critical review of the much publicized Stiglitz, Sen and Fitoussi report. It deals with the multiple discrepancies theory (MDT), the empirical theory designed to provide the foundation of the pragmatic theory of value. Other concepts discussed in this volume are the stability, sensitivity, and other different features of measures of domain and life satisfaction and happiness, measures of arts-related activities and beliefs, measures of knowledge, attitudes and behaviour concerning sustainable development, and the role of quality of life in sustainable development research. The volume concludes with discussions on connections between social indicators and communities, aspects of community quality of life in Prince George, British Columbia and Jasper, Alberta, and British Columbians' expectations and attitudes going into the third millennium.

A discussion of the case study method which develops an integrative framework for causal inference in small-n research. This framework is applied to research design tasks such as case selection and process tracing. The book presents the basics, state-of-the-art and arguments for improving the case study method and empirical small-n research.

The book shows a very original organization addressing in a non traditional way, but with a systematic approach, to who has an interest in using mathematics in the social sciences.

The book is divided in four parts: (a) a historical part, written by Vittorio Capecchi which helps us understand the changes in the relationship between mathematics and sociology by analyzing the mathematical models of Paul F. Lazarsfeld, the model of simulation and artificial societies, models of artificial neural network and considering all the changes in scientific paradigms considered; (b) a part coordinated by Pier Luigi Contucci on mathematical models that consider the relationship between the mathematical models that come from physics and linguistics to arrive at the study of society and those which are born within sociology and economics; (c) a part coordinated by Massimo Buscema analyzing models of artificial neural networks; (d) a part coordinated by Bruno D'Amore which considers the relationship between mathematics and art.

The title of the book "Mathematics and Society" was chosen because the mathematical applications exposed in the book allow you to address two major issues: (a) the general theme of technological innovation and quality of life (among the essays are on display mathematical applications to the problems of combating pollution and crime, applications to mathematical problems of immigration, mathematical applications to the problems of medical diagnosis, etc.) (b) the general theme of technical innovation and creativity, for example the art and mathematics section which connects to the theme of creative cities.

The book is very original because it is not addressed only to those who are passionate about mathematical applications in social science but also to those who, in different societies, are: (a) involved in technological innovation to improve the quality of life; (b) involved in the wider distribution of technological innovation in different areas of creativity (as in the project "Creative Cities Network" of UNESCO).

First published Open Access under a Creative Commons license as What is Qualitative Longitudinal Research?, this title is now also available as part of the Bloomsbury Research Methods series. This volume offers a new introduction to an evolving research method in the social sciences. Qualitative Longitudinal (QL) research is conducted through time. In its qualitative dimensions it opens up the potential to 'think dynamically' in creative, flexible and innovative ways. QL enquiry is rooted in a long-established tradition of qualitative temporal research, spanning the fields of social anthropology, sociological re-studies and biographical research. But over the past two decades, a growing body of scholarship has begun to document this approach and explore its theoretical underpinnings. This in turn has fuelled a growing interest in and rapid uptake of QL methodology across the disciplines and in international context. This practical volume will be a first port of call for students and researchers wishing to use QL research in their own projects. The chapters follow a logical development, from conceptual and methodological foundations, to research practice and ethics, to the generation and analysis of data. Each chapter offers practical examples drawn from the research field to illustrate key themes and the rich possibilities for new applications.

An empirical econometric study that tests an earlier worldwide survey showing that advertising has had little impact on total alcohol consumption or adverse outcomes associated with drinking. The advertising executives, also trained as sociologists and statisticians, offer a conceptual model for advertising effects. They define and describe both predictor and outcome variables and how they are operationalized and measured. Statistical data are summarized and trends in predictor variables and alcohol consumption from 1950 to 1990 are identified. Data are analyzed in a regression context to isolate factors that significantly affect demand for alcohol and time series relationships are explored. In addition they focus on mortality rates over the 40 year study period of three diseases clearly related to the consumption of alcohol. Fisher and Cook simulate how rates and numbers of deaths might be affected if advertising or prices changed, and then they collect all their findings and draw conclusions. For academic and professional audiences of economists and sociologists, businessmen and women, policymakers, and communicators.

