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The Performance of Social Systems
It can be said that the concept of performance of social systems is one of the most relevant, since all social systems - from the family, through the enterprise, to the Nation state - are only interesting in obtaining as high a performance as possible. The difficulties encountered when dealing with the concept of performance have been recognized and few books until now ventured to tackle the task, mainly because of the following three big problems: the lack of a theoretical-operational model; the lack of valid data; and the lack of computer facilities. Today these obstacles have been overcome and this is the first book based on different systemic perspectives (value theory, modelling, observation and quantification) which offers the possibility of defining and working out the concept. The book should be of great interest to sociologists, political scientists, economists, organizational theorists, managers and politicians.
Models and Mirrors
Ritual is one of the most discussed cultural practices, yet its treatment in anthropological terms has been seriously limited, characterized by a host of narrow conceptual distinctions. One major reason for this situation has been the prevalence of positivist anthropologies that have viewed and summarized ritual occasions first and foremost in terms of their declared and assumed functions. By contrast, this book, which has become a classic, investigates them as epistemological phenomena in their own right. Comparing public events - a domain which includes ritual and related occasions - the author argues that any public event must first be comprehended through the logic of its design. It is the logic of organization of an occasion which establishes in large measure what that occasion is able to do in relation to the world within which it is created and practiced.
Telephone Survey Methodology
- Thema des Buches sind methodische Ansätze für telefonische Umfragen - geschrieben von international tätigen Fachleuten aus Privatwirtschaft, Behörden und Forschungseinrichtungen (USA, Europa, Australien) - alle wichtigen Teilbereiche einer Umfrage werden ausführlich abgehandelt: Wahl der Zielgruppe, Zusammenstellung des Fragebogens, Interviewverfahren, Fehlerabschätzung usw. - ausführliche Literaturübersicht - Angaben zu gesetzlichen Rahmenbedingungen sowie zur Nutzung des Computers beim Interview (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing)
The Nonresponse Challenge to Surveys and Statistics
Surveys are the principal source of data not only for social science, but for consumer research, political polling, and federal statistics. In response to social and technological trends, rates of survey nonresponse have risen markedly in recent years, prompting observers to worry about the continued validity of surveys as a tool for data gathering. Newspaper stories, magazine articles, radio programs, television broadcasts, and Internet blogs are filled with data derived from surveys of one sort or another. Reputable media outlets generally indicate whether a survey is representative, but much of the data routinely bandied about in the media and on the Internet are not based on representati...
Culture and International History
Combining the perspectives of 18 international scholars from Europe and the United States with a critical discussion of the role of culture in international relations, this volume introduces recent trends in the study of Culture and International History. It systematically explores the cultural dimension of international history, mapping existing approaches and conceptual lenses for the study of cultural factors and thus hopes to sharpen the awareness for the cultural approach to international history among both American and non-American scholars. The first part provides a methodological introduction, explores the cultural underpinnings of foreign policy, and the role of culture in internati...
Systems Methodology in Social Science Research
From the beginning, the systems research movement has shown a high potential for offering a conceptual framework for the understanding of social systems. Much of this potential has been realized, but a major gap remains with regard to operational investigative aids. Developments of the last ten years with a method ological orientation and emphasis seem finally to be filling this gap. The purpose of this book is to describe the most advanced of these developments and to make them available to a wider audience. The emphasis is on developments that are primarily oriented toward interaction with expertise in the social sciences and that thus hold the most promise for social systems investigation...
Critical Humanist Perspectives
The present book is a collection of scholarly reflections on the theme of humanism from an integrational linguistic perspective. It studies humanist thought in relation to the philosophy of language and communication underpinning it and considers the question whether being a ‘humanist’ binds one to a particular view of language. The contributions to this volume explore whether integrational linguistics, being informed by a non-mainstream semiology and adopting a lay linguistic perspective, can provide better answers to contentious ontological and epistemological questions concerning the humanist project – questions having to do with the self, reason, authenticity, creativity, free agency, knowledge and human communication. The humanist perspectives adopted by the contributors to this volume are critical insofar as they start from semiological assumptions that challenge received notions within mainstream linguistics, such as the belief that languages are fixed-codes of some kind, that communication serves the purpose of thought transfer, and that languages are prerequisites for communication.
The Rush to Policy
Rush to Policy explores the appropriate role of technical analysis in policy formulation. The authors ask when and how the use of sophisticated analytic techniques in decision-making benefits the nation. They argues that these techniques are too often used in situations where they may not be needed or understood by the decision maker, where they may not be to answer the questions raised but are nonetheless required by law. House and Shull provide an excellent empirical base for describing the impact of politics on policies, policy analysis, and policy analysts. They examine cost-benefit analysis, risk analysis, and decision analysis and assess their ability to substitute for the current deci...
Transforming Topoi
Traditionen leben von der Dialektik der Wiederholung, die das Gleiche stets anders inszeniert. Sie speisen sich aus den Erinnerungen; an der Grenze von bedacht und selbstverständlich getan lassen sie sich nur als selbstverständliche Überzeugungen bestimmen. Aber wie ist es dennoch möglich, Traditionen zu beeinflussen? Der vorliegende Band widmet sich der Frage, wie man mit Traditionen Symbolpolitik machen kann. Was sind die Zumutungen der Traditionen, wenn sie politisch instrumentalisiert werden? Gibt es Grenzen der Manipulation, die im Wesen der jeweiligen Traditionen liegen und sie folglich definieren? Die BeiträgerInnen geben eine Vielzahl von Antworten, indem sie sich Topoi aus Mitt...
Inside Interviewing
Inside Interviewing highlights the fluctuating and diverse moral worlds put into place during interview research when gender, race, culture and other subject positions are brought narratively to the foreground. It explores the 'facts', thoughts, feelings and perspectives of respondents and how this impacts on the research process.
