Estimation under generalized sampling of cell proportions for contingency tables subject to marginal constraints

Under simple random (multinomial) sampling the problem of estimating cell proportions for a contingency table subject to marginal constraints has been well explored. We briefly review methods that have been considered; then we develop a general method, for more complicated sampling, which reflects the variance structure of the estimated cell proportions. For stratified and cluster sampling we compare our method against earlier methods for the 2×2 table and find it potentially advantageous.     

Gender, power and postindustrialism

Dans cette communication, nous étudions le rôle du sexe dans l'organisation des rapports de production sur le marché du travail post-industriel au Canada. L'article s'appuie d'abord sur les données des recensements de la période de 1941 à 1986 pour décrire les spécificités liées au sexe de la transition au post-industrialisme telle que vécue par les hommes et les femmes. Le post-industrialisme a entraîné un départ d'un grand nombre d'hommes de l'agriculture et les industries du secteur primaire, mais le secteur manufacturier est resté jusqu'à récemment relativement stable. Pour les femmes, le post-industrialisme a surtout provoqué le passage du travail domestique non rémunéré au travail salarié dans les industries de services. Par conséquent, la répartition de l'emploi chez les hommes demeure essentiellement celle d'une économie industrielle traditionnelle; or, dans les industries de services ‘post-industrielles, ce sont les femmes qui prédominent. Done nous analysons les données de l'Enquête sur les structures de classe et démontrons que la prédominance numérique des femmes dans les services n'a strictement rien changéà l'écart entre les sexes en ce qui concerne l'accès aux postes de pouvoir et d'autorité. Dans les secteurs traditionnels, producteurs de marchandises, les hommes commandent généralement aux hommes, tandis que dans le secteur des services, les hommes commandent maintenant aux femmes. Nous terminons par une analyse des données de recensement qui montre en quoi les différences entre hommes et femmes en matière d'accès au pouvoir et à l'autorité ont évolué dans le temps. In this paper we examine the gendered nature of production relations in the context of Canada's postindustrial labour market. We begin by describing gender-specific features of the transition to postindustrialism with census data for the period from 1941–1986. For men, postindustrialism brought considerable movement out of agriculture and other extractive industries but, until recently, relative stability in the manufacturing sector. For women, postindustrialism has mainly meant a shift from unpaid domestic labour to paid employment in the service industries. As a consequence, male employment patterns continue to resemble those of a traditional industrial economy while women predominate in the ‘postindustrial’ service industries. We then use data from the 1982 Class Structure Survey to show that women's numerical dominance in services has in no way altered the gender gap in access to positions of power and authority. In the traditional goods-producing sectors, men mainly rule other men while the service economy is the site where men now rule over women. We end with an analysis of change over time in male-female differences in access to power and authority using census data.     

When they drink too much. Nursing interventions for patients with disordered water balance

Disordered water balance affects as many as 60% of severely psychiatrically disabled persons. Most patients do not progress to the point of a medical emergency, but are in a state of mild chronic intoxication, making them unavailable for treatment and requiring nursing care to treat the effects of the chronic intoxicated state. Interventions depend on the severity of the disordered water balance and vary from teaching fluid intake control to controlling all patient access to fluids. Nursing management of water intoxication is a trial and error approach. Through a thorough assessment and close observation of the patient, the nurse can determine which interventions would be most appropriate for the patient.     

Prediction in linear mixed models

Following estimation of effects from a linear mixed model, it is often useful to form predicted values for certain factor/variate combinations. The process has been well defined for linear models, but the introduction of random effects into the model means that a decision has to be made about the inclusion or exclusion of random model terms from the predictions. This paper discusses the interpretation of predictions formed including or excluding random terms. Four datasets are used to illustrate circumstances where different prediction strategies may be appropriate: in an orthogonal design, an unbalanced nested structure, a model with cubic smoothing spline terms and for kriging after spatial analysis. The examples also show the need for different weighting schemes that recognize nesting and aliasing during prediction, and the necessity of being able to detect inestimable predictions.     

Counseling the Bereaved

This paper considers many of the theoretical and practical issues underlying the provision of bereavement counseling, and discusses (a) risk factors for bereaved people, (b) therapeutic assessment of bereaved people and planning of care, (c) provision of services aimed at diminishing risk and facilitating grief and mourning, (d) key issues of family and social support in bereavement counseling, and (e) the need for further development and coordination of services for the bereaved.     

Explaining Social exclusion: Towards Social Inclusion for Indigenous Australians

Current policy often focuses on ‘Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage’ by simultaneously addressing multiple deficits that many Indigenous people experience relative to other Australians. International literature often frames such issues in terms of the contested concepts of social exclusion and social inclusion. This paper attempts to analyse what Indigenous social inclusion might look like in a plural society such as Australia. In addition to contextualising Australian policy in broader debates, this paper also briefly introduces several relevant theories of justice, diversity and Indigenous rights to provide a theoretical framework for conceptualising social inclusion. The article concludes with some reflections on some practical suggestions to move the debate forward. In principle, enhancing Indigenous social and political participation in policy design should both increase inclusion and reduce disadvantage by enhancing the effectiveness of programs that have a substantial Indigenous client base.     

The Use of Social Surveys to Measure Drought and the Impact of Drought

Although the term drought is widely used, defining it is conceptually and technically difficult and there is no generally accepted definition. This article uses data from an Australian social survey of people living in agricultural areas to test the validity of using general social surveys to ask respondents whether they are living in an area that is drought affected. Strong evidence is found that the survey based self-report measure of drought is both internally consistent and correlated with the standard Australian meteorological (rainfall deficit) measures of drought and thus provides a valid measure of whether individuals are experiencing the drought. The relationship between self-report drought and the standard meteorological measure of drought and financial hardship and changes in financial position is estimated. While a negative association between drought and financial position is found for both measures, the relationship is stronger for the self-report than the meteorological definition. The self-report measure is more closely linked to the economic, social and community impacts of low rainfall and provides greater flexibility in the geographic area over which drought is measured—thus survey data about drought allows respondents to define the area in way which is meteorologically, topographically or agriculturally meaningful.     

Narratives and self-identity in later life: Two rural American older women

Older adults often draw on memories to construct stories about themselves that help them to retain and validate their self-identities, doing this within the cultural contexts that have shaped their lives. In this paper, we examine the life history narratives of two working class, rural American older women and the ways in which those narratives are similar despite one major difference: one has dementia. In both cases, major themes that are consistent with gender-based, working class, rural American cultural values are dominant, including closeness of family, hard work, ties to the land, and religious faith. In the first case, she reconstructs memories of her life in accordance with dominant cultural and personal values, downplaying the ways in which her experiences were “out of step” with these values. In the second case, her sense of identity remains and is expressed through her co-constructed memories although she is experiencing cognitive loss.