An advertising executive and sociologist who has studied alcoholism at length analyzes worldwide theoretical and empirical studies on the relationship between mass media and advertising and alcohol consumption and abuse. Dr. Fisher pulls together findings from content analyses, experiments, quasi-experiments, econometric studies, and evaluations of advertising restrictions and warning labels to determine how advertising works and affects human behavior.

Research in learning and behavioral disabilities, employing a variety of methods and techniques, has provided a wealth of information relevant to practitioners. In order to be of value, however, this research must employ appropriate and rigorous methodology.

Recent years have witnessed a variety of new techniques for research synthesis, research design, and data analysis, many of which have been applied to the study of learning and behavioral disabilities. In this volume, a variety of methodological approaches to research is described, applied, and evaluated. Chapters in this volume provide discussions of applications of qualitative research methodology, and techniques for statistical analysis for single subject data. In addition, techniques for structural equation modeling and item response theory are described with specific reference to the study of learning and behavioral disorders, as are techniques for handling missing data.

Also discussed are procedures for dealing with specific research problems in areas such as behavioral disorders, school-wide intervention systems, and early reading as well as more general literacy interventions.

Finally, methodology for integrative research reviews are described, as well as applications of research synthesis to quantitative research on cognitive processes in mathematics, and to qualitative research in co-teaching.

This volume contains chapters authored by internationally recognized experts in the field of learning and behavioral disabilities. This book is intended for interested professionals and practitioners; researchers in learning and behavioral disabilities; and graduate students in psychology, education, and specialeducation, particularly those interested in applications of research methodology in the study of learning and behavioral disabilities.
*Discusses, applies and evaluates different methodological approaches to learning and behavioral disorder research
*Internationally recognized contributors
*Serves as a practical reference to educators, researchers, psychologists, professionals and practitioners

The Third Edition of the bestselling Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory continues to offer immensely practical advice and technical expertise to aid researchers in making sense of their collected data. Authors Juliet Corbin and the late Anselm Strauss (co-creator of Grounded Theory) present methods that enable researchers to analyze and interpret their data, and ultimately build theory from it. Highly accessible in their approach, Corbin and Strauss provide a step-by-step guide to the research act--from the formation of the research question through several approaches to coding and analysis, to reporting on the research. Full of definitions and illustrative examples, this book concludes with chapters that present criteria for evaluating a study, as well as responses to common questions posed by students of qualitative research. Significantly revised, Basics of Qualitative Research remains a landmark volume in the study of qualitative methods. Key Features of the Third Edition:

Allows for students to develop their critical thinking skills in the "Critical Issues" section at the end of each chapter.

Shows the actual steps involved in data analysis (from description to grounded theory) and data gathering by means of theoretical sampling.

Provides exercises for thinking, writing and group discussion that reinforces material presented in the text.

Consists of a student companion Web site at www.sagepub.com/corbinstudysite that includes real data and practice with qualitative software such as MAXQDA, as well as student practice exercises.

Despite the worldwide dramatic spread of religious-based discriminations, persecutions, and conflicts, both official data and academic literature have underestimated their role as a root cause of contemporary migrations. This multidisciplinary study aims to overcome this gap. Through an unprecedented collection of theoretical analysis and original empirical evidence, the book provides unique data and insights on the role of religion in the trajectories of asylum seekers and migrants - from the analysis of the religious geography of sending countries to the role of spirituality as a factor of resilience and adaptation. By enhancing both academic and political debate on these issues, the book offers the possibility of regaining awareness of the close link between religious freedom and the quality of democracy. Contributors include: Paolo Gomarasca, Monica Martinelli, Monica Spatti, Andrea Santini, Andrea Plebani, Paolo Maggiolini, Riccardo Redaelli, Alessia Melcangi, Giancarlo Rovati, Annavittoria Sarli, Giulia Mezzetti, Lucia Boccacin, Linda Lombi, Donatella Bramanti, Stefania Meda, Giovanna Rossi, Beatrice Nicolini, Cristina Giuliani, Camillo Regalia, Giovanni Giulio Valtolina, Paola Barachetti, Maddalena Colombo, Rosangela Lodigiani, Mariagrazia Santagati, Fabio Baggio, Vera Lomazzi, Paolo Bonetti, Laura Zanfrini, Mario Antonelli, Luca Bressan, Alessandro Bergamaschi, Catherine Blaya, Nuria Llevot-Calvet, Olga Bernad-Cavero, and Jordi Garreta-Bochaca.

