‘You tell all the stories’: Using narrative to explore hierarchy within a Community of Practice1

Recent discussion of the Community of Practice (CofP) ( Davies 2005 ) has suggested that there are certain limitations to the approach with regard to how it accounts for internal hierarchy and community membership. Eckert and Wenger (2005: 588) have suggested that the only way to evaluate such criticism (and avoid building an inappropriately rigid conception of power into CofP theory) is to explore how hierarchies operate within CofPs. This paper offers such an exploration. Using data from a long‐term ethnographic study of a high school in the north‐west of England, this paper will use narrative analysis (drawing upon the work of Labov and Waletsky [1967] 1997 amongst others) to explore the interactional space in which speakers actively negotiate their personal and community behaviour. The analysis focuses upon the role individuals play as narrators of community practice and illustrates that status inequalities between individual CofP members do not necessarily result in inequitable allocation of control within the CofP.     

The level and growth of union/nonunion relative wage effects, 1967–1977

This paper pools cross-section data to obtain an estimate of the overall effects of unions on relative wages for the period 1967 through 1977. We found the average union wage premium for all workers to be roughly 24 percent, but that this premium varies substantially between subgroups of workers. Our analysis showed that real wage rates increased faster in the union sector than in the nonunion sector between 1967 through 1977. However, we found that this relative growth pattern in wages was caused by economic conditions rather than in any fundamental shift in the power of unions. We wish to thank James S. Cunningham, H. Gregg Lewis, and John Pencavel for helpful comments.     

Inférence statistique dans les processus stochastiques: Aperçu historique

The study of statistical inference for stochastic processes has evolved along two paths. Some problems related to particular processes have been studied, and also some trials to extend general results obtained for independent identically distributed random variables have been made. We retrace the first main contributions, evaluate their influence, and give an idea of the evolution of the research in the field of statistical inference made with observations coming from a stochastic process.     

Summative scales for measuring community satisfaction

Results of this study indicate that pen and paper questionnaire procedures can be successfully adapted to random digit dialing telephone interview methods. Further, the study produced a reliable instrument for measuring attitudes about how residents perceive their communities as a place to live.     

Feasibility and efficacy of a binge drinking prevention intervention for college students delivered via the Internet versus postal mail

In this study, the authors evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of a binge drinking prevention intervention for college students delivered via the Internet versus a parallel print-based intervention delivered via postal mail. A total of 116 college students completed the baseline survey. The authors then randomized the students into the Web or print group and sent them intervention materials. One hundred and six students completed the posttest survey. The intervention consisted of a series of 4 weekly "newsletters" in electronic or print format. The authors collected data using a standardized online 42-item survey. They found that an Internet-based binge drinking prevention intervention for college students was feasible. Results supported the efficacy of this intervention for those students already binge drinking, regardless of delivery mode. The authors found no significant differences on outcome measures when delivered via the Internet or postal mail. Results lend support to the use of the Internet as a viable alternative to more traditional health intervention delivery methods.