Federal statistics in a complex environment: the case of the 1980 census

A discussion of the 1980 U.S. census is presented. The authors suggest that the taking of a national census is not just a statistical exercise, but an exercise involving ethics, epistemology, law, and politics. They contend that conducting a national census can be defined as an ill-structured problem in which the various complexities imposed by multidisciplinarity cannot be separated. "The 1980 census is discussed as an ill-structured problem, and a method for treating such problems is presented, within which statistical information is only one component."     

Contraceptive behavior among unmarried young women: A theoretical framework for research

Adoption of the most effective methods of contraception requires individual decision-making and negotiation with contraceptive providers. In order to take account of both behavioral elements, a two-dimensional framework for understanding contraceptive adoption and continuation by unmarried young is proposed, incorporating a "social-psychological model" of individual decision-making and an "interpersonal model" of factors affecting provider-client interaction. The social-psychological model is based on an earlier value-expectancy theory of behavior motivation as applied to health-related behaviors. The interpersonal model is derived from conflict-bargaining perspectives on professional-client interaction; it is suggested that expectations for this interaction are based on a limited number of internalized "models": the "professional"; the "bureaucratic"; the "commercial"; and the "parental." Insofar as client and professional "models" disagree, communication may break down and client understanding and/or acceptance of provider advice cannot be assured. The components of the social-psychological and interpersonal models are described in detail, and a combined framework is proposed.     

Public Attitudes Toward Life and Death

Opinion trends in this country indicate sharp divisions in publicsentiment over a number of life-taking actions. While legalabortion and capital punishment clearly head the list, a numberof other issues have gained national attention in recent years.The present paper explores the structure of belief systems givingrise to normative conflicts of this kind. Of particular interestis the notion of a "pro-life" or other generic life orientation(e.g., the alleged "right-to-die" orientation of those who favor"mercy killings" in the case of terminally ill patients) asa possible explanation for public attitudes toward specificissues such as suicide and euthanasia. The present analysisassesses the empirical claims associated with such a model.The results offer qualified support for the existence of genericvalue orientations as revealed by public attitudes toward legalabortion, suicide, euthanasia, and capital punishment.     

An innovative approach to selecting an executive director

As a guide for how to select a new executive director, a family agency adopted the search committee process from higher education. The approach included clarifying agency goals and the director's qualifications, a board-staff screening, and interviews held jointly with public representatives before final board selection.