Positionalist voting functions

Positionalist voting functions are those social choice functions where the positions of the alternatives in the voter's preference orders crucially influence the social ordering of the alternatives. An important subclass consists of those voting functions where numbers are assigned to the alternatives in the preference orders and the social ordering is computed from these numbers. Such voting functions are called representable. Various well-known conditions for voting functions are introduced and it is investigated which representable voting functions satisfy these conditions. It is shown that no representable voting function satisfies the Condorcet criterion. This condition and Arrow's independence condition, which are typical non-positionalist conditions, are shown to be incompatible. The Borda function, which is a well-known positionalist voting function, is studied extensively, conditions uniquely characterizing it are given and some modifications of the function are investigated.My thanks are due to professor Bengt Hansson for encouragement and several helpful suggestions.     

Sequential strategies in dual control problems

Sequential decision problems are studied in which there are two decision-makers, or players, who are trying to control the same stochastic system in order to minimize their own individual expected losses. The standard linear model for the stochastic control process and standard quadratic loss functions are assumed. The players take turns choosing the value of the control variable, and each player has his own sequence of targets and his own loss function. Optimal pure competitive strategies are derived by backward induction, and limiting strategies and equilibria are determined. Myopic strategies are introduced and shown to yield smaller losses for each player than the pure competitive strategies. Coefficients of cooperation are then defined, and various cooperative sequential strategies based on them are shown to be mutually beneficial to both players.     

Continuously Representable Paretian Quasi-Orders

Two forms of continuity are defined for Pareto representations of preferences. They are designated “continuity” and “coordinate continuity.” Characterizations are given of those Pareto representable preferences that are continuously representable and, in dimension two, of those that are coordinate-continuously representable.     

《韩偓诗集笺注》校注疏误举例

<韩偓诗集笺注>有校注疏误之处其一,录引原诗,文字有误;其二,征引<全唐诗>校语疏误;其三,时有误注、失注.另外,<前言>部分亦有前后抵牾、疏误之处.     

Narratives, community and land use decisions

This article explores the narrative character of community, arguing that communities are intrinsically storied. Narratives are conceptualized as social acts and are thereby of inherent importance to social scientific endeavor. Following Weber, narratives also are seen to be entrenched in institutions and in the political economy of communities. State tourism and land use decisions are suggested as ideographic situations in which such entrenchment is found.     

An observation of assisted living environments: space use and behavior

Assisted living facilities have become increasingly popular for older adults needing assistance. They are intended to enable privacy and provide support, but the extent to which they do so, and the degree to which these relate to residents' needs, are unknown. This observational study of 1830 residents in 182 facilities indicates that, during the mid-afternoon, the majority of residents are awake (79%), and one-half (49%) are awake and in public spaces. Residents who are cognitively and functionally impaired are more likely to be in public spaces, but less likely to be engaged. Residents who are awake and alone in private spaces are less likely to be impaired, but more likely to have medical conditions. Thus, residents needing more oversight seem to be positioned to obtain that oversight.     

李白诗歌中的“一片奇气”的学理探析——兼论李白之奇与岑参、韩愈的异同

李白的诗歌个性十分鲜明,其突出特点可用"李白气"来概括,"李白气"的能指即清末评论家吴汝纶所说的"一片奇气"[1]。"一片奇气"在李白诗歌有三个表现层次:言奇、象奇、思奇。李白、岑参、韩愈三人的诗歌都具有"尚奇"的共同特征。但比较而言:岑参之奇,意在外物,奇在风光;李白之奇,意在情感,奇在心志;韩愈之奇,融进人力,奇崛险怪;李白之奇,得之天然,风神潇洒。这正是李白之奇的独特之处。     

中华书局版《无邪堂答问》句读献疑

中华书局2000年点校出版的《无邪堂答问》一书,在标点方面,有不少可商之处。其中最严重的是有不少影响阅读的破句,本文择要搜出并作重新标点。另外还有当断不断、不当断而断等两种情况,本文举例说明。     

党史留声

在中国共产党建党90周年的此时,回首侧耳,可以听到无数声音。这些声音,或来自于中央,或来自地方,或来自人民,有时激越,有时理性,有时宏大,有时具体。这些声音交织着重大的历史事件顺流而下,掠过我们的耳畔,为我们提供了解读党史的又一种方式。     

KINSHIP,RECIPROCITY AND VULNERABILITY: SOCIAL RELATIONS IN THE INFORMAL ECONOMY

This paper examines the notion that informal interhousehold transfers of goods and services in the communal economy are based upon reciprocity. Patterns of interhousehold transfer of goods and services are described, and the significance of kinship (or familial obligations) in shaping patterns of informal exchange are discussed. Data from a 1990 survey of household and residential organisation in Brisbane are used. Differences in income, labour force participation and the density and character of householders' social networks are considered as factors shaping contemporary interhousehold economic activity. Implications for our understanding of people's economic vulnerability are drawn from the observations.     

Cycles versus equilibrium in evolutionary games

Mixed-strategy equilibria are typically rather unstable in evolutionary game theory. “Monocyclic” games, such as Rock–Paper–Scissors, have only mixed equilibria, some of which are “stable” in the sense that sequential best replies lead to them; yet, even these games are prone to stable cycles under discrete-time simultaneous best replies, giving an unusual equilibrium-selection problem. This article analyzes such games in a random-utility setting where changing strategies is costly, and the speed of the dynamic is, thus, endogenous. The stochastically stable outcome is determined by the cost of switching strategies; when switching costs are high, mixed equilibria are selected, whereas when switching costs are low, cycles are selected.     

