Missing Data in Sociological Research: An Overview of Recent Trends and an Illustration for Controversial Questions, Active Nonrespondents and Targeted Samples

In an age of telemarketers, spam emails, and pop-up advertisements, sociologists are finding it increasingly difficult to achieve high response rates for their surveys. Compounding these issues, the current political and social climate has decreased many survey respondents’ likelihood of responding to controversial questions, which are often at the heart of much research in the discipline. Here we discuss such implications for survey research in sociology using: a content analysis of the prevalence of missing data and survey research methods in the most cited articles in top sociology journals, a case study highlighting the extraction of meaningful information through an example of potential mechanisms driving the non-random missing data patterns in the Religion Among Academic Scientists dataset, and qualitative responses from non-responders in this same case. Implications are likely to increase in importance given the ubiquitous nature of survey research, missing data, and privacy concerns in sociological research.     

Computing continuous core/periphery structures for social relations data with MINRES/SVD

When diagonal values are missing or excluded, MINRES is a natural continuous model for the core/periphery structure of a symmetric social network matrix. Symmetric models, however, are not so useful when dealing with asymmetric data. Singular value decomposition (SVD) is a natural choice to model asymmetry, but this method also requires the presence of diagonal values. In this paper we offer an alternative, more general, approach to continuous core/periphery structures, the minimum residual singular value decomposition (MINRES/SVD), where each node in the network receives two indices, an “in-coreness” and an “out-coreness.” The algorithm for computing these coreness vectors is a least squares computation similar to, but distinct from the SVD, again because of the missing diagonal values. And in contrast to the standard, symmetric MINRES algorithm, we can more accurately model asymmetric matrices. This allows us to distinguish, for example, countries in the world economy that are more in the exporting core than they are in the importing core. We propose two nested PRE (proportional reduction of error) measures of fit: (1) the PRE from the MINRES vector with respect to the data and (2) the PRE of the product of the two MINRES/SVD vectors. Applying the resulting method to citations between journals and to international trade in clothing, we illustrate insights gained from being able to model asymmetrical flow patterns. Finally, two permutation tests are introduced to test independently for the MINRES and MINRES/SVD results.     

Unpacking intergenerational (IG) programs for policy implications: A systematic review of the literature

Intergenerational care is a program where both the younger and older generations are receiving programmed care in an environment where activities and resources are shared between them. Anecdotally, an intergenerational care program takes on many forms. This paper presents a systematic literature review of intergenerational care models. Our findings are relevant to policy makers as the paper highlights the opportunities to create an age-friendly environment by introducing intergenerational models in Australia, where intergenerational care development is in its infancy. Future research will help articulate the personal, social, and economic value of intergenerational care.     

Older Workers’ Access to Employer-Sponsored Retiree Health Insurance, 2000–2006

Using a multivariate framework, we analyze trends in employer provision of retiree health insurance (RHI), eligibility for new retirees, and retiree contributions. Data come for the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey—Insurance Component (MEPS-IC). While RHI provision to existing retirees decreased, eligibility for new retirees declined even more. Contribution requirements increased between 2000 and 2006 for retirees not yet eligible for Medicare (less than 65 years of age), but remained stable for those who were eligible (65 years of age or older). These results suggest growing financial instability for retirees.     

Second‐pillar pensions in Central and Eastern Europe: Payment constraints and exit options

During 1998–2007, a majority of Central and Eastern European (CEE) governments enacted laws obligating workers to save for retirement in privately managed individual accounts. The governments funded these accounts with a portion of public pension revenues, thus creating or increasing deficits in public systems. After the onset of the global financial and economic crisis (2008), most CEE governments reduced these funding diversions and scaled back the accounts. Now, a decade after the crisis, this article examines the benefits that the accounts are beginning to pay retiring workers. In general, these benefits are shown to be disadvantageous compared with public pensions. Some pay lump sums in lieu of regular monthly benefits, most fail to adjust pensions regularly for inflation, and some pay women less than men with equal account balances. In several countries, pensioners with individual accounts receive lower benefits than those without them. To enable retiring workers to avoid these disadvantages, several CEE governments have allowed them to refund their account balances and receive full public pensions. Yet while this strategy diffuses worker dissatisfaction, it also places strains on public pension finance. To assist second‐pillar account holders without weakening public pensions, governments should consider making private pension savings voluntary and financing these schemes independently of public pensions – i.e. by worker and employer contributions and, possibly, direct state support.     

How a Navigation Channel Contributed to Most of the Flooding of New Orleans During Hurricane Katrina

Levee failures during Hurricane Katrina left 85% of New Orleans flooded, 1,500 dead, and about 400,000 homeless. Three separate investigations into the levee failures have been concluded, yet none of these studies conclusively determined why the St Bernard polder flooded so deeply, despite Team Louisiana’s conclusion regarding early failure of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) levees. Detailed wave and hydrodynamic modeling reported here reveals the cause of extensive breaching of the MRGO levees and how that created a very efficient conduit of surge water into the heart of the city.