A model averaging approach for the ordered probit and nested logit models with applications

This paper considers model averaging for the ordered probit and nested logit models, which are widely used in empirical research. Within the frameworks of these models, we examine a range of model averaging methods, including the jackknife method, which is proved to have an optimal asymptotic property in this paper. We conduct a large-scale simulation study to examine the behaviour of these model averaging estimators in finite samples, and draw comparisons with model selection estimators. Our results show that while neither averaging nor selection is a consistently better strategy, model selection results in the poorest estimates far more frequently than averaging, and more often than not, averaging yields superior estimates. Among the averaging methods considered, the one based on a smoothed version of the Bayesian Information criterion frequently produces the most accurate estimates. In three real data applications, we demonstrate the usefulness of model averaging in mitigating problems associated with the ‘replication crisis’ that commonly arises with model selection.     

Trade policy and the United States labour market

The United States Government proposed a sweeping review of existing trade deals when the current Administration took office in January 2017. This paper reviews the ongoing changes, and considers the potential impact of two strands of the trade policy debate on the United States labour market. First, we consider policy decisions that may impact the location decision of multinational enterprises, especially within the context of the renegotiation of NAFTA. Second, we review the policy debate related to the steel industry, and the potential channels through which an import tariff on steel imports may impact the labour market.     

Making sense of loss: a content analysis of end-of-life practitioners' therapeutic approaches

Clinical professionals working in end-of-life (EOL) contexts are frequently relied upon to address questions of meaning with dying and bereaved persons. Similar to the gulf between researchers and practitioners besetting the larger healthcare community, the voices of EOL practitioners are often underrepresented in the empirical literature. This study aimed to further the dialogue in the field of thanatology by surveying and describing the therapeutic approaches that EOL practitioners most commonly report using to facilitate meaning-making. A total of 119 practitioners from a range of EOL disciplines were surveyed to write about their intervention strategies for helping clients/patients make sense of loss. Overall, participants discussed using 23 different therapeutic approaches that comprised three overarching categories: 1) presence of the helping professional; 2) elements of the process; and 3) therapeutic procedures. Importantly, the results also indicated that practitioners from the different EOL occupations are converging on many of the same strategies for promoting meaning-making. Implications for future research on evaluating the effectiveness of meaning-making interventions are also discussed.     

Helping families where parents misuse drugs or alcohol? A mixed methods comparative evaluation of an intensive family preservation service

Option 2 is an intensive family preservation service for families with serious child protection concerns related to parental misuse of drugs or alcohol. A previous evaluation indicated that it reduced the number of children entering care and, as a result, produced cost savings; however, little data were gathered from families. This study involved interviews with 15 families (46 children) who had received the service, and a comparison group of 12 families (28 children) referred but not provided the service due to no workers being available. Outcomes and experiences were compared, on average, 5.6 years following referral. Findings included a significant reduction in children entering care, and improvements in relation to substance misuse, parental well‐being and family cohesion. There was no difference in emotional and behavioural welfare of children. Qualitative accounts were very positive about the impact of the service, identifying effective engagement of parents and key elements of good practice in supporting families to change. The findings provide additional support for suggesting that high quality, intensive interventions with families affected by parental substance misuse can be effective. Key lessons for current attempts to deal with the increase in children entering care and the English government's ‘troubled families’ initiative are considered.     

The Father-in-law’s Relationship with His Son-in-law: A Preliminary Understanding

ABSTRACT

Little information is available about fathers-in-law and their relationship with their sons-in-law. The authors draw from a mixed-methods study of 35 fathers-in-law to describe how three fathers-in-law with highly positive son-in-law relationships and three fathers-in-law with difficult son-in-law relationships talk about those relationships. All three fathers-in-law with positive relationships are married, had good relationships with their parents-in-law, treat their sons-in-law like family members, have good relationships with their daughters, and believe their daughter and son-in-law are a good team. Some of these fathers-in-law worked through issues with their sons-in-law to a positive resolution. The three fathers-in-law with difficult relationships had varied relations with their parents-in-laws, are close with their own children but keep their sons-in-law at an emotional distance and often communicate with them through their children (the son-in-law’s spouse). One father-in-law believes his daughter and son-in-law are a good team. These fathers-in-law believe their sons-in-law show unsettling traits and have, as a result, grown more distant from them with time. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are included.     

Utilities for distributive justice

This paper falls within the field of Distributive Justice and (as the title indicates) addresses itself specifically to the meshing problem. Briefly stated, the meshing problem is the difficulty encountered when one tries to aggregate the two parameters of beneficence and equity in a way that results in determining which of two or more alternative utility distributions is most just. A solution to this problem, in the form of a formal welfare measure, is presented in the paper. This formula incorporates the notions of equity and beneficence (which are defined earlier by the author) and weighs them against each other to compute a numerical value which represents the degree of justice a given distribution possesses. This value can in turn be used comparatively to select which utility scheme, of those being considered, is best.Three fundamental adequacy requirements, which any acceptable welfare measuring method must satisfy, are presented and subsequently demonstrated to be formally deducible as theorems of the author's system. A practical application of the method is then considered as well as a comparison of it with Nicholas Rescher's method (found in his book, Distributive Justice). The conclusion reached is that Rescher's system is unacceptable, since it computes counter-intuitive results. Objections to the author's welfare measure are considered and answered. Finally, a suggestion for expanding the system to cover cases it was not originally designed to handle (i.e. situations where two alternative utility distributions vary with regard to the number of individuals they contain) is made. The conclusion reached at the close of the paper is that an acceptable solution to the meshing problem has been established.I would like to gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Michael Tooley whose positive suggestions and critical comments were invaluable in the writting of this paper.     

After the Interview

This article is concerned with after the interview, a strip of time (Goffman 1974, p. 10) between the end of the formal interview and the culmination of leave-taking rituals. Although there is a considerable and growing literature on qualitative interviewing (Arksey and Knight 1999; Kvale 1996; Rubin and Rubin 1995; Weiss 1994), and some corridor talk about the meaning of off the record post-interview comments, this topic has received little attention in the published literature (but see DeSantis 1980 and Wenger 2001). And we think it is an important one, since it illuminates the interviewee's interpretation of the interviewer and interview process, and highlights aspects of the meaning of the topic, and of the interviewer, to the respondent (which is, after all, the endpoint of the qualitative interviewing method). Further, the question of what constitutes after the interview throws into relief the question of what is an interview.     

Vaginal Dryness and Beyond: The Sexual Health Needs of Women Diagnosed With Metastatic Breast Cancer

While research on the sexual health of women with early stage cancer has grown extensively over the past decade, markedly less information is available to support the sexual health needs of women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 32 women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (ages 35 to 77) about questions they had concerning their sexual health and intimate relationships. All participants were recruited from a comprehensive cancer center at a large Midwestern university. Three themes were examined: the role of sexual activity and intimate touch in participants' lives, unmet information needs about sexual health, and communication with medical providers about sexual concerns. Findings indicated that sexual activities with partners were important; however, participants worried about their own physical limitations and reported frequent physical (e.g., bone pains) and vaginal pain associated with intercourse. When women raised concerns about these issues in clinical settings, medical providers often focused exclusively on vaginal lubricants, which did not address the entirety of women's problems or concerns. In addition, women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer reported needing additional resources about specialized vaginal lubricants, nonpenetrative and nongenitally focused sex, and sexual positions that did not compromise their physical health yet still provided pleasure.