SiZer analysis for the comparison of time series

SiZer (SIgnificant ZERo crossing of the derivatives) is a scale-space visualization tool for statistical inferences. In this paper we introduce a graphical device, which is based on SiZer, for the test of the equality of the mean of two time series. The estimation of the quantile in a confidence interval is theoretically justified by advanced distribution theory. The extension of the proposed method to the comparison of more than two time series is also done using residual analysis. A broad numerical study is conducted to demonstrate the sample performance of the proposed tool. In addition, asymptotic properties of SiZer for the comparison of two time series are investigated.     

“Coming From the Place of Walking with the Youth—that Feeds Everything”: A Mixed Methods Case Study of a Runaway and Homeless Youth Organization

Organizations for runaway and homeless youth (RHY) provide essential services to highly vulnerable youth who have a wide variety of basic needs and complex psychosocial challenges. We present a mixed-methods case study of an RHY organization to identify the specific mechanisms and processes by the organization successfully promotes engagement and positive development of the youth they serve. We analyzed qualitative and quantitative data separately and then integrated these two strands of data. Our findings indicate a consistent convergence of responses across the data sources, in both the qualitative and quantitative strands, that consistently reflect the organization’s youth-centered approach. Primary among these policies and practices is the emphasis on building and maintaining empathetic relationships with youth, the promotion of youths’ autonomy, and an institutional culture of continuous evaluation of how the organization is meeting their mission to provide services that reflect best practices.     

Post-neonatal mortality in Rural India: Implications of an economic model

In this paper we develop and test a theory of childhood mortality after the first month of life. Parents are assumed to have well-defined family size and sex composition objectives and to face severe budget constraints. In this set of circumstances, it is understandable that they will make allocative decisions that will affect the survival probabilities of children. These decisions and the environmental influences on mortality are the basic forces which determine whether a child will survive through the post-neonatal period. The model is tested with survey data from rural Uttar Pradesh, India. The results are consistent with the hypothetical framework discussed above. The burden of this pattern of choice is felt particularly strongly by female births.     

She Was Born in a Small Town: The Advantages and Disadvantages in Political Knowledge and Efficacy for Rural Girls

Recent work suggests that girls learn more about politics and are more efficacious in places with less conflict and greater homogeneity. Given that rural communities are often more homogeneous than metropolitan areas across several dimensions, this article asks whether young girls growing up in rural communities have higher levels of political knowledge and efficacy than those in more urban, diverse communities. It argues that the average girl benefits from the stronger social bonds between residents in smaller places, but young women who hold minority views about the importance of equality are likely to suffer in their levels of knowledge and efficacy. Being in the minority seems to be particularly difficult for girls in smaller places. This article raises questions about the ways in which gender gaps vary across different places and the varying effects of minority status.     

Between cosmopolitanism and ethnic dissolution: Politics,religion and iconic reappropriation in the cult of the Mother of God of Bisila in Equatorial Guinea and Catalonia

ABSTRACT

The cult to the Mother of God of Bisila constitutes one of the main events in Bubi’s sacred calendar. The current representation of this traditional feminine spirit, partially identified to the Virgin Mary, stems from the sculpture made by the Modest Gené in 1968, when Equatorial Guinea was still a Spanish colony. The creation of this image formed part of a strategy of evangelization through religious syncretism. Yet, the importance of Bisila is not only religious but mainly political and identity-related: historically, Bisila has symbolised the cultural resistance of Bubi people. Today, the cult of Bisila is undergoing a deep transformation. In Guinea, we witness a strong contrast between the areas in which the cult tends to become an interethnic ceremony and those in which it preserves its marked Bubi character. In Catalonia, Bisila’s followers have strategically adopted a religious narrative based on the ideas of cosmopolitanism and pan-africanism aimed at presenting their cult as an integrative celebration. Based on a multi-situated ethnographic fieldwork, and on an in-depth historical research, this article discusses the tensions between universalism and ethnic singularity that lie within this unexplored cult, through which some of the main conflicts of contemporary Bubi community can be grasped.     

An overview of occupational accidents notification systems within the enlarged EU

This paper describes a comparative analysis of the official forms used for reporting occupational accidents within the EU-27 member states. The comparison is based on two analysis grids (coding schedule) created to that effect, which incorporate a set of evaluation criteria and an interpretation key. The results obtained in the analysis allowed for attention to be drawn to the relevant attributes of such forms in terms of their content and format/structure. It also revealed the main similarities and differences between each country, providing a complete assessment of the 27 member states. The discussion gives account of the level of implementation of the "new" Eurostat variables within the European Statistics of Accidents at Work (ESAW). Furthermore, the study shows that certain formats (structure of information fields) appear to facilitate completeness of the information collected. It has also demonstrated that the European harmonisation process is still far from completion, although the newcomer states seem to be adjusting quickly to the process. The findings of this study may bring useful insights to national authorities and European policy-makers, or to employers/enterprises wishing to implement their internal procedures aligned with the ESAW methodology. The scientific community is another interest group, whose research relies on official statistics, preferably comparable across all countries.     

Perspectives of Looked after Children on School Experience — a Study Conducted among Primary School Children in a Children’s Home in Singapore

Singapore is known for its well‐developed public education. Although there have been prolific studies and advancement in pedagogy of different groups of learners, the progress has yet to capture the interest of children in residential care, and their educational needs remain a field lacking in discussion. This study seeks to give these children a voice by answering three main questions: (1) What have the children experienced in school? (2) How do they feel about these experiences? (3) To what extent are the children’s experiences and feelings related to their background?A mixed‐method approach that encompasses both quantitative and qualitative instruments has been employed to find out from the Primary School children in a local Children’s Home their perspectives on school experience. The findings reveal that looked after children do encounter greater challenges in school because of their unique background and lack of resources. Most of them would need to rely on the authorities in both the school and the Home for support if better experience and performance in school are to be achieved.     

Performance: self as the principal evaluator

The paper proposes an alternative way of looking at performance management by placing the 'performer' in the leading role of evaluator. The proposition is rooted in the evidence that, when performance is primarily evaluated by someone other than 'self', this robs individuals of a sense of responsibility for their own work performance and reduces the quality of both process and output. The paper suggests that learning is the premier skill at the root of performance improvement. Further, a systems view of the organization is essential if employees are to be given the freedom to self-evaluate.     

The Loss of Friends to Homicide and the Implications for the Identity Development of Urban African American Teen Girls

Homicide is the leading cause of death of African American youths in the United States. The loss of their friends to these deaths challenges the identity development of many urban African American teen girls. To understand the implications of such a loss on the psychosocial task of identity development of urban African American teen girls, 21 African American girls, 16–19 years old, living in a large Northeastern city in the United States, participated in a qualitative study. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted. A grounded theory, constant comparative approach, is used to analyze the narrative data. The findings show (a) the presence and pressure of psychosocial stress on the participants’ identity development process, (b) the adaptive functions of foreclosed religious identity commitments, (c) the potential for this event to inform, in complex ways, racial identity development examined through racial group orientation, and (d) natural avenues of resistance to marginalization and race devaluation that may be experienced from societal responses to this event. How the teens make meaning of this experience informs their identity development. The article promotes the inclusion of identity-informed psychosocial interventions in bereavement work with this population.