This book, a project of Malaysia Study Programme of ISEAS, covers the whole of Malaysia since its formation in 1963, using statistics collected in the four pan-Malaysia Population Censuses held in 1970, 1980, 1991, and 2000, and data from other sources up to 2005 wherever possible. The book is by far the most up-to-date and comprehensive study of the multiracial population of the country, with painstaking effort and skill of the author in interpreting the vast array of information at his disposal. The strength of the book lies in the author's deep familiarity with the country where he was educated up to secondary level, and even taught for some years in the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, in the sixties.

Development researchers face many challenges in producing robust and persuasive analyses, often within a short time-frame. This edited volume tackles these challenges head-on, using examples from other fields to provide practical guidance to research producers and users.

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. This book invites readers to explore the nature of qualitative research, and to recognise the varied and conflicting forms it can take. It examines how these contrast with quantitative work, as well as how they differ from journalism and imaginative literature. The book describes various methodological philosophies that have shaped qualitative work, as well as different types of orientation to be found within it today. It offers clear definitions of key terms and concepts, and also a detailed exploration of recent disputes among qualitative researchers, with a view to showing how differences in practice relate to underlying commitments. This book will be a vital resource for both new and experienced researchers.

Rapid technological advances in devices used for data collection have led to the emergence of a new class of longitudinal data: intensive longitudinal data (ILD). Behavioral scientific studies now frequently utilize handheld computers, beepers, web interfaces, and other technological tools for collecting many more data points over time than previously possible. Other protocols, such as those used in fMRI and monitoring of public safety, also produce ILD, hence the statistical models in this volume are applicable to a range of data. The volume features state-of-the-art statistical modeling strategies developed by leading statisticians and methodologists working on ILD in conjunction with behavioral scientists. Chapters present applications from across the behavioral and health sciences, including coverage of substantive topics such as stress, smoking cessation, alcohol use, traffic patterns, educational performance and intimacy.
Models for Intensive Longitudinal Data (MILD) is designed for those who want to learn about advanced statistical models for intensive longitudinal data and for those with an interest in selecting and applying a given model. The chapters highlight issues of general concern in modeling these kinds of data, such as a focus on regulatory systems, issues of curve registration, variable frequency and spacing of measurements, complex multivariate patterns of change, and multiple independent series. The extraordinary breadth of coverage makes this an indispensable reference for principal investigators designing new studies that will introduce ILD, applied statisticians working on related models, and methodologists, graduate students, and applied analysts working in arange of fields. A companion Web site at www.oup.com/us/MILD contains program examples and documentation.

This highly practical resource brings new dimensions to the utility of qualitative data in health research by focusing on naturally occurring data. It examines how naturally occurring data complement interviews and other sources of researcher-generated health data, and takes readers through the steps of identifying, collecting, analyzing, and disseminating these findings in ethical research with real-world relevance. The authors acknowledge the critical importance of evidence-based practice in today's healthcare landscape and argue for naturally occurring data as a form of practice-based evidence making valued contributions to the field. And chapters evaluate frequently overlooked avenues for naturally occurring data, including media and social media sources, health policy and forensic health contexts, and digital communications. Included in the coverage:* Exploring the benefits and limitations of using naturally occurring data in health research * Considering qualitative approaches that may benefit from using naturally occurring data * Utilizing computer-mediated communications and social media in health * Using naturally occurring data to research vulnerable groups * Reviewing empirical examples of health research using naturally occurring data Using Naturally Occurring Data in Qualitative Health Research makes concepts, methods, and rationales accessible and applicable for readers in the health and mental health fields, among them health administrators, professionals in research methodology, psychology researchers, and practicing and trainee clinicians.

This book was written for those who need to know how to collect, analyze and present data. It is meant to be a first course for practitioners, a book for private study or brush-up on statistics, and supplementary reading for general statistics classes. The book is untraditional, both with respect to the choice of topics and the presentation: Topics were determined by what is most useful for practical statistical work, and the presentation is as non-mathematical as possible. The book contains many examples using statistical functions in spreadsheets. In this second edition, new topics have been included e.g. within the area of statistical quality control, in order to make the book even more useful for practitioners working in industry.