Unique Challenges of Transgender Aging: Implications From the Literature

Transgender elders are both underserved and understudied. Neither the etiology nor prevalence of transgender is well understood. Because sex, gender, and sexuality are at the very core of individual identity, it is difficult to dislodge one's ideas and feelings about them. Unlike biological sex and sexual orientation, gender has several aspects: gender identity, gender expression, and gender classification. A discussion of the terminology of transgender is presented, and the issues facing aging transgender individuals are identified. Although the challenges of adequate healthcare, social support, and legal obstacles are faced by many elderly individuals, the way they are presented and managed are unique to this often invisible group.     

Networks,case managers,and the job-search experiences of unemployed people

Employment services are commonly provided in network settings, but it is rare to find social policy analyses of how unemployed people search for jobs through networks. In a germinal analysis of social networks and employment, Mark Granovetter argued that “weak ties” (less familiar contacts) are more important to finding employment than are “strong ties” (family and friends). This is because weak ties provide more novel job-relevant information. Scholarship since Granovetter has predominantly supported the opposite argument, namely, that strong ties are more important for the unemployed, because they are more plentiful and thus provide more information in aggregate. Findings are also generally coloured by the focus being on “informal” networks or personal contacts. “Formal” networks, as represented most cogently by employment service providers, are absent or underestimated in most social network studies. On the basis of a qualitative study of 80 long-term unemployed people in Australia, incorporating analysis of both informal and formal networks, we argue that although “strong informal” ties are vital to job search, it is also important to consider “weak formal” ties, which can be complementary if and where service organizations are able to supply positive case management experiences.     

Father-Absence and the Development of Sex Role

The lack of data-based research on the effects of father absence provided the major focus of the study. Comparisons are made between sex-role development in father-absent boys, male singletons and males in the four sibling-status positions in two-child families. On three measures of sex-role development, differences between the groups are shown. The father-absent groups are shown to rank poorly in comparison with their peers. Although no firm explanations are adduced for this developmental disadvantage, the possibilities of compensatory masculinity and critical periods in sex-role establishment are raised. The need for provision of adequate male sex role models for boys during the psychosexually formative years and some implications for future research are discussed.     

The Negotiation of Child Care and Employment Demands Among Low-Income Parents

Low-income working mothers face significant child care challenges. These challenges are particularly salient in an era of welfare reform, when welfare recipients are under increased pressure to find a job. The current study examines how child care demands are negotiated for an urban sample of low-income mothers. The sample includes a racially and ethnically diverse group of 57 respondents with and without welfare experience who are mothering children under 13 years of age and working in entry-level jobs. Findings suggest that respondents seek arrangements that are affordable, convenient, and safe, and informal arrangements may be most compatible with convenience and cost considerations. Informal care is not universally available, however, andmay be less reliable. Implications for child care policy are discussed.     

A classification of social assistance recipients in Norway

A classification of social assistance recipients was undertaken using data from a nationwide survey of 1212 clients aged from 18 to 50 years. The findings revealed 4 distinct types of clients: the ill, the deviants, the dependents and the indebted. The ill are composed mainly of unmarried and divorced mothers. More than 50% report poor health and almost 90% have either anxiety or depressive disorders. More than 80% have used sedatives during the last 6 months. The deviants are almost exclusively men, and 3 of 4 are unmarried. They report high levels of drug use, and 80% have been convicted. The dependents are mainly women (62%) and report both the longest time as unemployed and as social assistance recipients. This group also includes many unmarried or divorced women. The men are usually unmarried. The indebted are people characterized by high housing debts. Almost all own a dwelling, and 85% own a car. The group is evenly split by gender. Two thirds of the men are married, and the majority of the women are divorced.     

Beliefs about overconfidence

This experiment elicits beliefs about other people’s overconfidence and abilities. We find that most people believe that others are unbiased, and only few think that others are overconfident. There is a remarkable heterogeneity between these groups. Those people who think others are underconfident or unbiased are overconfident themselves. Those who think others are overconfident are underconfident themselves. Despite this heterogeneity, people overestimate on average the abilities of others as they do their own ability. One driving force behind this result is the refusal to process information about oneself: not only does this lead to overestimation of one’s own ability, but by means of social projection also to overestimation of others’ abilities.     

Contextual Variability in Young Children's Gender Ingroup Stereotype

Self-categorization theorists (Oakes, Haslam & Turner, 1994) have shown that stereotypes are not rigid and fixed, and that they vary to reflect variations in the comparative context within which they are formed. In this paper we investigate stereotype variability in a sample of 6/7-year-old children. Participants describe a specific outgroup, and then describe the ingroup (that is 'boys' or 'girls', depending on the sex of the participant). There are two conditions: in condition one the outgroup is represented by adult 'men', if participants are boys, or by adult 'women', if participants are girls. In condition two the outgroup is represented by 'girls', if participants are boys, or by 'boys', if participants are girls. Results show that stereotypical traits attributed to the ingroup change significantly with changes in the frame of reference.