Treatment and reporting of item-level missing data in social science research

Most quantitative studies in the social sciences suffer from missing data. However, despite the large availability of documents and software to treat such data, it appears that many social scientists do not apply good practices regarding missing data. We analyzed quantitative papers published in 2017 in six top-level social science journals. Item-level missing data was found in at least 69.5% of the papers, but their presence was explicitly reported in only 44.4% of all analyzed papers. Moreover, in the majority of cases, the treatments applied to missing data were incorrect, with many uses of deletion methods that are known to produce biased results and to reduce statistical power. The impact of missing data and of their treatment on results was barely discussed. Results show that social scientists underestimate the impact of missing data on their research and that they should pay more attention to the way such data are treated.     

Globalization and Social Work Education: Evaluation of Student Learning in a Macro Practice Class

This paper presents a model for infusing content on economic globalization into macro social work practice classes and assesses student learning in a class on social movements and social action. The analysis of student papers and survey data indicates that students increased their understanding of globalization processes and developed an enhanced commitment to addressing global social problems. The infusion approach adopted, however, was limited in the extent to which it helped students feel prepared for internationally oriented careers. Implications for addressing international content in social work education are discussed.     

Use of social impact bonds to address social problems: Understanding contractual risks and transaction costs

Social impact bonds, a recent innovation in social finance, are designed to harness capital and knowledge from private nonprofit, for‐profit, and public entities to address pressing social problems. Although there is great policy interest in understanding how social impact bonds can be used to tackle social problems, the emergent nature of social impact bonds makes it hard to find relevant data and evidence. To overcome this challenge, we use single‐significant‐case sampling as our research design strategy. We conduct an in‐depth case study of the Social Innovation Financing Youth Recidivism Project in Massachusetts. Our case study is comprised of a qualitative analysis of the multiparty contract and multiyear quantitative benefit–cost analysis to understand transaction costs. We draw upon contract theory to develop an analytical framework for the case analysis and highlight the risks and safeguards for the various parties to the contract, and conduct a formal benefit–cost analysis to map out transaction costs. We conclude with a discussion of study implications and future research.     

Science as a Strategy for Social Work

For more than one hundred years, various forms of science have been promoted to boost social work’s status as a profession. Evidence-based practice and talk about the science of social work are only the most recent manifestations of this pattern. Counter to this trend, this article argues that the latest upsurge of interest in scientific social work is no more likely than any of its predecessors to address the problems of the profession. Beginning with a linguistic analysis of the words science and scientific as positive signifiers, the article traces social work’s long history of science talk as a means of reassuring funding agencies and bolstering the profession’s status. Drawing on a critique of this discourse as the latest example of abstracted empiricism, it then contends that while scientific social work can only rarely capture what occurs in the field, its attempt to do so actually undercuts practitioners’ professional judgment and discretion. Last, after rejecting science talk as counterproductive, the article concludes with recommendations for an alternative strategy that might better position social work to reconcile its advocacy of social justice with its concerns about its professional status.     

Social Survey Research1 in Japanese Sociology

Abstract: In this paper, we look at the history of social survey development in Japanese sociology. First, the history of social research in Japan before World War II is explored. Second, the introduction of survey research to Japan during the American occupation after World War II is examined, and third, the present state and roles of social survey research in Japanese sociology is discussed. Social research was introduced as an administrative tool for the government. Sociology and social research were developed under British empiricism and American pragmatism, but Japanese academia has been based on a metaphysical approach. Social research introduced as a practical tool long had difficulty in being accepted by Japanese academia. For this reason, most sociologists in universities did not use social survey research for practical purposes, but pursued qualitative methodologies for analyzing data to gain academic prestige even after Social Stratification and Mobility (SSM) and Sabro Yasuda's research projects spread social survey methods in the field of Japanese sociology. Such academics did not think that findings acquired through qualitative case studies had to be confirmed through quantitative data to serve a practical purpose, nor did they believe that quantitative data could be better understood when examined along side qualitative data. Social survey methods have been opposed by those who have favored case‐study analysis methods in Japanese sociology. Needless to say, this opposition is fruitless. I propose that professional sociologists in Japanese universities should use social survey research for practical problems more frequently. This is the best way to establish sociology and social research as a science in Japanese society.     

Stories of (social) distress: Applied narrative analysis and public policy for the homeless

Recent attention to the use of social science research in the formation of social policy highlights the role of narratives in the mediation of the relationships between research and practice, science and policy. This paper demonstrates the value of applied narrative analysis in revealing the function of narratives in this mediation. Public debate over a universal right to shelter for homeless persons in Washington D.C. is the central case study. The results illustrate the usefulness of applied narrative analysis in the study of social distress and in the forging of new links between research and policy.     

Abandoning the Great Dichotomy: Sex vs. Masculinity-Femininity as Predictors of Delinquency*

Most social science research routinely uses the “great dichotomy” (sex) as a variable to predict behavior, or as a variable to be statistically controlled when examining relationships among other variables. However, this practice is often theoretically unsound. The use of a crude nominal measure such as sex, moreover, often reduces the precision of statistical analysis. This paper argues that many studies could abandon the great dichotomy or augment it with the concept “masculinity-femininity.” Data from a study on the relationship between delinquency and masculinity-femininity support this argument.     

Determinants of public attitude towards a social enterprise crisis in the digital era: Lessons learnt from THINX

This study examines how the perceived locus of crisis cause, controllability, and adherence to social mission are associated with public attitude in the context of a social enterprise crisis and evaluates the differences between these variables under episodic and thematic frames of online articles. Using the crisis case of THINX in 2017 as a case study, a quantitative content analysis was performed on a sample of 503 comments under online articles. Hierarchical regression revealed that the locus of crisis cause and adherence to social mission were associated with public attitude, whereas controllability was not associated with public attitude when adherence to social mission was accounted for. Significant differences were found in the locus of crisis cause, controllability, adherence to social mission, and public attitude between episodic and thematic frames. This study provided a basis for the theoretical development of crisis communication in a social enterprise and the corresponding role for public relations.     

The Prosecution's Use of Social Science Expert Testimony in Child Sexual Abuse Cases

Six different categories of social science expert testimony presented by the prosecution regarding behaviors of child sexual abuse victims are described and analyzed in relation to national case law trends. Problems with the admissibility of several forms of such testimony are discussed in terms of legal requirements for expert testimony, prior knowledge of the issues held by jurors, reliability of the social science research regarding child sexual abuse, and the prejudicial impact on jurors. Finally, recommendations are made to limit the use of most forms of testimony (except rehabilitative testimony), conduct further research on certain issues, and convene a multi-disciplinary symposium and publish, in a reputable journal, papers from the symposium that analyze the issues, explore areas of consensus, and suggest future directions in this area.     

Paul Willis and the Scientific Imperative: An Evaluation of Learning to Labour

This article evaluates the methodological philosophy and strategy of Paul Willis's classic, Learning to Labour. We use King, Keohane, and Verba's Designing Social Inquiry as a litmus test, showing how Willis's work meets, diverges from, and innovatively reconstructs good social science research. Drawing from Learning to Labour and Willis's writings on methodological issues, as well as key texts on the science of sociology, this article evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of a reflexive method and the potential this method holds for qualitative work in sociology.     

Mixed Methods – Stand der Debatte und aktuelle Problemlagen

While mixed methods research is already much advanced and institutionalized in textbooks, handbooks and its own journal on an international level, the German-language debate on mixed methods lags behind. Thus, this introductory paper starts with outlining the history and key concepts of mixed methods designs as well as the current state of the international debate. Next, we explain the aims and concept of this special issue as well as the crucial arguments of the single papers in the overall context of the special issues. Namely, the debate in this special issue of the Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie circles around the following four topics: philosophical, methodological and methodical foundations of mixed methods research; mixed methods designs and mixed methods sampling; modes of combining data and issues of validity; and process-oriented analysis, longitudinal analysis and evaluation. Based on the observations that, firstly, both the international social science research community and social problems are globalizing and, secondly, that social research itself is changing, especially by the increasing relevance of social media and big data, the paper concludes with suggestions for future research.     

Refusing to Listen: Are We Failing the Needs of People with Alcohol and Drug Problems?

This paper argues that social work education in the UK has persistently failed to equip its social workers with the knowledge to work effectively with people with alcohol and drug problems. In spite of continuing criticism of the profession's unwillingness or inability to engage with substance use issues, social work education has failed to respond to the calls for better training on this subject, even when specific guidance has been issued about course content. This results in a failure to meet the needs of our service users as well as social work staff who remain frustrated at their inability to intervene. The paper explores the historical and current debate about social work training in relation to alcohol and drugs and identifies the barriers to its inclusion in qualifying and post‐qualifying (PQ) curricula. Finally it offers a strategy for improving social work training as well as an overview of programme content requirements.     

Health Social Movements in the United States: An Overview

This article reviews the literature on health social movements (HSMs) and provides an overview of their main conceptual, theoretical and empirical underpinnings. Health social movements is not a single paradigm but spans several decades’ worth of theoretical and research activity in the areas of social movements, medical sociology and social studies in science. Case studies of HSMs have been accumulating for years, and several new collections of papers attempt to systematize the various strands of health social movements research to answer questions about their origins, different strategic and political approaches to social change, their trajectories and consequences. We provide a selective overview of the literature on health social movements that explore these questions, while distinguishing between health social movements seeking greater access to healthcare, those focusing on health disparities and inequality, and those challenging the underlying science of health and healthcare. We conclude with some suggestions for the direction of future studies.     

That straight talk: Sarah Palin and the sociolinguistics of demonstratives

Drawing on previous analyses of the social meaning of demonstratives and other function words, we argue that the semantics of demonstratives facilitates affective uses that can be characterized as attempts by the speaker to foster a sense of shared perspective and common ground with other discourse participants. We present large‐scale quantitative evidence that this strategy is widely used and communicatively effective. We then conduct a focused case study of the demonstrative use of U.S. politician and public figure Sarah Palin, situated in the wider context of Palin's persona, style, and place in the social landscape. An analysis of television interview data shows that Palin is a distinctive and prolific user of affective demonstratives. Palin's usage highlights the context‐dependence of demonstratives’ social meaning and leads to a deeper understanding of her rhetorical strategies and the polarized reactions they have received.     

Oppositional poverty: the quantitative/qualitative divide and other dichotomies

Despite increased recognition that the dichotomy between qualitative and quantitative approaches (and related dichotomies) may be less than useful, such divisions remain entrenched in the core social science disciplines. Theoretical and methodological attempts to move out of and beyond dichotomous frames of reference have not yet led to reconstruction of the social science enterprise. Application of Goody's analysis of the impact of literacy on human cognition to this question suggests that the mode (as well as the context) of academic discourse has structured and constrained the way we (can) think about what we do. The paper concludes by briefly reflecting on the potential of triangulation for reconstructing the way we think about methodological and theoretical dichotomies.     

Bringing Sociology into the Public Policy Process: a Relational Network Approach

How does evidence-based sociological research influence public policymaking either directly or indirectly? Based on an analysis of a 2014 NSF-funded public policy research workshop and written case studies by workshop participants, this article provides a conceptual roadmap and varied examples of the pathways through which social science research and social scientists can inform public policy decision-making. Pathways include networks and relationships among academics, social scientists employed in government, special interest groups and non-profits, and members of the media. Many sociologists are committed to using their evidence-based findings to inform solutions to societal problems, yet are often too narrowly trained to write only for scholarly communities and are often unaware of the relations, connections, and networks that can increase the use of sociological and other social science research in public discourse and in the public policy arena. The paper highlights lessons learned about effective networks, communication channels and dissemination strategies from the workshop and case studies in order to better equip those social scientists interested to bring their research into a public policy realm with the tools to do so. Given the current political climate, this resolve seems all the more important.     

Teaching Note—“By Any Means Necessary!” Infusing Socioeconomic Justice Content Into Quantitative Research Course Work

ABSTRACT

Existing research suggests a majority of faculty include social justice content in research courses but not through the use of existing quantitative data for in-class activities that foster mastery of data analysis and interpretation and curiosity about social justice–related topics. By modeling data-driven dialogue and the deconstruction of quantitative meaning making related to social justice in and around social work practice topics, we can prepare our students to be agents of change in their social work careers and possibly engage our students in an often difficult course. Specifically, I provide examples for how discussions about socioeconomic justice can be infused in teaching about univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical analyses from the perspectives of critical consumption and the production of research.     

Systemic requisites of communal groups

Functional analysis, which deals specifically with the systemic needs of social organizations, is utilized here to specify the structural necessities of communal groups. The adaptive and goal attainment functions of social systems are the principal foci of this research. The present research is based on a content analysis of literature dealing with the communal movement in America. A snowball sampling technique yielded 58 communes for which data on the variables of interest could be obtained. Two organizational features, financial situation at the time of a commune's formation and type of social organization, were selected as independent variables and were examined in order to ascertain their effects on the duration of communal groups, the dependent variable. Both gamma and chisquare indicate that financial situation and type of social organization significantly influence the duration of communal groups. Sufficient finances for the stabilization and maintenance of the communal organization, and a type of social organization which adequately coordinates the activities of the group, seem to be systemic problems with which communal groups must deal in order to endure for an extended length of time.     

Social Networking Among Health Sciences University Students: Examining Social Network Usage,Social Support,and General Well-Being

Social network sites (SNSs) are organized around users who join an internet network to engage in daily discussions and postings. Though research informs us about SNSs usage, no published research addresses the use of social network sites among health science professionals. This study examined the relationship between social network usage, social support, and general well-being among undergraduate and graduate students. This study provides results that identify significant relationships (p < .001) associated with SNS usage and the variables of social support and general well-being among this study population. These results can inform the use of SNSs in university health sciences educational programs.